Alfie Wayne Eddie Gray · Prevention of Future Deaths report

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Issued 25 Jul 2016•West Sussex

Published report and response evidence

This report’s concerns and statements found in recipients’ published responses. Statements are included even where no link to an individual concern is recorded. A link shows an evidence connection; it does not assign responsibility.

View original report
Concerns
5

Raised in this report

Recipients
1

Named on the report

Responses found
1

Of 1 recipient

Stated actions
4

Described in responses

Recipients and published responses

Full report text

This is the full text from the original published report.

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Concerns and recipient responses

Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

Concerns raised5

  1. Failure of lifeguard communication with holiday makers during emergencies
    Part of recurring concern: Unreliable lifeguard provision for aquatic safety
  2. Inadequate lifeguard staffing levels
    Part of recurring concern: Unreliable lifeguard provision for aquatic safety
  3. Failure to communicate lifeguard absence information to families

Stated actions An action is something a recipient says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to a concern raised.4

  1. ABTA Ltd

    Run an ongoing swimming-safety awareness campaign with the Royal Life Saving Society and Foreign and Commonwealth Office, including holiday-risk and swimming-ability messages.

  2. ABTA Ltd

    Continue promoting member guidance that accommodation staff receive lifesaving, CPR and first-aid training.

  3. ABTA Ltd

    Continue lobbying for a European Tourism Accommodation Safety Directive to establish a common travel-safety framework.

  4. ABTA Ltd

    Review and update the Tourism Accommodation Health and Safety Technical Guide using expert consultation and new evidence-based safety changes.

Respondent positions A position is what a recipient says about a concern when it does not describe a specific action.3

  1. ABTA Ltd

    The Technical Guide reflects current best practice on lifeguards and customer information where no international lifeguard standard exists.

    Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
  2. ABTA Ltd

    The Technical Guide’s emergency procedures and staff training requirements reflect current best practice for lifesaving techniques, CPR and first aid.

    Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
  3. ABTA Ltd

    ABTA members decide which properties to contract and whether and how to audit their health and safety arrangements.

    Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Failure of lifeguard communication with holiday makers during emergencies

Wider context from the report

“(1) The provision of lifeguards. It appeared that the number of lifeguards on duty at this resort were inadequate. The life guards did not have any medical training and communication with the holiday makers proved difficult when help was needed. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

Yes — Unreliable lifeguard provision for aquatic safety.

Open source report

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Inadequate lifeguard staffing levels

Wider context from the report

“(1) The provision of lifeguards. It appeared that the number of lifeguards on duty at this resort were inadequate. The life guards did not have any medical training and communication with the holiday makers proved difficult when help was needed. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

Yes — Unreliable lifeguard provision for aquatic safety.

Open source report

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Failure to communicate lifeguard absence information to families

Wider context from the report

“(2) The lifeguards went off duty for an hour over lunchtime. This information was not communicated to the family either by the hotel or the travel company. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

No recurring-concern membership is currently published.

Open source report

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Failure to maintain continuous lifeguard coverage

Wider context from the report

“(2) The lifeguards went off duty for an hour over lunchtime. This information was not communicated to the family either by the hotel or the travel company. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

Yes — Unreliable lifeguard provision for aquatic safety.

Open source report

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Lack of medical training for lifeguards

Wider context from the report

“(1) The provision of lifeguards. It appeared that the number of lifeguards on duty at this resort were inadequate. The life guards did not have any medical training and communication with the holiday makers proved difficult when help was needed. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

Yes — Unreliable lifeguard provision for aquatic safety.

Open source report

Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Run an ongoing swimming-safety awareness campaign with the Royal Life Saving Society and Foreign and Commonwealth Office, including holiday-risk and swimming-ability messages.

Verbatim wording from the response

“In addition to the Technical Guide we also have an ongoing campaign with the Royal Life Saving Society and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to raise awareness about the potential risks of swimming on holiday and to raise awareness about building up swimming ability prior to a holiday. I attach a copy of the posters and key messages.”

Source location

2016-0262-Response-by-ABTA
Page 2 · response
Published 25 July 2016

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Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Continue promoting member guidance that accommodation staff receive lifesaving, CPR and first-aid training.

Verbatim wording from the response

“The Technical Guide section on Pool Safety addresses emergency procedures from management responsibility to appropriate staff training. The Management Responsibility section addresses the need to train staff in lifesaving techniques, CPR and first aid. We believe that this reflects current best practice and we continue to promote this approach for Members to their suppliers.”

Source location

2016-0262-Response-by-ABTA
Page 2 · response
Published 25 July 2016

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Continue lobbying for a European Tourism Accommodation Safety Directive to establish a common travel-safety framework.

Verbatim wording from the response

“I would also highlight that ABTA and our members have been calling for a European Tourism Accommodation Safety Directive to create a common framework for all travel across Europe. Whilst this would not cover global safety standards we have seen that where European Standards are developed these can get adopted in other key tourism destinations. I include a summary of our Tourism Accommodation Safety campaign activity. This is a core part of our policy agenda and we continue to lobby for change.”

Source location

2016-0262-Response-by-ABTA
Page 2 · response
Published 25 July 2016

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Review and update the Tourism Accommodation Health and Safety Technical Guide using expert consultation and new evidence-based safety changes.

Verbatim wording from the response

“In the absence of European-wide standards or a directive on tourism accommodation safety UK tour operators came together, originally as the Federation of Tour Operators (FTO), to develop the Tourism Accommodation Health and Safety Technical Guide best practice guidelines (the Technical Guide). The first edition of the Technical Guide was developed in 2000/1 and the current edition (3) in 2012 as ABTA/FTO. The guidance enables tour operators to have a common approach to suppliers on a non-competitive issue such as safety. The guidance covers key health, safety and security issues for accommodation suppliers. Each chapter has been consulted on and developed with experts in their field.”

Source location

2016-0262-Response-by-ABTA
Page 1 · response
Published 25 July 2016

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

The Technical Guide reflects current best practice on lifeguards and customer information where no international lifeguard standard exists.

Verbatim wording from the response

“The presence of lifeguards at swimming pools is not a legal requirement in many overseas countries, nor is it in the UK. The current Technical Guide section on Pool Safety and Waterparks addresses the subject of lifeguards. In the Customer Information section there are clear recommendations on the need to inform customers as to whether there is a lifeguard present or not.”

Source location

2016-0262-Response-by-ABTA
Page 2 · response
Published 25 July 2016

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

The Technical Guide’s emergency procedures and staff training requirements reflect current best practice for lifesaving techniques, CPR and first aid.

Verbatim wording from the response

“The Technical Guide section on Pool Safety addresses emergency procedures from management responsibility to appropriate staff training. The Management Responsibility section addresses the need to train staff in lifesaving techniques, CPR and first aid. We believe that this reflects current best practice and we continue to promote this approach for Members to their suppliers.”

Source location

2016-0262-Response-by-ABTA
Page 2 · response
Published 25 July 2016

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

ABTA members decide which properties to contract and whether and how to audit their health and safety arrangements.

Verbatim wording from the response

“In regard to our Members, we believe they view their customers’ welfare as a priority in their assessments and programmes. However each ABTA member will contract properties very differently, from solus use of the entire property to ad-hoc allocations of rooms per year. Members make their own decisions about their programmes including the choice of properties and whether and how they decide to audit these properties from a health and safety or sustainability perspective based on their contractual arrangements with the property.”

Source location

2016-0262-Response-by-ABTA
Page 1 · response
Published 25 July 2016

Open published response
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Information checked against the published report and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations

Data last updated 7 September 2026