1. Adam Wooler (Staff Officer Operations – Prevention & Lifeguarding) 6 th December 2005 Coastal Issues Special Group Beach Safety Whose Responsibility is it?

2. Summary - review The UK is an island nation and our beaches are our greatest natural resource  As a nation we have a duty to protect those who visit these beaches Through a lack of a coordinated approach to beach safety and a lack of a statutory requirement to provide a lifeguard service, people have been put at risk  In recent years the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has sought to address the problem although the issues of responsibility and funding are still unclear  Financial pressure on local authorities has now brought the issue of ‘responsibility’ and therefore the requirement to fund a lifeguard service to a head  The RNLI therefore seeks guidance and involvement from Central Government on this fundamental issue of public safety

3. Background  The main providers of volunteer beach lifeguarding have been the Surf Life Saving Association of Great Britain (SLSA) and the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS)

4. Existing network of voluntary life saving clubs

5. Background  Both the SLSA and RLSS offer training and award schemes for beach lifeguards and have tried to set national standards where none have existed  The increase in tourism over recent years has seen a gradual shift from voluntary weekend cover to lifeguards employed seven days a week by local authorities (on a seasonal basis)

6. Current National Beach Lifeguard provision

7. Background There is no statutory requirement to provide a lifeguard service  The level of funding from each local authority has varied and the lack of any national co-ordination has meant there have been no national standards for signage, uniform, patrol hours, equipment, risk assessments, training and communications

8. The RNLI Beach Lifeguard Service In recent years, the voluntary life saving bodies and the professional lifeguards themselves have become increasingly disillusioned with the lack of investment Organisations turned to the RNLI for help and that led to the concept of a coordinated national Beach Lifeguard service. In 2001 the RNLI piloted ‘Beach Rescue’, now re-branded ‘Beach Lifeguards’ in an attempt to save more lives by providing a joined up service from the beach to the open sea

9. RNLI BEACH LIFEGUARDS A joined up service to save more lives

10. The RNLI Beach Lifeguard Service The RNLI saw this as a natural extension of its lifesaving work, and, as it already voluntarily offers a dedicated Lifeboat resource to Central Government, sought to enter into agreement with Local Government to provide them with a beach lifeguard service The primary purpose of lifeguarding is prevention, however, we still see significant levels of incident statistics. If the Lifeguards were not there the figures would be significantly higher The additional cost of increased incidents on UK beaches to the Health Service would be very large, and the additional expense of providing a search and rescue response through the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to cope with the tens of thousands of incidents would be considerable

11. RNLI Incidents 2002200320042005 Lives Saved 18274571 Rescues 5721,3271,9482,262 Major First Aid 229 312296403 Minor First Aid 5,579 5,5856,0706,322 Total Incidents 6,398 7,2518,3598,603 RNLI providing service on 59 beaches out of 250

12. National Incidents Estimate Lives Saved 250+ Rescues 5,000+ Major First Aid 2,500+ Minor First Aid 25,000+ Total Incidents 32,750+ Estimated preventative actions = 1 million (200 per rescue)

13. The Current Problem Recent changes to formalise the RNLI’s contractual relationship with the Local Authorities, coupled with economic pressures to reduce Council Tax, have meant that some local authorities have questioned the need to provide funding for a non statutory service, especially on privately owned beaches A number of Local Authorities have recently decided to withdraw funding despite a history of service provision The issue of responsibility for safety on our beaches can no longer be ignored There have been some key reports, recommendations and questions put to government on the subject of beach safety over the last 30 years, few of the recommendations have been implemented

14. Who is responsible? It is important to determine who is, or who should be, responsible. Voluntary life saving clubs cannot be held to be responsible. The RNLI, as a charity, cannot become the body who is responsible for providing a lifeguarding service, unless asked to do so on behalf of someone else The RNLI is willing to invest considerable sums of publicly raised money to provide a high quality lifeguard service. However, now that local authorities are stepping back from their perceived responsibility, this new RNLI Lifeguard initiative is being put in jeopardy Central Government needs to clarify who is responsible for safeguarding our beaches; The Crown, central or local government, private landowners, local businesses or a mixture? Ownership is complicated. Many beaches are jointly owned with boundaries criss- crossing from the highway, down cliffs and onto beaches with land often attached to various historical agreements that have never been unravelled. Below mean high water, where most people get into difficulties, the land belongs to the Crown. Trying to resolve the issue of ‘ownership’ is not the way forward Central Government needs to take on the ‘duty of care’ for the millions of people who use the beaches and work with the relevant agencies to discharge this duty in the most effective way

15. Funding The RNLI currently provides a national lifeboat service to Central Government at no cost. The RNLI would like to provide a similar national Lifeguard service to Central, County or Local Government but can’t pay for all of it Expansion of the RNLI Lifeguard Service is subject to receiving clear guidance on the issue of responsibility and agreeing a satisfactory ’funding formula’ with those deemed to have the responsibility It is costing the RNLI circa £5m with only £1m coming from Local Authorities The RNLI recognises the financial pressure that Local Government is under and is willing to significantly fund the service using publicly raised voluntary contributions However, beach lifeguarding is an emergency service. It should it be looked at on par with the police, ambulance, fire, coastguard and lifeboat services and match funded appropriately – either by Central, County or Local Government

16. Summary - review The UK is an island nation and our beaches are our greatest natural resource  As a nation we have a duty to protect those who visit these beaches Through a lack of a coordinated approach to beach safety and a lack of a statutory requirement to provide a lifeguard service, people have been put at risk  In recent years the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has sought to address the problem although the issues of responsibility and funding are still unclear  Financial pressure on local authorities has now brought the issue of ‘responsibility’ and therefore the requirement to fund a lifeguard service to a head  The RNLI therefore seeks guidance and involvement from Central Government on this fundamental issue of public safety

17. Presentation by: Adam Wooler (Staff Officer Operation – Prevention & Lifeguarding) Date: 6 th December 2005 Coastal Issues Special Group Beach Safety Whose Responsibility is it?