Staying Safe This Summer

Make sure that you and your family stay fit, healthy, and well by following this guide for staying safe this summer. Avoid dangerous situations, think ahead if you spend time in the sun, and what to do in an emergency. Since it’s vacation time, many people leave their homes for fun in the sun, adventure, and more carefree days. If you have kids or youngsters in your extended family, then it’s important to warn them about:

• Stranger danger;
• Playing near open water;
• Open fire;
• And more

Also teach them how to conduct themselves safely when near roads and crosswalks. Make sure your summer is a good one, but don’t put your health, or someone else’s in jeopardy in the process.

Fire Risks and Your Family

Summer is prime BBQ season. The grills cook fast, the char on the foods is yummy, and people gather together in a fun social environment. If you get an invite to a big BBQ and fireworks display, then familiarize yourself with the area where it’ll happen ahead of time.

Be aware of how far away you are from the nearest hospital. Ask if professionals will be handling the fireworks, and know how to react just in case of emergency. You can’t be too careful around open flames and explosives, so learn how to treat burns, and when to call for help if necessary. If you or your family get injured, then seek medical advice and legal help from a attorney for burn injuries to help cover medical bills. There’s no harm in thinking ahead and being prepared.

Wash Your Food

Flies are hovering in summer, so don’t leave food laying around in the open; they can lay eggs on the surface (eek!). Eating these eggs can make you extremely ill. Intense bouts of sickness and diarrhea can result. Flies can transfer bacteria from dog excrement, for example, to your food. So, with this in mind, keep food covered and preferably cool in a mini fridge.

Staying Safe This Summer in the Sun

While sunbathing is popular with some people I know, it’s not without its risks, and huge risks at that. The UV radiation given off by the sun penetrates the skin and causes changes in the cells. This is how you can get cancer from excessive sun damage.

Exposure to the sun’s rays can cause sunburn (often sore first-degree burns to your skin), DNA damage, premature aging, and skin cancer. Stay safer by keeping out of the sun during the hottest hours of the day between 12pm and 3pm. Also try to wear high-factor sunscreen if you’re out in the sun, limit how much skin you expose to direct sunlight, and remember to drink at least two liters of water on hot days.

Never Drink and Drive

Just don’t do it; this motto is simple enough when it comes to whether to drink and drive. Have a designated driver if you’re going out to an event where you plan to have alcohol. This person will drive you home at the end of the night.

Drunk driving is extremely dangerous. You can lose proper cognitive function and your reaction time significantly decreases. Let’s just say: don’t be a jerk this summer. Don’t get behind the wheel of a car if you drink. It’s just not worth the risk.