Safety

Practicalities Getting Organised Safety Other Hazards 

Prepare children so that they are aware of potential problems. Ideally reassure them that you won't be angry if they get into trouble, while pointing out that it won't be nice for them if they do.

Traffic Accidents

The leading cause of death among travellers. Some of these are in vehicles but also happen to pedestrians who don't take notice of local rules of the road.

• Warn children about looking to the left not right when crossing the road in countries where they drive on the right.



• Point out also if they cannot rely on pedestrian crossings as they might in the UK (true of pretty much any non Anglo Saxon country).



• Tell them if there is any likelihood that there might be drunk drivers around.



• It is worth explaining too that attitudes to one-way streets are often much laxer than in the UK.

Unfamiliar Places

• Take children on a tour of the property and even the neighbourhood to familiarise them with it before they explore on their own and get lost.



• With older ones set out your rules and curfews right from the start, noting the time of sunset, which closer to the equator gets startlingly sudden.

Water

In General

• To make water less of a hazard, do your best to make sure your children learn how to swim. But beware of false security. A few swimming lessons do not make a child safe in the water.



• Near water make sure that children's don't wander off unsupervised and always keep them in your direct vision.



• Explain to children why they should not dive into unfamiliar waters - or dive at all until they are old enough to judge the depth of water and pitch of their dives. Broken necks are a real problem in holiday swimming pools.



• After a meal leave at least an hour before swimming. Food and drink particularly when combined with cold water, can give you cramps. These make it impossible to swim/stay afloat.



• Beware the possibility of diseases transmitted by water. Freshwater can carry a number although polluted seas can also be a problem. Swimming pools in warm, undeveloped countries can be a real problem and if in doubt but permitting your children to swim it can sometimes be wise to insist they do not put they head or mouth under, running the risk of eye, ear or internal infections.



• For more information contact The Royal Life Saving Society (UK) (01789) 773 994.

• Check that locals - other than show off youths - consider the water clean enough to swim in.



• Ask locals about safety. British waters are notoriously dangerous because of rip tides in some places, currents, low water temperatures and changeable weather. On any beach be particularly wary of deeply sculpted beaches or those where every seventh wave is particularly large. Both indicate significant currents and rips and possibly deep water.



• Look for steep shelving which means children could get out of their depth without realising it.



• Ask about tide times - less a problem in the Mediterranean but potentially a significant one elsewhere). UK Coastguard statistics indicate that around a quarter of incidents involving marine rescue services involved people being cut off by the tide or stranded.



• Ask about wind direction. In some places there is a daily offshore wind, for example in the afternoon which can make inflatable items like lilos particularly dangerous. Rubber dinghies, air beds and surfboards were responsible for a further quarter of problems handled by UK coastguards. The advice is that inflatables should always be tied to the shore. Tell children that if an inflatable is washed out to sea, they should let it go. If there is someone on it they should alert the coastguards immediately.



• Most resort beaches should be served by lifeguards in season. However, you should check that they are operational. In Britain if you see anyone in trouble on the coast you should dial 999 and ask for coastguards. Overseas ask in advance what to do if anyone does get into trouble. There may be lifesaver services but it would also be useful to know about any first aid post or telephone.



• It is wise for adults in the party to take it in turns to be responsible for watching out for the children or being with them in the water.



• Keep children within reach. If they are within sight but further away you will be less able to act if they get caught in a current for example.



• Bear in mind that even in shallow water children can be knocked over by waves or the wash from passing boats and if they can't swim or they panic, they can drown. Even in the Mediterranean in July you can find waves big enough to knock over a teenager.



• Tell children to swim along the shore, not out to sea and never swim where there are surfboards, sailing or power boats moving around.



• Check the weather forecast in case of high winds or storms which can affect certain beaches.



• In the UK a red and yellow flag means a lifeguard is on patrol. A red flag means do not go into the water, a quartered black and white flag means it is an area for surfers and body boards but not safe for swimmers and bathers. Overseas broadly a red flag means danger and advice not to swim. A yellow flag means you are allowed in but it may be hazardous. A green flag indicates an all clear and a chequered flag may indicate that the lifeguard is not currently in attendance. Where you do swim, unless you know the waters very well, you would be wisest to do so only between the marker which indicate the area is patrolled by lifeguards. If there are no flags you cannot assume it is safe.

• You can catch diarrhoea and even hepatitis A or typhoid from contaminated swimming pools so you should feel confident that the water is cleaned (filtered and disinfected) to a level appropriate to the number of people using it. Sometimes the system used is not sufficient for numbers over peak periods.



• If there is a kid's pool is it genuinely separate from the adult's one (ie over-excited teenagers who could frighten and accidentally hurt younger children)? Is this children's pool both shallow and heated. (This second is useful not just for the children but parents who might have to stand around in it relatively immobile for quite some time.)



• If the children swim in a main pool, does this have a shallow end the children can stand in. (Not only is this safer, children find it easier to swim/improve their swimming.) However, they may venture into the deeper part, particularly if they are over confident about their swimming, so this kind of option requires particular vigilance by parents.



• Is the pool is supervised and if so at what hours.



• Is diving allowed. If so you need to ensure your children are aware of both where in the pool is safe to dive and how to pitch their dives. You also need to ensure they are certain not to dive on to another child and know how to stay out of the way of any other child whose parents are less careful.



• Is the pool filtered and now often is the filter checked. If a pool is shared you could also check how many people in total use it as peak use can put a strain on filter units. Alternatively what cleaning method is used?

Burns

Be aware of the possibility of burns on sensitive skin when you get into a hot car. Try to park in the shade. If this is not possible look to provide some shade inside by putting say a towel over the seats (and the steering wheel for the driver's sake).

Defective Toys

Beware of locally produced toys, particularly hand-crafted ones which may not be made to the safety standards you are used to. Check for any sharp edges, breakable parts which could cause sharp edges, and loose parts small enough to be swallowed.

Wildlife and Other Animals

Teach children not to chase or tease creatures on land, in the air or under they water. They might retaliate.

Don't Walk Barefoot

Watch out for spikes and other nastinesses on beaches, particularly the wilder ones. Beach shoes can be useful here [Suppliers].

Be Prepared for the Weather to Turn

Anywhere without places of shelter, take bad weather gear [Suppliers]. This is particularly important anywhere at all exposed. Although the UK can seem a safe place, it isn't in the remoter parts.

Be Alert to Lower Safety Standards

Think carefully about what you do and where you visit. Britain, Northwestern Europe, Australasia and North America are the safest places on earth when it comes to places open to the public. Anywhere else you need to be more alert to potential problems.

You also need to point them out to your children who, having grown up more protected than locals, may well be less able to assess and deal with potential dangers.

Visits to mines, up steep mountains and on any kind of adventure activity all need careful thought, particularly if it is something you wouldn't feel safe doing at home. This is particularly the case if travelling independently.

If the activity is organised by a tour operator, booked either in advance or in the resort (often at double the price of booking locally), the laws governing such sales mean the risks are reduced.

However, nothing is of course 100% safe and it is worth remembering that the majority of deaths to British people abroad each year is through road accident, followed by drowning.