Summertime Safety Tips Everyone Needs to Know
By Mike Goodrich and Kayla Lunt, CCSU Nursing Students | New Britain Health District at July 27, 2024 | 8:30 am | Print
Summertime is here, and we need to prepare with a few safety tips. With the temperature on the rise, pools, beaches, and windows are all open. Everyone is trying to stay cool, embrace the warm weather, and enjoy all of the summertime activities.
Swimming Safety
Swimming is of the most popular summer activities and it is important that safety is maintained at the pool and at the beach. The American Red Cross has many suggestions that will help keep us safe, as well as our children. When considering children, parents/adults always need to actively supervise them, even if there is a lifeguard on duty. In many cases of child drowning, parents had only let their child out of sight for less than 5 minutes. Tragedy can strike in the blink of an eye. It is also important to implement rules around the pool, such as no diving or running. Diving should not be performed in an aboveground or an in ground pool, as it can lead to paralysis, death, or other serious injury. Children should also never swim alone. The “buddy system” is good way to maintain safety at the pool, but close adult supervision is still required, as you can never trust your child’s life to another child. It is also recommended that young and inexperienced swimmers wear a life jacket at all times when in an ocean or pool.
Window Safety
Open windows can be hazardous to children of all ages. According to Cincinnati Children’s Health, each year in the United States, 15 to 20 children under the age of 11 die, and nearly 15,000 are injured because of falls from windows. There are ways to reduce injury and decrease the amount of deaths from children falling out of windows. These include not leaving young children unsupervised, not having furniture near windows, not relying on screens in windows to keep children from falling, opening windows from the top rather than the bottom, and putting safe guards on windows so children cannot open them.
Sunscreen Safety
Sunburns can happen so quickly whether you are outside doing yard work, playing games outside, exercising, at the beach, or at the town lake. UVA and UVB are emitted by the sun and can cause sun burns, lead to skin cancer, wrinkling, and premature aging. It is extremely important to use sunscreen to protect the skin and reduce the chances of getting sunburn as well as skin cancer down the road. Some tips from KidsHealth.org related to sunscreen use include;1. Use a significant amount and reapply every 2 hours, 2. Use a high SPF level, applying it 15-30 minutes before going out into the sun. 3. Remember to cover all body parts including ears, feet, behind the neck, and underneath clothing straps. Enjoy the summer, warm weather, and stay safe!
