Summer Safety

Summer is traditionally the time for family trips, camping, hiking, swimming and other outdoor activities in the sun and hot weather. With each year recording the hottest on the planet in history, it is more important than ever to understand how to take care of your body as the temperature soars

Keeping Your Cool | First Aid for Hot Weather | Sun and UV Protection | Be Sun Smart |

Enjoying the Great Outdoors | Food Safety | Swimming | Travel Safety

Keeping Your Cool

California temperatures during the late spring and summer rise to triple digits increasing the risk for heat illnesses. The National Weather Service developed the heat index to help people identify days when the risk for heat illness are higher than normal.

Download this tip sheet to understand how Extreme Heat Impacts Our Health…

Keep your body cool by:

  • Drink plenty of water
  • Eat hydrating foods (like my Watermelon Salad)
  • Find shade
  • Bathe in cool water
  • Wear light-colored clothing

Keep your home cool:

  • Put a fan by the window early in the morning to bring the cool air in
  • Keep blinds and drapes closed during the day to block out the sun
  • Make meals that don’t require using the oven and/or cook earlier in the day

Keep kids and pets cool:

  • Dress children in light UV protective clothing, including wide brimmed hats
  • Ensure that your pet has plenty of cool water and a cool, shaded place to rest
  • Never leave children or pets in a parked car. The internal temperature in a vehicle can rise above 120 degrees in less than an hour.

First Aid for Hot Weather

Heat stroke symptoms, prevention and first aid infographic.

Emergency First Aid for Heat Cramps, Exhaustion and Stroke: It’s best to stay as cool as you can during hot days by staying out of the heat all together. If you find yourself in a situation where you become overheated, feel nauseous or dizzy immediately move to a cooler area and sip cool water. Get details on the Symptoms, Signs and Treatments for Heat Cramps, Exhaustion and Stroke…

Dehydration: Staying hydrated is essential in the hot weather by drinking plenty of water. As you sweat you can quickly lose body water has the body uses it to cool you off. The only effective treatment for dehydration is to replace lost fluids. During hot or humid weather, cool water is your best bet. Sports drinks containing electrolytes and a carbohydrate solution also may be helpful.

Get more Tips for Preventing Heat Related Illnesses from the CDC…

Sun and UV Protection

Taking precautions to protect yourself and your family from the sun will help prevent long
term consequences such as skin cancer and short term consequences such as sunburn. While there are beneficial effects of UV radiation include the production of vitamin D, a vital nutrient, overexposure may present risks.

While everyone’s skin and eyes are susceptible to the effects of the sun, light-skinned people are much more likely to have their skin damaged by UV rays; including skin cancer. However, all ethnicities including very dark-skinned people, can be affected.

The skin tans when it absorbs UV rays as it increases the cells that make the brown pigment called melanin. More melanin does help to block out damaging UV rays which is why people with naturally darker skin are less likely to get sunburned. Sunburns can increase your risk of skin cancer, including melanoma. But UV exposure can raise skin cancer risk even without causing sunburn. Despite what you may have heard sunburns do not “turn” to tans. A sunburn is red because it is just that – a burning of the skin. Learn more about Sunburn.

Be Sun Smart

Wearing sunscreen consistently is the best way to prevent damage from UV rays including dark spots, even skin tone, sagging and wrinkled skin. Many every day facial moisturizers and creams now contain mild sunscreens. If you are going to be exposing more skin during summer activities wearing an all over high-quality sunscreen every day is the best way to lower the risks and protect your skin from damaging UV rays. Look for a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher. Here are Consumer Reports’ Best Sunscreens of 2023. Learn more about UV rays and sun safety.

Enjoying the Great Outdoors

Enjoying the beauty of nature with camping, hiking, trail riding and more is a big part of summer adventures. There are a few safety precautions you should take to keep the family safe and healthy:

Food Safety

Whether a picnic in the woods, on the beach or the backyard food safety should always be your first ingredient. Never leave meat, poultry, eggs, fish (raw or cooked) out at room temperature for more than one hour in hot weather. Chill leftovers as soon as you finish eating. Do not leave exposed meats in the hot sun, keep them in the cooler on ice until you are ready to grill.

Swimming

Pools, water parks, lakes and water holes can provide many hours of cooling summer fun, but they can be dangerous. Remember active adult supervision is rule #1. Never leave your child unattended, not even for a second. Keep the CDC’s Healthy Swimming site bookmarked…

Some basic rules for backyard pools:

  • Keep the area around the pool clear of toys and debris.
  • Small portable “kiddie” pools should be emptied completely when not in use.
  • Remove the steps or ladder from above-ground pools when not in use.
  • Hot tubs should not exceed 104 degrees and are not recommended for pregnant women or toddlers.

Community Pools and Water Parks:

  • Only children who can swim should attend.
  • Stick with “zero depth” pools for toddlers.
  • Ensure there is a lifeguard at every pool and a first aid station on the grounds.
  • Remember to wear sunscreen with a minimum of SPF30 and reapply every 2 hours.
  • Keep hydrated! Drink at least half a cup of water every half hour and make sure kids do too!

Beaches, Lakes, Rivers and Ponds:

  • Keep babies 3 months and younger out of natural water.
  • Be aware of strong currents, winds and rip tides. Even large adults can get swept away.
  • Always wear lifejackets in boats and rafts.
  • Obey signs and flags indicating whether the water is safe to enter.

Travel Safety

By boat, plane, train or automobile some health and safety precautions will help make the
family vacation happy and healthy. Keep these things in your luggage and your mind before taking off:

No matter what you do in the sun and heat this year, keep activities going by taking the proper precautions for a safe and healthy summer.

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