Summer is a great time to review safety tips. Whether you are vacationing or have children home from school, summer poses some additional fire and safety risks you can minimize with these tips:
1) Protect yourself from the sun.
Wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30. The sunscreen should indicate it protects you from both ultraviolet A and B rays. Be sure to cover yourself with a big hat and use sunglasses to protect your eyes. Since sunburns and excessive sun exposure increase your risk of skin cancer, be sure to reapply sun screen as needed, especially if you’re sweating or in the water.
2) Know the symptoms of heat-related illness.
Heat cramps result in excessive sweating and muscle cramps and spasms. If you experience these symptoms, get into shade or a cool area and stop physical activity. Drink something with electrolytes or drink water to replenish hydration.
Heat exhaustion symptoms include irritability, headache, confusion, thirst, excessive sweating, nausea, dizziness, and weakness. Those who experience these symptoms have lost significant fluids and salts. It is important to move to a cool area if you have heat exhaustion and to take frequent sips of water to rehydrate. Cool water, especially, can help cool your down, as can cool compresses on the face, neck, and head.
Heatstroke symptoms include confusion, loss of consciousness, high body temperature, and seizures. Heatstroke is a medical emergency and can be fatal. If you or anyone experiences heatstroke symptoms, call 911.
3) Protect yourself from car accidents.
Place water and sunglasses in your car so you can drive comfortably without distraction or glare. Tune up your car so it does not overheat or have performance problems as you drive. Pay extra attention to the tires. Overinflating or underinflating them can place added stress on tires and with Florida’s hot climate the extra pressure can cause tire blowouts and other problems.
4) Secure your pool.
Now that many children are home for the summer, it’s important to ensure your pool area is safe. Remember that you can be named in a Hollywood property liability case even if a child trespasses on your property and is injured in your pool. Your best option is a fence and a self-locking gate. A smart extra investment is to buy an alarm system which can let you know if anyone is in your pool area.
If you are injured in Hollywood or anywhere in South Florida, contact Flaxman Law Group for a free accident consultation with a Hollywood personal injury attorney. Our offices in Hollywood, Homestead, and Miami serve the entire South Florida area and you can reach us at any time at 1-866-352-9626 (1-866-FLAXMAN).