Managing safety on beaches and coastal waters
Managing beach safety guidance
RoSPA guidance document, published 2025
Coastal locations such as beaches, estuaries and inshore coastal waters consistently account for around 4 in every 10 accidental fatal drownings within the UK. Across all waters there are around 35,000 emergency call-outs to people in harm’s way.
Although search and rescue plays no small part in limiting the severity of these events, effective management from the landside is essential so that a trip to the coast is remembered for the right reasons.
This pages contains advice and resources for coastal and beach managers as to how best to manage these risks.
National Drowning Prevention Strategy
Produced by NWSF, which RoSPA hosts, the strategy aims to cut water-related deaths by 50 per cent by 2026
Water safety toolkit
We have worked with the LGA and others to support the production of a toolkit for local authorities