ABSTRACT
There is evidence from many areas of public safety, such as road safety, fire safety, food safety and water safety, that the provision of information and advice, while important, is by itself ineffectual in changing safety behaviour. Knowledge of recommended safety practices, while essential, does not necessarily lead to self-protective behaviour. There are numerous studies across many fields of safety (fire, food, road, water) that show that public awareness of risks, or lack of it, is a major factor in failing to adopt safety practices. Research [1] has found that the majority of drowning casualties in Australia tended to be engaged in recreational and everyday activities (such as walking home) rather than commercial activities. A similar profile can be found in other countries. This leads to the question of how safety practitioners can change attitudes and behaviours of members of the public, particularly that of adult men, who make up the vast majority of fatal drowning casualties. This chapter focuses on how education can be applied to influence the safety behaviour of the public in open water environments.
