Review aims to reduce accidental drowning in Scotland

A new review is set to help reduce accidental drowning deaths.

The study, Scotland’s Drowning and Incident Review (DIR), is set to become the one of the world’s first to ensure a comprehensive analysis of each suspected accidental water-related fatality, with a view to preventing future occurrences, especially among the highest-risk populations, groups and communities.

On average, 96 people lose their lives as a result of a water-related incident each year in Scotland.

To reduce this number and understand the circumstances that lead to incidents, the DIR has been created by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), in partnership with Water Safety Scotland (WSS).

The review is still within its pilot phase, a voluntary process that aims to ensure a comprehensive review of each suspected accidental water-related fatality.

The review, part of Scotland’s Drowning Prevention Strategy, aims to reduce accidental drowning deaths by 50% by 2026.

Benefits of the DIR are anticipated at both local and a national level in Scotland. It will provide insight into water-based risks by local area, ensuring that those best placed to mitigate these risks are involved in the process and kept informed.

Nationally, the enhanced data capture is anticipated to lead to the development of better-informed national strategies to tackle the issue of drowning prevention.

Carlene McAvoy, leisure safety manager of RoSPA and founder and secretariat of Water Safety Scotland, said: “The DIR process that we have created for Scotland is one of the first of its type in the world.

“The findings from the study have provided us with really useful insight into the views and perspectives of key partners. There are clear points for learning from the research and we will take these on board in order to ensure that DIR works for our partners as well as for its future sustainability.

“The research also highlighted that DIR will address some vital gaps in drowning prevention efforts, in a consistent and standardised way. The hope is that DIR will be a tool that can be used by water safety partners in Scotland, to enable them to learn from incidents and mitigate the risk of future incidents.

“This supports our overarching aim to reduce accidental drownings by 50% by 2026.”

James Sullivan, watch commander at the SFRS National Water Safety Group, added: “DIR aims to provide a clear and consistent post-incident process that is vital for gaining an understanding of the events and contributory factors that led to a person entering the water.

“This information will allow water safety partners to take meaningful measures that may reduce the likelihood of a similar event occurring and will also assist in national drowning prevention efforts.

“This research was vital to ensure that our partners had the opportunity to shape the process that can now be used to improve water safety in Scotland.”