What vasa activity are you most hanging out for this summer?
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Water safety
We're here for you in and around vasa this summer
This summer, we're here for everyone who's in and around our wonderful vasa (water) in Aotearoa.
We love our moana, our vasa. We love a quick dip, or a manu off the wharf. Catching a wave, or gathering kai. In our slice of the Pacific, it’s a way of life to be in and around vasa.
Vasa can also change our lives. Last year ACC supported people across Aotearoa who were injured in and around vasa. And we helped people learn water safety skills.
38,000
The number of people we helped last year with vasa-related injuries.
We’re here for prevention
We help prevent injuries too, investing in helping Pasifika stay safe in and around vasa. Our partnership with Water Safety NZ helps reinforce their Water Safety Code, and fund swimming and water safety skills programmes.
For more specific vasa safety information, these are great places to start:
Staying safe at the beach this summer
How to keep babies and toddlers safe around water
Boat safety - staying safe on the water
Staying safe while paddleboarding
Kia Maanu Kia Ora - a kaupapa Māori water safety programme
We’re here for care and recovery if things go wrong
This summer and over the next year, more than two million of us will be active in and around vasa across Aotearoa. Our top activities include swimming, boating, fishing and gathering kai moana. There'll be 20 million visits to public pools, 1.8 million boaties out and about, and a whopping quarter of our population will go fishing. That’s a lot of enjoying vasa activities and adventure - and from time to time things will go wrong.
If you're injured in or around vasa, whether it's minor or life-changing, we work with you on the best way to support your care and recovery. We tailor our support to each individual who needs our help.
We can provide weekly compensation of up to 80% of your income if you're unable to work because of injury. We can also help with medical costs and equipment, support around the house, and travel to work and medical appointments. This allows you to focus on recovery so you can get back to everyday life.
Vasa safety code
Know the code before you go:
1. Be prepared
2. Watch out for yourself and others
3. Be aware of the dangers
4. Know your limits
Tips for tamaiti around vasa
Having fun in vasa can turn dangerous in an instant. We should always look out for our tamaiti in and around vasa. Get tips on how to keep your tamaiti safe this summer.
Over the last year we helped more than 385,000 tamaiti learn how to have fun and be safe in and around vasa.
We've partnered with Water Safety NZ to deliver the Water Skills for Life programme - teaching primary school-aged tamaiti life-long water safety skills to keep themselves safe and keep an eye on their mates.
"Swim dumb and you're done" is is the calling card of the Swim Reaper, a Water Safety NZ and ACC collaboration. The Swim Reaper looks out for youth at high risk beaches, lakes and rivers making dumb decisions, reminding them that water can have deadly consequences.
Every injury is unique, because every person is unique. No matter who you are, if you're injured in an accident in Aotearoa, we're here to provide care and support to get you back to everyday life.
Many injured people might not even know that we're involved in their care. 94% of people we help visit their doctor, a hospital or a physiotherapist and don't realise we work in the background to help pay for that treatment.
If you've been injured in or around vasa, some of the things we help with include:
- weekly compensation of up to 80% of your income
- doctor, hospital and physio visits
- equipment, eg crutches
- access to rongoā Māori services
- help around the home
- help with personal care
- transport to medical appointments and work
- surgery for more serious injuries
- housing and vehicle modifications for more serious injuries.
