Summa Summa Summatime: Summer Safety Tips

Summer is a wonderful season for outdoor activities, but it also poses potential dangers to you and your home. Here are six summer safety tips to help make sure that you and your family enjoy the warmer months outdoors.

1. Protect yourself from UV rays

The sun is strongest in the summer. Although that makes for more days at the beach or the pool, it also means more harmful UV rays. One of the most important summer safety tips is to keep those UV rays from harming your skin.

To avoid sun damage to skin, wear light-colored clothing that covers your arms and legs. Many companies now sell clothing that blocks UV rays.

Always use an effective sunblock on any exposed skin, especially your face. Look for one with an SPF of 15 or higher and be sure to reapply after swimming or if you plan on spending a few hours in the sun.

2. Don’t use fireworks at home

Fireworks are dangerous. Unless you’re a professional, fireworks can result in blindness, burns, or fatalities. Even sparklers can result in severe burns.

If they are set off near your house, fireworks pose a significant risk to any structure on your property. To be on the safe side, just don’t set off fireworks. Take your family to professional displays instead. It’s a much safer, stress-free alternative.

3. Protect yourself from mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are more than just annoying—they can also transmit diseases such as West Nile, Zika, and Chikungunya. Protecting yourself from mosquitoes isn’t difficult, but it’s one of the summer safety tips that is often ignored.

To keep mosquitoes at bay, start by giving them fewer places to lay eggs. Empty any standing water on your property and avoid sitting or camping near stagnant water. Always use an insect repellent with an effective active ingredient like DEET. If you know mosquitoes are around, be sure to keep your arms and legs covered.

4. Be safe in the water

It’s a sad fact that the leading cause of toddler deaths is drowning. Pools, lakes, and beaches can be dangerous places for young children. Water safety is the best way to prevent an accident.

If you have young children, give them swimming lessons. And if you have a pool, install a fence around it. When you’re at a lake or a beach, make sure that your children stay under your watchful eye.

5. Be smart during yard work

What’s there to worry about while you work in the yard? Plenty. Motorized tools such as lawn mowers and hedge trimmers can result in serious injury if they aren’t used properly.

When you use any machinery, observe every safety precaution. Wear eye covering and be sure all safety devices are functioning properly.

6. Prevent forest fires

During the dry summer months, forest fires can be a major source of concern, but you can do your part to prevent them.

Before you start a fire in the woods, check your local regulations. If fires are allowed, burn only untreated wood or natural vegetation. Equally important is the removal of any flammable debris from the site of the fire. And avoid burning anything in windy conditions—the fire could spread.

Instead of fearing the dangers that come with the season, follow these summer safety tips and make the most out of your summer months.