Summer is what North Carolina is known for.
With all the fun in the sun to be had, it's also when the potential increases for heat-related injuries.
Heat injuries are preventable. Follow these simple recommendations to stay safe in the summer sun:
With all the fun in the sun to be had, it's also when the potential increases for heat-related injuries.
Heat injuries are preventable. Follow these simple recommendations to stay safe in the summer sun:
⚪ Drink plenty of water
⚪ Avoid heavy meals at lunch time
⚪ Maintain a well balanced diet
⚪ Wear appropriate clothing
⚪ Use sunscreen
⚪ Follow recommended work/rest cycles
⚪ Keep areas well ventilated
⚪ Schedule outdoor activities during the cooler part of the day
⚪ Use the buddy system
⚪ Monitor those at risk
⚪ Avoid heavy meals at lunch time
⚪ Maintain a well balanced diet
⚪ Wear appropriate clothing
⚪ Use sunscreen
⚪ Follow recommended work/rest cycles
⚪ Keep areas well ventilated
⚪ Schedule outdoor activities during the cooler part of the day
⚪ Use the buddy system
⚪ Monitor those at risk
HEAT CRAMPS
Cause: Excessive loss of salt from the body
Symptoms: Painful cramps of the major muscle groups (arms, legs, or stomach)
Treatment: Provide cool water - shade - monitor
Heat Exhaustion
Cause: Excessive loss of salt and water in the body
Symptoms: Profuse sweating - headache - paleness - weakness - nausea - cool moist skin - tingling sensation in extremities
Treatment: Provide water - shade - elevate feet - monitor seek medical attention immediately
Symptoms: Profuse sweating - headache - paleness - weakness - nausea - cool moist skin - tingling sensation in extremities
Treatment: Provide water - shade - elevate feet - monitor seek medical attention immediately
HEAT STROKE
Cause: The body’s heat regulatory mechanism stops
Symptoms: Headache - dizziness - delirium - weakness - nausea - red, hot skin - unconsciousness
Treatment: MEDICAL EMERGENCY - CALL 911
Stay in a cool shaded area, soak clothing and fan, elevate feet, massage extremities until help arrives
Symptoms: Headache - dizziness - delirium - weakness - nausea - red, hot skin - unconsciousness
Treatment: MEDICAL EMERGENCY - CALL 911
Stay in a cool shaded area, soak clothing and fan, elevate feet, massage extremities until help arrives
RECREATIONAL SAFETY
➡ When starting a fitness regimen or new exercise, start slowly
➡ Choose exercise appropriate for your age and conditioning
➡ Start with warm-up
➡ Finish with cool down
➡ Know your exercise limits
➡ Dress appropriately
VEHICLE SAFETY
Age: Individual who are between 18-24 are at the highest risk. Risk of involvement in a fatal crash for individual who are 18-24 is nearly 4x greater than any other age group.
Seatbelts: Seatbelts prevent deaths in 42% of all potentially fatal crashes. Add an air bag to the buckled seatbelt and you increase your odds of surviving the crash to 47%.
Alcohol: An intoxicated driver is 15x more likely to be involved in a crash and to be fatally injured than a sober driver. About 48%of all traffic fatalities involve an intoxicated or alcohol impaired person.
Fatigue: Drivers between the ages of 18-24 are at special risk with over 56%of fatal crashes involving fatigue or falling asleep at the wheel.
Location: Statistics show that travel on interstates is safer than two lane roads. However, the fatality rate for travel on roads where high speed is possible increases the fatality rate by 30%.
Speed: The faster a car is going, the more distance and time it takes the driver to stop. Speeding also reduces the amount of time a driver has to react, and reduces the ability to safely negotiate the road.
Seatbelts: Seatbelts prevent deaths in 42% of all potentially fatal crashes. Add an air bag to the buckled seatbelt and you increase your odds of surviving the crash to 47%.
Alcohol: An intoxicated driver is 15x more likely to be involved in a crash and to be fatally injured than a sober driver. About 48%of all traffic fatalities involve an intoxicated or alcohol impaired person.
Fatigue: Drivers between the ages of 18-24 are at special risk with over 56%of fatal crashes involving fatigue or falling asleep at the wheel.
Location: Statistics show that travel on interstates is safer than two lane roads. However, the fatality rate for travel on roads where high speed is possible increases the fatality rate by 30%.
Speed: The faster a car is going, the more distance and time it takes the driver to stop. Speeding also reduces the amount of time a driver has to react, and reduces the ability to safely negotiate the road.
1. Obey the Word of Wisdom and Don’t drink and drive
2. Use (or offer to be) a designated driver
3. Wear seatbelts
4. Obey the speed limit
5. Don’t drive when you’re tired
6. Take rest breaks
7. Adjust speed for conditions
8. Don’t follow too close
9. Maintain your vehicle
10. Drive defensively
11. Avoid cellular phone use while driving
2. Use (or offer to be) a designated driver
3. Wear seatbelts
4. Obey the speed limit
5. Don’t drive when you’re tired
6. Take rest breaks
7. Adjust speed for conditions
8. Don’t follow too close
9. Maintain your vehicle
10. Drive defensively
11. Avoid cellular phone use while driving
Bicycle Safety
Bicycle crashes result in 800-900 deaths per year with 90% of bicycle-related deaths involve collisions with motor vehicles.
Bicycle crashes result in 800-900 deaths per year with 90% of bicycle-related deaths involve collisions with motor vehicles.
Before you ride:
‣‣ Inspect your bicycle for serviceability
‣‣ WEAR A HELMET
‣‣ Inflate tires properly
‣‣ Check your brakes
‣‣ WEAR A HELMET
‣‣ Inflate tires properly
‣‣ Check your brakes
When you ride...
‣‣ See and be seen
‣‣ Carry a backpack with essential repair tools
‣‣ Avoid riding at night
‣‣ Ride single file with traffic and obey traffic signs
‣‣ Use hand signals
‣‣ Stay alert for road hazards
‣‣ Watch for motorists
‣‣ Stay out of driver’s blind spots
‣‣ Carry a backpack with essential repair tools
‣‣ Avoid riding at night
‣‣ Ride single file with traffic and obey traffic signs
‣‣ Use hand signals
‣‣ Stay alert for road hazards
‣‣ Watch for motorists
‣‣ Stay out of driver’s blind spots
JOGGING SAFETY
‣‣ Pace yourself
‣‣ Good running shoes are essential
‣‣ Always jog against traffic
‣‣ Be seen while running
‣‣ Finish with cool down
‣‣ Wearing headphones is common, but can be dangerous because music via headphones interferes with your awareness of whats around you.
‣‣ Good running shoes are essential
‣‣ Always jog against traffic
‣‣ Be seen while running
‣‣ Finish with cool down
‣‣ Wearing headphones is common, but can be dangerous because music via headphones interferes with your awareness of whats around you.
Water Safety
Drownings are one of the leading causes of death every summer in North Carolina.
Drownings are one of the leading causes of death every summer in North Carolina.
Always be safe around water:
‣‣ Learn to swim and know “your limits”
‣‣ Use the buddy system
‣‣ Swim with supervision from someone not in the water
‣‣ Obey “NO DIVING” signs - they are there for a very good reason.
‣‣ Don’t drink and swim
‣‣ Wear personal flotation devices and/or life vests when boating and fishing
‣‣ Know the weather conditions - Summer weather can go from sunny and perfect to severe very quickly in South Carolina. Check the forecast before water activities begin and frequently during. Have a NOAA weather radio close by.
‣‣ Don’t swim after eating, while chewing gum or after drinking.
‣‣ Use the buddy system
‣‣ Swim with supervision from someone not in the water
‣‣ Obey “NO DIVING” signs - they are there for a very good reason.
‣‣ Don’t drink and swim
‣‣ Wear personal flotation devices and/or life vests when boating and fishing
‣‣ Know the weather conditions - Summer weather can go from sunny and perfect to severe very quickly in South Carolina. Check the forecast before water activities begin and frequently during. Have a NOAA weather radio close by.
‣‣ Don’t swim after eating, while chewing gum or after drinking.
Watch out for the “Dangerous Too’s”
‣‣ Too tired
‣‣ Too cold
‣‣ Too far from safety
‣‣ Too much sun
‣‣ Too much strenuous activity
‣‣ Too cold
‣‣ Too far from safety
‣‣ Too much sun
‣‣ Too much strenuous activity
BOATING SAFETY
‣‣ Most boating mishaps involve capsizing, falls overboard and collisions. About 90% of all fatalities are caused by drowning, and in nearly all cases personal floatation (PFD’s) were NOT used.
‣‣ Yield right of way
‣‣ Be aware of others
‣‣ Avoid alcohol
‣‣ Maintain a safe speed
‣‣ Don’t overload
‣‣ Don’t loan to inexperienced operators
‣‣ Wear proper clothing
‣‣ Ensure proper maintenance
‣‣ Yield right of way
‣‣ Be aware of others
‣‣ Avoid alcohol
‣‣ Maintain a safe speed
‣‣ Don’t overload
‣‣ Don’t loan to inexperienced operators
‣‣ Wear proper clothing
‣‣ Ensure proper maintenance
Animals
To prevent potential rabies exposure, avoid wild animals, bats, and domestic animals which are unknown to you or which display strange behavior.
To prevent potential rabies exposure, avoid wild animals, bats, and domestic animals which are unknown to you or which display strange behavior.
Insects:
‣‣ Check to see if anyone around you is allergic to insect bites or stings and ensure that they have an emergency first-aid kit on hand.Use insect repellent (follow directions)
‣‣ When camping, inspect bedding before use, and avoid sleeping or leaving clothes in damp places.
‣‣ Food and crumbs attract insects
‣‣ When camping, inspect bedding before use, and avoid sleeping or leaving clothes in damp places.
‣‣ Food and crumbs attract insects
Pets:
‣‣ Keep your pets indoors during the hottest times of the day. Make sure your animals have plenty of ways to stay cool if they spend time outdoors at all during the summer months.
‣‣ As you prepare ways for yourself to beat the heat, include your pet in planning & preps.
‣‣ Ice and Ice Water
‣‣ A pool to play in
‣‣ Shaded areas
‣‣ Do NOT leave your pet (or child for that matter) in a car with no ability to get out of the vehicle
‣‣ Bring them inside
‣‣ As you prepare ways for yourself to beat the heat, include your pet in planning & preps.
‣‣ Ice and Ice Water
‣‣ A pool to play in
‣‣ Shaded areas
‣‣ Do NOT leave your pet (or child for that matter) in a car with no ability to get out of the vehicle
‣‣ Bring them inside