Tenterfields Primary Academy, Tenterfields, Halesowen, B63 3LH
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Tenterfields Primary Academy

Raising Awareness About Bathtime Safety

16th October 2024

As part of our ongoing commitment to child safety, we want to highlight an urgent message about water safety in the home, particularly during bath time.

Recent findings from the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) have revealed alarming statistics—one child a month drowns at home in England, with bath time posing one of the greatest risks.

Shocking Statistics That Demand Attention

In the last four years, 125 children have drowned in England, and 51 of these tragic incidents happened at home. The report from RLSS UK found that 2 out of 3 home drownings occurred in the bath, with most of the children affected being under five years old.

How Can You Keep Your Child Safe?

RLSS UK has identified key safety messages that we urge all parents and carers to follow:

  1. Always keep young children within arm’s reach in the bath. Always keep children under constant adult supervision in the bath. If you need to leave the bathroom, take the child with you.
    The RLSS UK survey found, 59% of parents of children under five admitted to leaving the child unattended in the bath at least once in the past month – and for most, this was down to them forgetting something, such as a towel.

  2. Never leave your child under the supervision of child siblings in the bath. If you need to leave the bathroom, take the child with you.
    The RLSS UK survey found, that 2 in 5 parents (41%) think it's safe to leave a baby in the bath with an older sibling, as long as it's not for too long.

  3. Drowning can happen quickly and silently – in a matter of minutes. You won’t hear that something is wrong.
    Parents often don’t realise that drowning happens quickly and silently. In the RLSS UK survey, 55% of parents believe they would hear thrashing and a lot of noise if their child was struggling in the bath.

Helpful Resources for Families

To address these concerns, RLSS UK has launched a new, engaging campaign called Splash Safety at Your Pad.

This initiative provides families with free, practical advice on how to manage water safety risks at home, especially during bathtime.

For more information and resources, you can visit the RLSS UK website or check out their Splash Safety at Your Pad campaign -  www.rlss.org.uk

Let’s work together to keep our children safe!