Summer Safety

June is National Safety Month and as we move into the summer months it is an ideal time to focus on Summer Safety Tips. Summer heat, water sports and fun are at the same time wonderful and dangerous.  Dangerous if you overdo it or don’t follow safety precautions. 

The human body constantly struggles to disperse the heat it produces.   Heat-related illnesses like heatstroke (the most severe) and heat exhaustion can escalate rapidly.  People most at risk to for these illnesses are:

• Infants, young children and the elderly
• Individuals with heart or circulatory problems or other long-term illness
• People who work outdoors
• Athletes and people who like to exercise – especially beginners
• Individuals taking medications that alter sweat production
• Alcoholics and drug abusers

Heatstroke can occur when the ability to sweat fails and body temperature rises quickly. Someone experiencing heatstroke will have extremely hot skin, and an altered mental state, ranging from slight confusion to coma. Ridding the body of excess heat is crucial for survival. The best way to avoid a heat-related illness is to limit exposure outdoors during hot days: 

• Stay in an air-conditioned place
• Drink more liquid than you think you need and avoid alcohol
• Wear loose, lightweight clothing and a hat
• Replace salt lost from sweating by drinking fruit juice or sports drinks
• Avoid spending time outdoors during the hottest part of the day, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Wear sunscreen; sunburn affects the body’s ability to cool itself
• Pace yourself when you run or otherwise exert your body

Going swimming in a pool, lake or at the beach is a great way to cool off, but accidents in the water can happen fast and it is vital that safety measures be paramount when playing in the water.  Swimmers should keep a few safety precautions in mind:

• Don’t go in the water unless you know how to swim
• Never swim alone
• Learn CPR and rescue techniques
• Make sure the body of water matches your skill level; swimming in a pool is  different than swimming in a lake or river
• If you get caught in a current, don’t try to fight it; stay calm and float with it, or swim parallel to the shore until you can swim free
• Swim in areas supervised by a lifeguard
• Don’t push or jump on others
• Don’t dive in unfamiliar areas
• Distractions make for tragedies
• Never drink alcohol when swimming; alcohol is involved in about half of all male teen drownings

Incorporating safe practices can help everyone enjoy summer fun for a lifetime.