IW3 - Drowning Prevention planning
| Issue Date | Effective Date | Version |
|---|---|---|
| 07/2024 | 01/07/2025 | 2.0 |
Purpose
To develop, strengthen and enhance arrangements which contribute to the prevention of drowning by individuals and communities.
To provide guidance to land and waterway managers on incorporating drowning prevention actions and strategies into their management arrangements.
To provide guidance for the development of drowning prevention actions and strategies for governments.
To encourage consistent policy planning and implementation across sectors such as health, education, environment, climate adaptation planning, rural economic development, fisheries, water transport and disaster risk reduction, particularly policies that address the underlying drivers of increased flood risk, to incorporate drowning prevention activities and strategies.
To encourage evidence-based drowning prevention practices, which will contribute to a reduction in drowning risk across regions or population areas.
To promote capacity-building and support inter-agency cooperation by sharing lessons learned, experiences and best practices, within and amongst stakeholders.
Background
Drowning prevention is defined as a multidisciplinary approach that reduces drowning risk and builds resilience by implementing evidence-informed measures that address hazards, exposure, and vulnerabilities to protect an individual, community or population against fatal and non-fatal drowning. Therefore, drowning prevention planning is not simply about liability avoidance or risk mitigation at a specific location. Diverse groups, vulnerable groups, groups who take risks despite risk controls and even trained rescuers can and do drown at inland waterway locations. While specific actions at locations are needed, effective drowning prevention planning also requires systemic interventions, such as targeted public education campaigns, increasing swimming and water safety skills, and increasing the availability and accessibility of safe swimming locations.
Emerging evidence supports the development of local water safety plans, water safety strategies or drowning prevention plans to target a raft of actions which can be taken to reduce the burden of drowning and aquatic related injuries in communities.
Multisectoral drowning prevention planning and programmes, which emphasise community engagement and public awareness are recommended by the World Health Organisation, United Nations, World Health Assembly and Australian Water Safety Council and form a significant part of the United Nations Drowning Prevention Resolution (2021) and World Health Assembly Resolution (2023) on accelerating action on drowning prevention.
Additionally global, national and regional bodies are encouraging the development of drowning prevention plans as the burden of drowning continues to adversely impact health, social and economic outcomes.
Scope
This guideline applies to entities and/or individuals who own, operate, or control inland waterways; or own, operate or control public access to inland waterways; or have a responsibility / duty of care for the use of the associated inland waterway, such as land or water managers or inland waterway program or activity operators (hereafter referred to as the ‘responsible person’).
This guideline may also apply to governments and statutory authorities who should incorporate drowning prevention planning into broader strategic planning arrangements.
Description
Drowning prevention planning should be in place for any inland waterway or region where people access inland waterways for swimming or recreation. It should be captured in a drowning prevention planning document, hereafter referred to as ‘the Plan’.
The Plan should align with principles and objectives of the relevant state/territory and national drowning prevention plans/water safety strategies and should be contextualised to the local circumstances and arrangements.
The development of the Plan should involve multisectoral consultation and collaboration wherever possible, so that the identified drowning-prevention strategies and actions maintain a focus on community, including emergency response planning and linkage with community water safety providers, such as aquatic facility operators and lifesavers, and emergency care systems, as appropriate, particularly in communities or regions with a high burden of drowning, and/or increased risk.
The Plan should integrate with associated planning arrangements. For example, a location specific drowning prevention plan should integrate with the local or regional plan, which should integrate with the state/territory plan/strategy, which should integrate with the Australian Water Safety Strategy.
The Plan should:
- clearly define the area, community and/or waterway(s) to which the Plan applies
- identify key drowning issues
- provide practical, evidence-based drowning prevention strategies, actions and control measures
- have a validity period
- contain governance arrangements for the development, monitoring, review and continual improvement of the Plan
Approach – strategy or plan, vs integration with other frameworks
The approach to drowning prevention planning may vary, for example:
- a land or waterway manager may already have in place a water management plan or other planning approach (such as an emergency management plan) which looks at a variety of safety factors. Drowning prevention activities and actions may be embedded or integrated within broader planning arrangements.
- a government may already have in place a health plan or regional emergency management plan or other overarching framework which looks at protecting the health and safety of the community. Drowning prevention activities and actions may be embedded or integrated within those broader planning arrangements.
- where an inland waterway involves a number of owners, operators and managers, or crosses multiple governments or government areas, it may be more suitable to develop an overarching drowning prevention strategy. This can facilitate greater alignment and focus on drowning prevention across a number of organisational, sectoral and jurisdictional boundaries.
- alternatively, drowning prevention could be addressed across an entire region with multiple waterways and responsible parties, whereby a broader strategic document may be more appropriate.
Drowning prevention planning principles
In developing the Plan, the responsible person should give consideration to the following principles:
- establishing governance arrangements for drowning prevention planning
- understanding the communities to which the Plan applies
- understanding the waterways and aquatic environments covered under the Plan’s scope
- using evidence-based approaches, including research and data on drowning, aquatic injury and causal factors in the area to which the Plan applies
- collaboration and consultation between multiple stakeholders, particularly communities and those already working on drowning prevention initiatives
- encouraging engagement with policy makers
- encouraging engagement with media stakeholders
- setting objectives
- prioritising actions and strategies where resources and expertise exist, or where the burden is greatest
- measurement, evaluation, monitoring and review activities
- learning from failure
- encouraging stakeholder access to the Plan
Drowning prevention plan development process
The Plan development process should include gathering data and intelligence. For example:
- reviewing drowning data and research, to develop a drowning profile for the waterway(s) or region
- reviewing and analysing media reports relating to drowning in the area
- assessing risk management process findings of aquatic locations
- conducting research into the perspectives and attitudes of waterway users and/or the communities to which the Plan applies
- addressing knowledge gaps with well-designed research
After gathering data and intelligence, activities should be undertaken which define key gaps and opportunities to reduce drowning risk. For example:
- undertaking a desktop review of gathered information against regulations, standards and guidelines for best practice
- engaging subject matter experts in areas that may require further understanding such as drowning prevention, water safety, risk management, environmental management, flooding.
- conducting stakeholder workshops to review data, intelligence and practices
Once gaps and opportunities have been identified, engage stakeholders to build consensus around targeted actions. This should include:
- determining interested parties and including them in the development of the Plan
- establishing a local drowning prevention planning group/committee/taskforce
- defining and/or reviewing the aim, scope and objectives of the Plan
- establishing the validity period of the Plan
- identifying actions and agreeing on treatments and interventions
- determining available resources to implement the Plan
- coordinating and aligning with other sectors and agendas (wherever possible)
- measuring impact / success against targets and objectives
Once the Plan is developed:
- establishing governance / management arrangements to oversee the monitoring, reviewing and improvement of the Plan
- communicating the Plan to stakeholders
- integrating the Plan within broader planning arrangements and stakeholder strategies
Establishing governance / encouraging collaboration
The responsible person should ensure governance arrangements to oversee the development, monitoring, reviewing and improvement of the Plan.
The governance model will vary depending on the approach, for example:
- a sole owner of the inland waterway may assign oversight to an operator
- if the Plan is embedded into a broader land or water management plan, it may be monitored, reviewed and improved as part of those management arrangement
- where the Plan involves a number of owners, operators and managers, or crosses multiple governments or government areas, a collaborative multi-sectoral drowning prevention committee may be tasked with overseeing the Plan
Regardless of the specific governing arrangements, the Plan should support alignment and coordination of drowning prevention arrangements between relevant stakeholders.
Stakeholders to consider including in drowning prevention planning and development
Relevant agencies and groups with a responsibility or an interest in the health and safety of local communities should be considered for inclusion during the drowning prevention development process. This may include but is not limited to stakeholders from the following organisations (depending on the context):
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations
- Australian Defence Force
- Australian Government Department of Home Affairs
- Australian Maritime Safety Authority
- Australian Transport Safety Bureau
- Bureau of Meteorology
- Catchment Management Authorities
- Community resilience groups
- Farmsafe
- Kidsafe
- Local aquatic facility
- Local waterway user groups
- Local Emergency Services (paid and volunteer)
- National Parks Department
- Port Corporations
- School districts
- State/Territory Building Authorities
- State/Territory Emergency Management agencies
- State/Territory Environmental Protection agencies
- State/Territory Park Departments
- State/Territory Planning/Land/Water/Environment Departments
- State/Territory Work Health Safety Authorities
- Users of the waterway
- Vulnerable groups (incl. persons with a disability)
Determining Priority Areas
Drowning prevention planning relies on the resources and support of many, however with wider consultation and a diversity of perspectives, it is easy for planning to attempt to pursue all issues without sufficient resources or understanding. For this reason, targeted actions which address where the burden of drowning is highest, where the issues are most preventable and where the local issues are sufficiently defined and understood, are strongly recommended.
A suggested framework to use is the Australian Water Safety Strategy framework which prioritises actions around priority areas
Australian Water Safety Strategy Approach
The Australian Water Safety Strategy model is a model developed and used by the Australian Water Safety Council and advocated by the World Health Organisation. It seeks to understand and prioritise actions based on:
- Where the burden of drowning is proportionally highest
- Where there are issues emerging and/or drowning is most preventable
- Where issues are sufficiently defined and understood so that actions can be targeted
- Prioritises achievable, measurable focus areas and associated actions
The Australian Water Safety Strategy has five Priority Areas; People, Populations, Places, Activities and Risk Factors.
For more information on the Australian Water Safety Strategy see:
Drowning Prevention Enablers
The actions and strategies identified in the Plan should incorporate evidence-based drowning prevention activities, specifically appropriate systemic interventions, wherever possible.
The Australian approach to drowning prevention is codified in the Australian Water Safety Strategy and includes the following enablers
ENABLERS | DESCRIPTION |
Research | Drowning prevention programs, policies and practices must be grounded in evidence-based research that clearly identifies the epidemiology and risk factors associated with a specific drowning prevention issue or area. Monitoring and evaluation is also vital to determine those successful interventions. |
Policy | Policy that links to evidence-based research, and is adequately communicated and enforced, can strongly assist in drowning prevention efforts. Examples include swimming pool legislation that has enforced the use of pool fencing which is a known strategy for reducing drowning among young children. |
Advocacy
| The promotion of drowning prevention issues and strategies to the community, policy makers and government in a bid to increase awareness of the issue and further prevention efforts. |
Collaboration | Collaboration within and outside the drowning prevention sector is vital, including collaboration across state and territory jurisdictions, and even internationally, to ensure best practice is enacted and efficiencies adopted. |
Education | Education is vital to increase awareness, skill and knowledge of controlled and open water environments to reduce the risk of drowning. Education mechanisms that are reinforced throughout the Australian Water Safety Strategy include key life stages, parents, school education, vocational training, and public awareness including local, state and federal government sectors. |
Safe Environments | Safe environments are critical to achieving meaningful and sustained reductions in the Australian drowning death toll. Safe aquatic venues, such as a public pool, are places where people of all ages and skill levels can enjoy the aquatic environment in a supervised and controlled setting. They are also appropriate locations for the provision of basic swimming and water safety skills and knowledge that provide a lifetime of safer aquatic participation. Safe environments may also encapsulate appropriately managed inland waterway swimming environments, inclusive of appropriate zoning, water quality management, signage, supervision and public rescue equipment. |
Workforce | A skilled and passionate drowning prevention workforce is key to the implementation of a range of drowning prevention strategies. Safe environments also rely on a skilled workforce to ensure safety for all users. Enhancing or improving safety and drowning prevention at inland locations requires a competent and professionalised workforce that understands and can implement drowning prevention knowledge and practices. |
References
- Australian Water Safety Council (2021). Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030. Australian Water Safety Council, Sydney, Australia.
- Pidgeon, S. (2022). 10-Year Analysis of Drowning In Rivers, Creeks, Lakes and Dams. Royal Life Saving Society – Australia, Sydney, Australia.
- Royal Life Saving Society – Australia (2022). Royal Life Saving National Drowning Report 2022, Sydney, Australia.
- Scarr J., Jagnoor J. (2024). Conceptual definition for drowning prevention: a Delphi study. Injury Prevention (30:145-152). The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
- Schiavone, C., Houston, R. & Cherfils, B. (2022). Australian Policy and Caselaw for Public Safety in Inland Waterways. Royal Life Saving Society – Australia, Sydney, Australia.
- United Nations (2014). Global Report on Drowning. United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland.
- United Nations (2021). Global drowning prevention (Resolution A/75/L.76). United Nations General Assembly, New York, United States of America.
- World Health Organisation (2023). Accelerating action on global drowning prevention (Resolution EB152(12)). World Health Assembly, Geneva, Switzerland.
