Many people pack the summer months with outdoor activities, social gatherings, water activities, and road trips. While these activities can be a lot of fun, they can also be risky. It is essential to follow certain precautions to keep yourself and those around you safe.
Stay Cool and Hydrated
Exposure to heat can make it difficult for your body to regulate its temperature. When your body cannot cool down, it can lead to heat stroke, rash, kidney damage, and more. Spending at least a portion of each day in an air-conditioned building is ideal. When you must be outdoors, try to spend more time in the shade and plan physical activity for the early morning when temperatures are lower. Sunburn can further impact the body’s ability to regulate temperature, so remember to use sunscreen every time you go out in the sun.
Staying hydrated helps the body regulate its temperature and prevents dehydration. Water is the best choice to stay hydrated. Sports drinks can also help replenish electrolytes after intense sweating.
Take Care with Food Preparation and Storage
Hot weather can make food spoil faster. If you are eating outdoors at a picnic or cookout, keep cold food in a cooler with ice, and keep hot food hot until it is served. When temperatures exceed 90 degrees outside, food can go bad after only an hour of sitting at the wrong temperature.
If picnic food has been sitting out for longer than an hour, toss it out. Putting it back in the fridge and reheating it later could make people sick because some bacteria release toxins that heat cannot destroy.
Beware of Swimming Risks
Swimming is an excellent way to cool off in the heat, as long as you do so safely. Swimming where a lifeguard is on duty, checking the water depth before diving head-first, and wearing a life jacket if you do not know how to swim can help prevent injury or drowning.
In addition to the risk of injury, pools, lakes, and other bodies of water can harbor parasites and bacteria that could make you sick. Don’t swallow water while swimming, and try to learn about the water quality if you swim in an unfamiliar water body.
Put Safety First on the Water and the Road
The summer months are known as the “100 Deadliest Days” due to the exceptionally high number of fatal car accidents, especially involving teens, between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Before you hit the road for a summer outing or road trip, buckle your seatbelt, commit to driving sober, and follow the traffic laws. Boaters on the water should also follow all applicable laws and never drink at the helm.
How Our Lawyers Can Help If You Get Injured in a Summer Activity
Although you can take several steps to stay safe this summer, some things are out of your control. If you are injured during a summer activity and are not at fault, you may be owed compensation for your injuries. Contact the attorneys at Goldenzweig Law Group, PLLC, for a free consultation.