Signage at the beach can contain a large amount of
information, including beach zones, water sport areas, disabled
access points, lifeguard posts, first aid points, toilets, emergency
rescue equipment locations, bathing water sampling
points, emergency contact details, and other safety advice. This
wealth of information perhaps also demonstrates one of the
problems with signage as identified by the RNLI, which states
that information conveyed on signs can be confusing if there is
too much of it. Conversely, the same can be said if there is too
little. Another problem with signage is that it often varies from
location to location. These combined inconsistencies can lead to
confusion for beach users. To improve the consistency and
quality of beach signage, the RNLI has developed a guide to
beach-safety signs, flags, and symbols. This promotes adoption
of a common standard for all signage at the coast for conveying
information to beach users in a more effective way.