Safe Working in Water - Scheduled Course

Date and Location: 7th-8th Sept 2026 – Staveley, Kendal Description: Our Rescue 3 Safe Working In Water (SWIW) course is designed for people tasked with working in water who will need a self and co-worker rescue capability using conditional rescue techniques, eg throwbags, wading techniques and reach poles. The target audience might be those who work as ecologists, construction industry workers, road and bridge maintenance workers, arborists, built environment consultants, etc. Example clients include: Natural England SEPA Atkins JBA Consulting Lowther Forestry Eden Rivers Trust Biological Research Association The Atlantic Salmon Trust Buglife Volker Course content: Theory Workplace legislation Safe systems of work Risk assessments Pre-planning for emergencies and rescue Hydrology and water hazards Cold water considerations Mud, ice and coastal considerations Biosecurity and environmental considerations Medical and decontamination considerations Lifejackets vs. buoyancy aids Buoyancy aid and lifejacket maintenance, periodic inspection and transportation Lifejacket firing mechanisms Lifejacket accidental inflation risks Personal and team equipment Considerations for night/poor visibility working Communications Practical Pre- and post-use lifejacket checks Lifejacket inflation and deflation – auto/manual Swimming and self-rescue in lifejackets Swimming and self-rescue in buoyancy aids Throwbags and other conditional rescues Shallow water techniques Tethered shallow water techniques Strainers People and equipment entrapments