Signage
Signage often presents the last opportunity to provide advice to beach visitors. It is most effective when combined with supporting education and awareness campaigns.
The problems encountered in the UK include:
- Differing signs from location to location (i.e. all beach access points, patrolled areas, tourist walks etc).
- Signs not conforming to an identifiable standard.
- Confusion from information contained on signs (too little/too much/incorrect).
- Signs clearly not understood by beach visitors.
What is needed is a signage programme that will:
- Provide a cost effective method for supervision of a remote location.
- Confirm to relevant standards.
- Reduce risk of litigation against the management authority.
- Communicating with beach visitors.
- Reduce the potential of death by drowning.
- Provide uniformity of presentation and the information provided.
This will most effectively be achieved by adopting a common standard for all aquatic signage. This will lead to improved understanding by the community and the ability to conduct effective education campaigns.
The solution
The guide to beach safety signs, flags and symbols, which has the endorsement of Maritime and Coastguard Agency and a number of agencies with an interest in aquatic safety, has the potential to achieve significant improvements in beach safety.
The RNLI played the lead role in the development of this guide and is seeking support for the guide to be implemented as the accepted 'standard' for beach safety signage in the UK.
The RNLI is able to work with local operators by providing advice and guidance to allow operators to use the information to implement their own beach signage plans.
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