Zalewski, T., Czapiewski, T, 2014. The impact of processes associated with risk assessment and categorization of bathing waters on the water safety system development on Polish Baltic coast. In: Green, A.N. and Cooper, J.A.G. (eds.), Proceedings 13th International Coastal Symposium(Durban, South Africa), Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 70, pp. 551–555, ISSN 0749-0208.
The present paper attempted to systematize contemporary Polish water safety systems and create a preliminary evaluation of water safety system changes on the Polish Baltic coast using new legislation. The main focus is a risk assessment in the form of audits of bathing waters along with a categorization thereof. Detailed analyses included assessments of: the Act of 18 August 2011 –concerning the safety of persons in water–, administrators of the water area, entities authorized to perform water rescue, operational standards and reporting, monitoring with respect to dangerous bathing spots and drownings. An analysis is presented on the basis of 90 bathing sites and guarded areas used for swimming in the West Pomeranian Province in 2013, which is then compared with statistics from 2010–2012. With the number of drownings in the West Pomeranian Province compared to that of the accepted international standard discussed within the final part of the publication.
