Lack of Lifeguards and Insufficient Lifebuoys... Inadequate Safety Management at Complex Water Leisure Facilities

Korea Consumer Agency Investigates Safety at 10 Bukhan River Facilities
Some Sites Found Non-Compliant; Improvement Recommended
Warning Issued Over Drowning and Near-Drowning Accidents

As the intense heat continues day after day, the number of visitors to complex water leisure facilities on rivers and streams is increasing. This has also raised concerns about accidents such as drowning and near-drowning, making thorough safety management essential.

A citizen is cooling off by enjoying water leisure activities. Photo by Jang Jinhyung

The Korea Consumer Agency announced on the 30th that it had investigated the safety conditions at 10 complex water leisure facilities located on the Bukhan River in Gapyeong and Chuncheon, popular destinations for water leisure users. The investigation found that some facilities were lacking in safety management.

Specifically, at the complex water leisure facilities surveyed, air-inflated fixed tubes (water parks) that are installed and operated are required to have a separate lifeguard assigned to each device to prevent accidents. However, the investigation revealed that 30% (3 facilities) did not assign lifeguards. Since various activities take place within water parks, a water depth of at least 1 meter must be secured around the periphery to prevent injuries to users, but 10% (1 facility) did not comply with this requirement.

In addition, among the seven facilities that own motorboats with a capacity of around 12 passengers, each is required to have life tubes (lifebuoys), which are one of the essential lifesaving devices, in a quantity equal to at least 30% of the boat's passenger capacity. However, 42.9% (3 facilities) either did not have any life tubes or did not have the appropriate number.

Furthermore, operators of water leisure businesses are required to have an emergency rescue boat (a special vessel used to carry out rescue activities or transport rescued individuals to a safe location in emergencies). However, at 40% (4 facilities), the emergency rescue boat was either covered or did not have a clearly visible identification flag, making it unavailable for immediate use if needed.

Operators of water leisure businesses must comply with the requirements set out in the registration standards of the Water Leisure Safety Act to safely operate both powered and non-powered water leisure equipment.

The registration standards for water leisure businesses also require that safety helmets must have impact absorption capability and be able to be securely fastened so they do not come off easily in the event of an impact. The investigation found that all 10 facilities had safety helmets that met the standards; however, 1 facility (10%) provided sports helmets, while 9 facilities (90%) provided headgear.

The Korea Consumer Agency pointed out that, in the case of water leisure activities, the standards for safety helmets need to be specified in more detail to ensure user safety. Of the 109 cases of harm related to complex water leisure facilities reported to the Consumer Injury Surveillance System (CISS) over the past three years from 2022 to last year, 52.3% (57 cases) involved injuries to the head and face. This contrasts with sports helmets, which are designated as "products subject to safety confirmation" and have established test standards for impact absorption, penetration resistance, and chin straps.

The Korea Consumer Agency stated that it had recommended that operators of the surveyed water leisure facilities address deficiencies in compliance with safety standards and strengthen safety inspections. The operators have agreed to improve their safety management accordingly. In addition, the agency plans to propose improvements to safety standards for helmets to the relevant ministries and request that local governments strengthen their management and supervision of complex water leisure facilities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.