Summer Safety | November and December health and safety focus

Our current health and safety focus is on keeping you safe while you’re at home or out and about this summer.

In New Zealand, spending time outdoors goes hand in hand with spending time near water, so it’s important to know what to look out for whether you’re at the beach, lake, river, or pool.

• If you’re at the beach, watch out for channels of smooth water with no breaking waves. This is a ‘rip’, where water gets sucked back out to sea. If you get caught in a rip, don’t swim against it. Instead, swim parallel to the shore to escape the current and always swim between the red and yellow flags where lifeguards can see you.
• Always watch your children while they’re swimming and consider investing in swimming lessons for you or your children.
• Always wear a life jacket if you’re swimming in a river or lake.
• If you’re swimming in cold water, consider cold water protection gear like a wetsuit, even if it’s hot outside.
• Don’t swim near bridges, and watch out for submerged rocks or tree trunks, as currents around these can be dangerous.
• If you’re using a boat, always wear a life jacket, check the weather forecast, and have two waterproof ways of communicating onboard, such as a waterproof radio or beacon. Always tell someone who’s staying on land the time you’re expected back.