Guidance: Is drowning a hazard? A short guide to water risk assessment

 GUIDANCE

Is drowning a hazard? 

Drowning is not a hazard or "something with the potential to cause harm". It is a process that results in distress and may or may not lead to death, morbidity or no morbidity. 

 

If drowning isn't a hazard, what is?

Water is a hazard that has the potential to cause harm in several ways: 

• A body of water, such as a swimming pool, lake, river, or sea, exposes swimmers and non-swimmers to a risk of harm by drowning. Whether it presents a material risk of harm will depend on the context and what is foreseeable. 
• Water can contain pathogens that can be transmitted to human beings through contact when it is a liquid or an aerosol. Examples include legionella and cryptosporidium.

It is important to remember that an absence or defect in a control measure is not a hazard. An unguarded pool or lifeguard talking on the poolside is not a hazard for that reason.  

 

Who is at risk of exposure to water? 

In a commercial swimming pool, employees, contractors, and members of the public. Those who might be considered as being at particular risk include: 

• There is evidence that non-swimmers are at a higher than average risk of drowning in all types of water bodies. 
• There is evidence that children under 8 are at greater risk of drowning in all types of water bodies. 
• There is evidence that those with heart disease or damage are at greater risk of drowning in cold water, such as in lakes, canals, and quarries. 
• There is evidence that lone swimmers are at greater risk of drowning in all types of water bodies. 
• There is evidence that those who are over 50 years old are current or former smokers, have a chronic lung disease (like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema) or weakened immune systems are at greater risk of contracting water-borne pathogens like legionella.
• There is evidence that pregnant women and young children. are at greater risk of contracting water-borne pathogens like cryptosporidium. 

It is important to remember to consider those at particular risk and not just those at risk. The guidance that includes the latest data and research will help you identify those at particular risk.  

 

How might they be exposed to harm?

In respect of water-borne pathogens in a swimming pool: 

• Ingestion and absorption through the skin from contact between water-borne pathogens and mouth, nose and ears due to events such as swimming in the water, playing on wet surfaces, or near water bodies. 
• Inhalation via water-borne pathogens present in aerosols generated by waterfalls, waterslides,  water features, showers, and hand basins. 

In respect of drowning in a swimming pool: 

• Be unable to reach a point of safety due to the water depth. 
• Being held or trapped under the water due to events such as suction from an inlet, play fighting, or violence. 
• Experience a loss of consciousness whilst in the water due to events such as hypoxic blackout, a cardiac arrest, or a seizure. 
• Experience a loss of motor control whilst in the water due to events such as a head or spinal injury. 

 

What is the risk that a person will be harmed? 

How likely a person is to be harmed may depend on factors such as: 

• Whether the person is at particular risk. For example, is one or more of the groups you have identified as at particular risk going to be present?
• Whether a person has come to harm in this way before. For example, have there been cases of a person coming to harm in this way before? 
• How often a person has come to harm in a particular way? For example, how frequently have there been cases have there been of a person coming to harm in this way? 
• Whether a person is exposed to an event that can result in harm. For example, will a person be at risk of drowning due to a spinal injury resulting from diving if the water body is a jacuzzi? 

Initial risk should be assessed without reference to control measures. 

 

What control measures will mitigate the risk of exposure to harm? 

Control measures to prevent people from being exposed to drowning in a swimming pool may include: 

• Implementation of a no-lone swimming policy reduces the risk of drowning in a group at particular risk.  
• Implementation of a no-diving policy reduces the risk of drowning due to spinal injury. 
• The provision and maintenance of information and safety signage to inform customers and staff about the water depth and safe use of the swimming pool. 
• The provision of an admissions policy reduces the risk of under 8s drowning due to inadequate supervision. 
• The provision of constant poolside supervision reduces the risk of persons drowning due to a loss of consciousness. 
• The reduction in the water depth reduces the risk of a person being unable to reach a point of safety. 

Control measures to prevent illness from water-borne pathogens may include: 

• Maintaining the water temperature such as to eliminate or reduce the multiplication of the water-borne pathogen. 
• Maintaining water hygiene using a disinfectant eliminates or reduces the multiplication of the water-borne pathogen. 
• Instructing swimmers to shower before swimming and use clean swimwear and footwear when in the vicinity of the swimming pool to reduce the multiplication of the water-borne pathogen. 

 

Next steps

1. Repeat the assessment of the likelihood a person will be exposed to harm in line with the initial risk criteria to determine if controls have been effective in reducing risk to an acceptable level. 
2. Write up the risk assessment results. 
3. Periodically check and re-evaluate the risk in line with initial assessment criteria and implement additional or modified control measures as appropriate. 

 

Citation: Jacklin, D. 2021. Is drowning a hazard? A short guide to water risk assessment. Water Incident Research Hub, 21 November.