Everyone Should Follow These General Safety Guidelines This Summer

Everyone Should Follow These General Safety Guidelines This Summer

Summer’s finally here! The sun is shining, the water is inviting, and we’re all ready to have fun! Just remember that while enjoying the heat, we must do everything we can to remain safe and healthy.

In a rush to make the most of the summer season, we can forget basic best practices in injury prevention.

Let’s follow general safety guidelines in the sun and on the water, and enter the fall with only happy memories of the previous fun fuelled months!

Summer Safety in The Sun and On the Water (General Safety Guidelines)

When having fun outside this summer, it’s important to keep in mind general best practices that will keep you, your friends, and your family safe and prevent injury. The Red Cross and the Lifesaving Society offer great advice for summer safety, and Heartzap has summarized some sun and water safety guidelines for you.

Sun Safety

In the summer heat, sun safety is key to preventing heat stroke and preventing serious injury from sun poisoning. Sun poisoning is a severe sun burn which can cause blistering, pain, swelling, headache, fever, chills, nausea, dizziness, and dehydration. So, what can you do to keep safe in the summer sun?

• Dress appropriately for the weather: light clothes to stay cooler, but with enough coverage to guard against the sun. Remember to wear a hat to keep the sun off your scalp!
• Always wear sunscreen when outdoors: sunscreen is integral in preventing sun burns, and in turn, sun poisoning.
• Always stay hydrated: drink plenty of water! In the heat, we sweat, so replacing lost water in our bodies prevents dehydration and the ailments associated with it.
• If you feel weak or nauseous after being in the sun for an extended period: get to shade, slowly sip water, and seek medical help.

Water and Boating Safety

Swimming and boating are great ways to beat the heat. However, while swimming pools, lakes, and rivers are convenient methods to cool down, they don’t come without risk. The risk of drowning is always present, in fact 160 people per year in Ontario alone die from drowning, so it’s important to make smart choices to minimize risk. We have some important water safety tips to prevent tragedy.

• Take swimming lessons: knowing how to swim, and having enough practice to be a strong swimmer, lessens the likelihood of drowning.
• Always swim with a partner or group: if you begin to drown and you’re alone in the water, chances of surviving are slim. Having a buddy to pull you out significantly decreases the chance of drowning. Also, remember to always supervise children and non-swimmers around water.
• Wear a life jacket when on a boat: even strong swimmers have trouble staying above water when waiting for a boat rescue, so don’t risk going overboard without protection!
• When boating, make sure that an accurate float plan has been filled out and provided to a reliable third party on land: if you are significantly off schedule or haven’t checked in in a while, that person can call a rescue centre and have emergency services find you if you’re in danger on water.
• The most important rule: never swim or drive a boat while intoxicated!

Be Prepared for Summer Safety with Heartzap

Summer should be fun, but preventable injuries and deaths are the furthest from it. Educate yourself on best practices to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. Heartzap is here to help. We offer first aid courses, where you can learn how to best respond to common sun and water injuries if the worst case scenario does occur.

To sign up for one of our safety training courses, or inquire about how to stay safe this summer, contact Heartzap.