Slipway safety signage on trial
07/09/2007
The RNLI has launched a trial of new slipway signage in seven locations across Devon, Dorset, Hampshire and London. The signage initiative has been developed in partnership with local and harbour authorities to make sure sea safety messages reach water-users and to create a new safety signage standard.
The current trial follows a pilot scheme in 2006. The signs have been erected in Brixham, Paignton, Torquay, Poole, Lymington, Langstone and Putney.
The project follows the success of the RNLI’s beach safety signage, launched in 2005 and now adopted by about a quarter of the UK’s beaches. It is hoped the slipway signage will receive endorsements from relevant safety and marine organisations to secure wider accreditation and adoption.
The signs’ aim is to make sure water-users understand sea safety. Some of the content is consistent throughout all the signs, while some is area-specific. Content includes local hazards and by-laws, what to do in an emergency, a map of the locality highlighting tidal areas, public information and general tips for staying safe on the water.
RNLI Sea Safety Programmes Manager Tony Wafer says: ‘We want people to be safe when they are going out on the water, so the new signage is a great way of reminding sea-users of essential safety information.
‘We welcome feedback from people using the slipways in our seven trial locations, as we work towards a national set of signage guidelines at the end of this year. We eventually hope to encourage more local and harbour authorities to adopt RNLI signage standards to help reduce the number of preventable accidents at sea.’
