Water Safety Council Reviews Season’s Effort

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28299, 10 June 1957, Page 8

Water Safety Council Reviews Season’s Effort

Considerable success had been met in the council’s effort to reduce drownings in the last year. Never before had organised leam-to-swim campaigns been carried out on such a large scale, or such a large area covered, said the chairman of the New Zealand Water Safety Council (Mr Baxter O’Neill) of Saturday. Mr O’Neill was addressing the annual conference of the New Zealand Water Safety Council in Christchurch. “Last year, our work was largely experimental, and the local committees learned what was expected of them) Most of the season had fled before the committees had got under way, but this year, a start will be made on the campaign before Christmas,” said Mr O'Neill “During the season instruction in Holger-Neilson resuscitation was taken into country areas where no instruction had been given before. We did not expect anything drastic to result from this part of our work, but it has laid a foundation, and we can look forward to better results in the coming season,” Mr O’Neill said.

Country Districts “It must be admitted, however, that some swimming clubs found it very hard to create interest in the campaign in country districts,” said Mr O’Neill. “Often members had to be sent to an area to gain support before instruction began. It would be fair to say that the most surprising feature of the campaign was the way in which instruction had to be. sold in those areas. We hope this can be corrected in the com-

ing season.” As the result of a letter from the Royal Life Saving Society, the council decided to form an artificial respiration committee. The executive is to call a meeting of those Government departments and organisations interested. Formerly, the Royal Life Saving Society had an artificial respiration committee of its own, but the council was of the opinion that it was the proper authority to control such a committee. Erection of Danger Notices In a reply to a letter from the council seeking the erection of danger notices in appropriate areas under their control, the New Zealand Drainage and River Boards have promised their support. “They are willing to assist', and they will co-operate with the local water safety committees in their areas,” said the secretary (Mr S. Higgins). “It is most encouraging to get this support,” said Mr E. Marris. “The most tragic feature of drowning figures is the number which occurred inland. Of 373 drownings in five years, about 300 have occurred in areas out of reach of surf clubs. Our job must be to raise some care on the part of parents. I feel a lot could be done with common sense, but it seems to be a very short com- . modify.” a Mr B. Mclver suggested that the g council give more publicity to / the number of drownings which occur inland. The meeting also considered an inquest report which a Coroner had passed on to the council. After a discussion, members agreed that the council should write to local authorities informing them of the need for water in baths to be as clear as possible. ‘‘Filtrated pools are expensive,” said -Mr O’Neill, “and many schools could not find the finance necessary to install the systems. It is a serious problem, for in murky water a child could dis- ► appear without anyone realising it.” Clear water was- desirable from both the health and safety angles, said Mr D. R. Wills. “At the moment, a teacher counts the number of heads constantly at school baths, but this is impossible in larger and crowded pools.” Mr S. B. Mason said he knew

of at least two pools in the North Island, which did not have attendants while people were swimming. Posters on water safety which had been produced by the National Safety Association of New Zealand appeared "to be overlapping the council’s work, said Mr Higgins. “It seems a pity that money should be wasted in a channel that is already being covered.” Mr C. Jones: No. All the more the merrier. We cannot have too much advertising material. “We can hardly ask the association to devote its good work to other spheres,” said Mr A. J. Donaldson. “The only .way we will get anywhere is to hammer water safety into the public’s mind.”

The National Safety Association received £9OOO a year from workers’ compensation, said Mr Wills. The posters on water safety were, only a small part of their activities to reduce accidents in a wide variety of spheres.

The council will write to the association saying that mutual cooperation in the water safety campaign would be desirable to ensure that no overlapping of work occurs. Professional coaches were refused representation on the council. In a letter to the council, the Professional Coaches’ Association said it felt a representative could give valuable help. The meeting decided that the coaches could play a vital part at local committee level, but were not strong enough to warrant national council representation.