Stay safe this summer. Make sure you know the five water safety skills, designate a water watcher when kids swim, know the signs of heat exhaustion, and more. Kaz Fantone/NPR hide title toggle title Kaz Fantone/NPR Stay safe this summer. Make sure you know the five water safety skills, designate a water watcher when kids
Stay safe this summer. Make sure you know the five water safety skills, designate a water watcher when kids swim, know the signs of heat exhaustion, and more.
Kaz Fantone/NPR
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Kaz Fantone/NPR
Stay safe this summer. Make sure you know the five water safety skills, designate a water watcher when kids swim, know the signs of heat exhaustion, and more.
Kaz Fantone/NPR
Think about all the things we do during the summer. We go out more to the streets. We jumped into bodies of open water. We bake under the hot sun. We light fires and cook over them..
This is all fun, of course, but it’s also risky.
Take a moment to think about your safety this season, right? Here’s how to protect yourself from drowning, heat exhaustion, tick bites, and more.
Learn These 5 Water Safety Skills
Reported by Marielle Segarra
According to the American Red Cross, at a minimum, everyone should know these five basic water safety skills.
First, make sure you are comfortable jumping into the water, submerging completely, and surfacing. Once you’ve returned to the surface, you should be able to float or tread water for a minute. When you’re treading water, stay relaxed so you don’t overexert yourself.
From there, you’ll want to be able to go around in a complete circle and find an exit. Knowing how to get out of the water is “just as important as getting in the water,” says Cullen Jones, an Olympic gold medalist swimmer and water safety advocate.
You should then be able to swim 25 yards to an exit without stopping. You can use any stroke you feel comfortable with. Jones adds that most pools in the United States are 25 yards.
Finally, make sure you can get out of the pool or body of water without a ladder. Jones used the phrase “elbow, elbow, belly, knee, knee” to teach her 3-year-old son this skill. (For more tips on how to become a good swimmer, Click here.)
Appoint a “water watcher” to prevent drownings
Reported by Marielle Segarra
A designated “water watcher” is an adult responsible for monitoring the water and the children in it.
To take on this role, the water watcher must be sober and focused. They should also have their phone nearby in case they need to call 911. After a set period of time, such as 15 minutes, rotate water watchers. It is also helpful for them to know CPR and have a flotation device they can use in a rescue. (Take our quiz to see how much you know about children and water safety.)
Know the signs of heat exhaustion
Reported by Clare Marie Schneider
If you’re out with a group of friends on a hot day, monitor others for signs of illness. “Someone may notice something about you that you don’t notice,” says Dr. Renee Salas, assistant professor of emergency medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Heat exhaustion is Your body’s warning sign that you’re starting to overheat, Salas says. Symptoms generally include sweating more than usual, weakness, dizziness, fainting, pale skin, nausea, vomiting and fatigue.
Pay special attention to older people, children, people with certain pre-existing medical conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, and people taking commonly prescribed medications to help control blood pressure and mental health conditions. They are at higher risk for heat-related illnesses, Salas says.
If you or someone you know is experiencing signs of heat exhaustion, Salas recommends going to an air-conditioned room. If you can’t find a cooler place, call 911, Salas says.
If you still experience symptoms of heat exhaustion after moving away from the heat, seek medical attention. (More tips on how to protect yourself from extreme heat here.)
Do a tick check after spending time outdoors
Reported by Pie Huang
It is estimated that about 31 million people in the U.S. are bitten by a tick each year. Summer is peak tick season, and unfortunately, ticks can transmit diseases, such as Lyme.
If you spend time outdoors during the summer, especially in an area where ticks are common, such as the Northeast, cover your skin as much as possible.
For example, if you are going for a hike or gardening, you can wear long sleeves and long pants and tuck them into your socks. Then spray your clothing and skin with an EPA-recommended repellent. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends using permethrin on clothing and DEET on exposed skin.
If you are hiking, stay on the trail and out of tall grass.
When you get home, if possible, throw your clothes in the dryer (that will kill the ticks) and check your body for them right away. Generally speaking, the longer a tick stays on your body, the more likely it is to spread disease. (Listen to our episode about ticks for more information on prevention.)
Grill in an open space, away from the house.
Reported by Ruth Tam
Take precautions to avoid fire accidents. Before lighting your grill, read your grill manual. It will give you crucial information on how and where to set it up safely. Avoid placing the grill against the side of your house, under the roof of a patio or someone else’s balcony, for example.
“You want to have your grill outdoors so there is plenty of room for air to circulate and for heat to disperse,” says Jess Larson, founder of the food blog. Combines well with butter.
If the fire seems to be getting out of hand, don’t panic. “When in doubt, simply close the lid [and the vents] and make the fire go out on its own,” says Larson. Turning off the oxygen supply should put out the fire in a matter of minutes. And, just in case, “it’s always a good idea to have a fire extinguisher on hand.” (Read our story at grilling for beginners for more tips.)
The story was edited by Meghan Keane. The visual editor is CJ Riculan. We would love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823 or email us at LifeKit@npr.org.
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