Staying safe, including near water
Physical Education · Key Stage 1 · The School
Before you start
Look around: is there space, is the floor dry, are bags out of the way, are laces tied? Most PE injuries come from the environment rather than the activity. Ten seconds of checking prevents most of them.
Water safety
Never swim alone. Swim where there is a lifeguard. Do not go into open water — rivers, quarries, the sea — without an adult, however hot the day. COLD WATER SHOCK is the real danger in Britain: even strong swimmers gasp and lose control in cold water, and that is what drowns people.
If someone is in trouble
CALL, THROW, DO NOT GO. Call for help and dial 999 asking for the coastguard at the coast. Throw something that floats. Do NOT jump in — the great majority of people who drown trying to rescue someone were fine until they entered the water.
Cold water makes you gasp and your muscles stop working properly within seconds — swimming immediately is the mistake. FLOAT FIRST: lean back, ears in the water, arms and legs out wide like a starfish, and let the gasping settle for 60 to 90 seconds. THEN call for help or swim to safety. If you see someone else in trouble: do not go in. Call 999, ask for the coastguard or fire service, and throw them something that floats.