Rescue 3 Europe

Safe Working Near Water (SWNW)

About this course

Aimed at: Personnel working near water who are not expected to enter the water but must be protected from water-related hazards.

The Safe Working Near Water (SWNW) course equips participants with the essential knowledge and skills required to work safely around water margins and flood-prone areas without the expectation of entering the water. The course focuses on hazard awareness, risk mitigation, and the correct use of personal protective equipment, including lifejackets.

It is ideal for personnel whose job roles place them in proximity to canals, rivers, lakes, coastal zones, or floodwater, such as during inspection, maintenance, or surveying tasks. The course emphasizes prevention and safety rather than rescue or in-water operations.

Compliance

Aligned with national safety standards and regulations for working near water, including:

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance
DEFRA water safety recommendations
Relevant employer/agency policies (e.g. Environment Agency, SEPA, NRW)

Who Should Attend?

This course is specifically designed for personnel who are required to work near water but not expected to enter it, including:

Environment Agency (EA) staff
Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) personnel
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) personnel
Construction workers operating near rivers, canals, or coastal zones
Road, bridge, and infrastructure maintenance teams
Surveyors and engineers
Utilities and inspection personnel

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

Identify hazards associated with working near water and apply appropriate risk controls
Understand how environmental factors affect safety near water
Correctly select, wear, and maintain a lifejacket
Demonstrate dynamic risk assessments in changing water environments
Work safely on embankments, near fast-flowing water, and in flood-risk areas
Apply emergency procedures for accidental immersion or a co-worker in distress
Communicate effectively in a near-water work setting
Support site safety plans involving work near water

Instruction:

Training is delivered by highly experienced instructors with extensive industry knowledge. Candidates are encouraged to ask questions throughout the course.

Learning outcomes

Theory 

About Rescue 3
Workplace legislation
Safe systems of work
Risk assessments
Pre-planning for emergencies
Water hazards
Cold water considerations
Mud, ice and coastal considerations
Biosecurity and environmental considerations
Medical and decontamination considerations
Lifejackets and PPE selection
Lifejacket maintenance, periodic inspection and transportation
Lifejacket firing mechanisms
Lifejacket accidental inflation risks

Practical 

Pre- and post-use lifejacket checks
Lifejacket inflation and deflation – auto/manual
Swimming and self-rescue in lifejackets
Throwbags and other conditional rescues
Exiting the water

Learning type

Theory and practical.

The course combines classroom-based theory with practical exercises.

Entry requirements

Pre-Requisites:

Minimum age: 18 years

Course payments

How do I pay for this course?

If booking online please follow instructions, payment can be made using debit or credit card. Should you wish to pay by invoice please contact a member of our team and we will be able to process your booking for you. We require either payment or a purchase order at the time of reservation and will issue a formal invoice. Once payment has been successfully processed, we will issue your joining instructions.

What is included in the price?

Course materials, accreditation, a complimentary light lunch and refreshments throughout the day.

After booking

What time does the course start and finish?

Our courses vary so timings will be confirmed in your joining instructions. All candidates are required to arrive 15 minutes prior to the course start to register and provide their photographic identification.

Course locations

N/A

Book a course

What our clients thought of their experience

Red One Limited

4.9

Based on 177 reviews

review us on

Justin Gordon

6 months ago

Thanks for the very informative training session.

Liberty Lynch

6 months ago

Keith Atkins provided engaging and informative Fire Warden training. I would recommend to anyone working on a construction site.

Zac Scott

6 months ago

I recently completed the Safe Working in Water (SWIW) course with Red One, sponsored by my employer, Lynwood Civil Engineering. As someone who works in environments near or in water as part of civil engineering projects, this training was exactly what I needed to build confidence and ensure compliance with safety standards.
The course was extremely well-structured, with a great balance of theory and hands-on practical sessions. We covered essential topics like personal flotation devices (PFDs), safe working practices in water, self-rescue techniques, and co-worker rescue – all demonstrated clearly and safely.
Instructors Jason and Sam were outstanding. They were knowledgeable, patient, and engaging, making complex concepts easy to understand. They took the time to ensure everyone in the group (including checking kit fit and adjustments) felt comfortable and competent, especially during the practical elements in the outdoor setting. Their real-world experience shone through, and they created a supportive, professional atmosphere that encouraged questions and learning.
The facilities and equipment were top-notch – high-quality NRS and R3 SAR gear, well-maintained and properly fitted. The training felt realistic and thorough without being overly intense, which made it valuable for industrial workers like us.
Thanks to Red One, Lynwood Civil Engineering, and especially Jason and Sam, I now feel much better prepared and safer in water-related work scenarios. I’d highly recommend this course to anyone in construction, civil engineering, or any role requiring work near or in water.
Thank you for a fantastic, professional training experience!

Kate Sanderson

6 months ago

Have done the safe working in water course course and it's been incredible. Our instructors Jason, Paul, and Bex were really fantastic trainers, making us feel safe and confident with each technique and ensuring we completed everything with confidence. The course was enjoyable and a I genuinely feel better going into my role now, knowing what is and isn't in my ability. Definitely recommend the course, and you'll be very lucky if you're trained by Jason Paul and Bex :)

Sophie Darnton

6 months ago

Great training by skilled, professional, yet fun instructors!

Ollie Steele

6 months ago

Had a great time on the safe working in water course - Jason, Sam and Becks were fantastic instructors

Robert Taylor

6 months ago

Safe working in water course was informative and enjoyable

david walsh

6 months ago

Very pleasant course great tutor

Dan Unstead

6 months ago

Keith was brilliant

Daniel Clucas

6 months ago

Well delivered course, good content

Isobel Beard

6 months ago

Spend this morning with trainer Sam precipitating in the Fire Warden course. Very useful and interesting, I shall be taking home a lot of food for thought!

Beth Anstead

6 months ago

Sam was great teaching the fire warden course, it was very informative and interesting and we also got to put out fires which is always useful to try! Thank you :)

Simon Masterman

7 months ago

Good course and knowledgeable team of tutors

Shaun Doyle

7 months ago

Alex McLeish

7 months ago

Steve Clarke

7 months ago

very informative will be useful

good presentation and clear and concise

Mark Horton

7 months ago

Good courdse

Karen Shanks_HealthyHappy

7 months ago

Good balance of detail; covered a lot but without being overwhelming. Liked Keith’s training style too - relaxed, conversational and clearly very knowledgeable.

rhys garton

7 months ago

John Nancollis

7 months ago

Excellent content on the course, the facility was very welcoming and staff were of a very high standard.
Would highly recommend

John nancollis of LORNE stewart facilities
Medium risk confined space course.

Connor Johnson

7 months ago

Great course and teachers were very good, highly recommend to anyone looking to get qualified at medium risk confined space, thanks again!

Steven Wilde

7 months ago

Great course. The assessors and staff were fantastic.

Jamie Spurway

7 months ago

Great training centre which knowledge staff that make the content easy to digest

Thomas Wear

7 months ago

Great experience. Thanks for all the advice guys!

Ian Cargan

7 months ago

Brilliant course. Really immersive. Great information given out throughout the day. Felt safe throughout it all and would happily recommended to colleagues and friends

Jaydon Clancy

7 months ago

Great fun. Very informative

Kieran Rowe

7 months ago

David Thake

7 months ago

Keith was engaging and helpful throughout the course

Mohammad Pasha

7 months ago

Excellent and relevant FSC 9th Feb 2026

Rhys Collins

7 months ago

Keith was a great tutor and made the learning easy to understand.

Stephen Walker

7 months ago

Good course. Very informative. Trying the extinguishers and fire blanket was good practice

Michael Crowe

7 months ago

Always professional and informative. Just completed Fire Warden refresher.

Sarah Morton

7 months ago

Easy to listen to and clear. Friendly and relaxed

Konstantinos Kostas

7 months ago

Brandon Brown

7 months ago

Completed confined space awareness training today and had Nick as tutor. Great facility, lunch was ideal and tutor did an amazing job.

Stuart Burridge

7 months ago

Fantastic course Nick was superb

Lloyd Chimika

7 months ago

Aidas Raguckas

7 months ago

Spot on

Bdlmobilemechanics

7 months ago

Brett Meredith

8 months ago

Very good course would recommend it to anyone

Andy Langton

8 months ago

Well ran confined space course. Good instructors

Jeffery Griffiths

8 months ago

Charlotte Rowsell

8 months ago

Great confined
Spaces medium risk course - I would recommend

James Daniels

8 months ago

Daniel Batten

8 months ago

zaahir ali

8 months ago

Good facility
Confined space course delivered well.

Pavan Bhat

8 months ago

JohnBoy

8 months ago

Course was very thorough and very informative. Would highly recommend to others requiring the same level of training. Big thanks to Nick and Andy for their guidance and support.

iTyZ x

8 months ago

Informative training, kept fun and interesting.

Dean Apsey

8 months ago

Excellent facility with very knowledgeable instructors. Good course with a good mix of classroom and practical elements.

Dale Hessan

8 months ago

Very enjoyable day, the course was good fun, Jon & Jason were both great

Lee Weaver

8 months ago

Fantastic course, great experience to learn and fun along the way! Highly recommend

Phill Dalwood

8 months ago

Red One Limited are a well equipped, professional training outfit who tailored our training package so that the course better met our specific needs, whilst still meeting the learning objectives. Highly recommended.

Adam Rowland

8 months ago

Really great course, good and knowledgeable instructors with a laid back approach. The course was delivered over the right sort of time frame.

Chris Slade

8 months ago

Get confined space course, well presented, easy to follow.
Practical test was excellent and excellent facilities.

Danny Harty

8 months ago

Very helpful an was made to feel very confortable which personally helped me alot. Good down to earth teachers. Well recommened.

Aaron Howe

8 months ago

Niall Bradley

8 months ago

Very in depth training course with a nice balance of theory and practical

Neil Sharland

8 months ago

Great fun well delivered course.
Instructors were spot on

KY Register

8 months ago

Instructors give very clear instruction, demonstrate and protection. I feel safe to learn and practice in the lesson

ben Hoare

8 months ago

Really good experience and useful information. Perhaps it could be slightly more interactive for the theory. Other than this I highly recommend.

Euan Leitch

8 months ago

Was kinda cold but a lot of fun

Harrison Egerton

8 months ago

Great fun, interactive theory. Fun practicals.

Lee Avery

8 months ago

Excellent provider of working in water course

Dwight Page

8 months ago

Thoroughly enjoyed the course,tested my understanding of Confined spaces.

robert slowley

8 months ago

Brilliant training company. Very thorough with information and well delivered training, would definitely reccomend using this company.
Nick was a really good teacher and kept the coarse cheerful and interesting, Fran assisted Nick with the training and was equally as helpful, they made it as realistic as possible and both very kind people. Look forward to the refresher coarse

Sebastian Hesom

8 months ago

Really good training company. Completed nc2 nc3 confined space. Really good setup, facilities, and tutors.

Lucas Jones

8 months ago

Very professional, engaging and informative. Would definitely recommend Red One!

Michael Straughan

8 months ago

Great course
Great instructers

Maxwell Conn

8 months ago

Trainer very informative would happily recommend this course for anyone else

Rolandas Damanskas

8 months ago

Very professional training, 5 stars overall.

Henry Stratton

8 months ago

Learned a lot, great teaching and made it fun and enjoyable.

Robert Sercombe

8 months ago

Very good and knowledgeable instructor would recommend

Tony Hawkins

8 months ago

Simon Rhodes

9 months ago

Attended the fire safety coordinators course recently, found it to be very informative and the instructor was very engaging.

Paul Gordon

9 months ago

A1 instructors, very educational courses would definitely recommend 👌

neil iggulden

9 months ago

Red one in Exeter for confined space and other relative courses is highly recommended.The tutors were very professional and polite.There was nothing to much trouble for them to help and they made it very welcoming and easy to learn.I took alot away from the course and thank both tutors for their input.You are a credit to your profession.Thanks again and good luck I the future kind regards neil.

Siobhan Flanary

9 months ago

A really useful course, delivered in a very simple, informative and friendly way. Thank you!

Stour Internal Drainage Board

9 months ago

Thoroughly enjoyed the course.
Trainers were brilliant.
Venue was brilliant.
Looking forward for the next course.

Nick Fiore

9 months ago

Excellent facility, great location, well presented confined spaces training. Definitely recommended

drevi beratto de santan

9 months ago

Good pass the course, enjoyed the course. Thanks guys

Tanya Tregenza

9 months ago

My partner jaimie just done the confine space training course. Was very good instructors was very helpful 👍

robert grammer

9 months ago

Very happy with my experience on my confined spaces course

Pgalloway1980

9 months ago

Kenny Bowdery

9 months ago

The course was great fun, ran very well by the lads, nice to do a course that is hands on and practical based rather than being sat in a classroom

Peter Rowe

9 months ago

Great course well presented.
Very educational and an eye opener to the hazards working near water.

Ryan Gardner

9 months ago

Great course, informative and practical elements gave me the confidence to achieve and feel safe.

Aleksander Kwasniewski

9 months ago

Very interesting course with amazing food

dominikm

9 months ago

Good course nice blokes running it

Data Gremlin

2 years ago

I attended a course at Red One Limited a few months ago and was highly impressed with the structure and delivery of the training. Despite being set by City & Guilds, the course was well-organized, engaging, and thoroughly explained. The instructors, all ex-firefighters with extensive hands-on experience, ensured that no question was too trivial and took the time to support every participant.

The practical training was conducted in a new, well-equipped facility with multiple scenarios for entry, extraction, and event simulations. All equipment was in excellent condition—clean, well-maintained, and properly calibrated.

The site itself is well-kept, with clean and well-maintained facilities. The toilets were spotless, and the cleaning staff were polite and friendly. Parking is easily accessible, with plenty of space available.

Overall, Red One provides an outstanding training environment, balancing theory with practical application. Highly recommended for anyone looking for professional, high-quality training.

David Patrick

2 years ago

Recently completed a BAI course with Red1. A very well run course with great facilities. Some of the best instructors I've come across. The course is well facilitated, with timely joining instructions and great communication with the Red1 administration team. Highly recommend and looking forward to future courses.

Dave Northcott

2 years ago

Just finished a SRT re-qualification course with Red One. A fantastic course, Instructors were very knowledgable, friendly & put you at ease from the start. I will be using Red One again.

Maria Rose

2 years ago

I undertook my training and test with Steve yesterday and just wanted to pass on my thanks to him and the team at Red One for an excellent process. Steve was really wonderful. He totally empowered me with his gentle coaching. This made me feel confident in driving the bus again (it's been a few years) but overall he is just a lovely person to spend that time with.

Thank you to the whole team for the afternoon I spent with you

Vitore Marku

2 years ago

I had the best experience with Steve. Very professional, understanding and patient to explain everything.
My compliments for everything and other staff as well.
Very reassuring the way of speaking and I would like to say thank you for everything.
THANK YOU AGAIN!!!

Stephen Roberts

2 years ago

I attended Red One Confined Space Medium Risk Training at West Point, near Exeter on Monday & Tuesday 29th & 30th May 2024. Sam and Nick were exemplary instructors of the course, who gave detailed tuition from a safety and technical perspective. The practical aspect of the course was very realistic and gave me confidence to enter, exit and control confined space space access safely, whilst giving instruction on how to react in an emergency situation, The course provides proficiency in access, egress and escape routines and instruction in the use of breathing apparatus. I would recommend the course to anyone who needs to enter confined spaces.

Paul Wright

3 years ago

Really informative High Risk Confined Spaces Training course; and professionally delivered. The practical exercises are great fun.

Jason Green

3 years ago

Don't get caught speeding and you won't visit this place
If you do nothing to worry about nice people

Dan Reed

3 years ago

Charlotte Binmore-May

4 years ago

I booked my taxi practical test with Red One, I ended up stuck on the A38 in a stand still - I rang the reception & they did everything they could to fit me in that same day, I arrived an hour late, and was greeted by Martin, I was straight away put at ease & managed to pass after my hours lesson before - in which I learnt to undo some
Bad habits! I honestly couldn’t recommend them enough, I think the hour lesson before helps settle any nerves and prepares you for the test itself. Thank you Red One,
Special thanks to the lady in reception for rearranging and getting my test done that day and to Martin for putting me at ease & making the whole thing less scary!!

1 day

River Dart Country Park, Holne Park, Ashburton, Devon, TQ13 7NP

Red One Limited, Westpoint, Clyst St Mary, Exeter, EX5 1DJ

Certification valid for 3 years

Maximum 8 people
If you require a large group, please get in touch.