Summer Safety

Hotter temperatures, longer days, and water play are all wonderful things during summertime, but they can also add safety challenges. Here are a few things to keep in mind this summer:

• During extreme heat, check on family, friends, and neighbors who do not have air conditioning and spend much of their time alone. Fans alone aren’t enough in high temperatures.

• Stay hydrated! Make sure to drink lots of water to stay hydrated and prevent dehydration, heat stroke and more. Water should be available at all times.  “Hydration” means drinking enough to keep your body working properly. More than half of your body weight is water, and all of your organs need water to do their jobs right. This is especially important in hot weather or when you’re exercising a lot, since perspiration pushes a lot of fluid out of your body, and you need to replace it.  Water gives your body exactly what it needs, without giving it extra stuff (like sugar) that it doesn’t need.  If you’d like to perk up your water, you can add a slice of lemon or lime. 

• Wear sunscreen. Regardless of skin tone, children and adults should always wear sunscreen or cover with clothing or a hat to protect against skin damage. Treat or cover often-overlooked places such as ears, parts in the hair, and the tops of feet in sandals.
• Protect infants from the heat of the day by going outside in the morning or evening. Cover them with clothing and hats or keep them in shaded areas, and avoid heavy blankets or covers that limit air flow.
• Take extra care to check cars, vans, or buses used to transport children to make sure all children are accounted for and no one is left in a hot vehicle (even if the windows are down). Heat can rise in a vehicle, up to 20 degrees in just 10 minutes.
• Carefully supervise children during water play to protect against aspiration or drowning. Being around water can be especially dangerous for young children, especially infants and toddlers. Children can drown in as little as 2 inches of water. Never leave children unattended, not even for short periods of time. 
• Reduce risk of heat exhaustion by avoiding extreme heat. Go outside in the morning or in shorter periods throughout the day. Watch for signs such as heavy sweating, weakness, cold, pale, or clammy skin, nausea or vomiting, fainting, or fast or weak pulse.
• Monitor the play areas for bugs such as fire ants, wasps, mosquitoes, and other pests that can cause injury, allergic reaction, or illness.

• Grills should only be used outside. Keep a 3-foot safety zone around it, away from siding, deck rails and eaves. Always open your gas grill before lighting it.

• Never let children handle fireworks. Designate a responsible adult to supervise all firework activities.

For more information visit  https://www.uaex.uada.edu/summer/default.aspx  or contact the Arkansas County Extension Office at (870)659-2058.