Summertime Safety Tips

Adults and children alike look forward to summer, when days are longer, schedules are relaxed, and weekends are filled with fun activities. Hiking, swimming, boating, and camping are all popular activities, and what better way to end a summer day than with a cookout and fireworks with friends. While many warm weather recreational pursuits are good for your health and well-being and a great way to relax while getting both fresh air and exercise, it is also important to keep safety in mind. Summer can mean an increase in serious accidents and injuries for children as well as adults. To prevent mishaps from ruining your summer fun, keep these summertime safety tips handy and share them with your family and friends.  

Common Types of Summertime Accidents and Injuries

We all look forward to lazy summer days filled with food, family, and fun, but overdoing it can end up resulting in serious and even potentially life threatening injuries. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), three areas in which adults should be most concerned center around heat, water, and fireworks safety:

Beat the Heat:

• When heading out, wear loose, lightly colored clothing, wear a sun hat or visor, and make sure to use plenty of sunscreen to prevent severe sunburns and to reduce your risk of skin cancer.
• Make sure to stay hydrated. Keep plenty of water on hand, and avoid overindulging in alcohol or caffeine.
• Do not overexert yourself in the sun, which can lead to heat exhaustion and heat stroke, a potentially life threatening condition. Symptoms include profuse sweating, blurred vision, headaches or dizziness, and nausea and vomiting. If you suspect a heat related ailment, seek medical help immediately.

Be Water Wise

• Use the buddy system when engaging in any kind of water related activity, and always make sure children are supervised.
• At pools, make sure a lifeguard is on duty, and be sure the water is deep enough before diving in.
• When boating, follow all regulations and make sure everyone wears a life vest.
• While the NSC warns that knowing how to swim will not necessarily make you ‘drown proof’, enrolling your children in swim lessons is a good way to ensure their safety.  

As with any activity, if you are in or near the water you should limit your alcohol intake to avoid accidents and injuries.

Keep Fireworks Fun

• Always use extreme caution around fireworks. According to information on fireworks related accidents from the NSC, as many as 11,000 people suffer serious burn injuries related to fireworks each year.
• If attending a fireworks display, keep yourself and your children a safe distance away.
• If you are using fireworks yourself, make sure to have a reliable water source handy, as well as plenty of room. Shoot them towards a lake, or other body of water, as opposed to near houses and wooded areas.
• DO NOT allow children to light fireworks and keep your fireworks as well as your matches out of reach.

Wait until you are sure bottle rockets or other fireworks have finished burning before approaching them, and do not attempt to relight a ‘dud’ or firework that has gone out.

Let Us Assist You Today

At Sabuco, Beck, Hansen, Massino & Pollack, P.C., we wish you and your loved ones a healthy, safe, and fun filled summer. If you or someone you care about is injured in an accident, contact our experienced Will County personal injury attorneys right away. Summertime accidents can happen anywhere, and the injuries you suffer can be severe. We provide the professional legal representation you need, to get the compensation you are entitled to.