School is Out - City Offers Summer Safety Tips for School Vacation and 4th of July Celebrations
For Immediate Release:
6/29/2018 4:00 pm
Now that school is out for summer vacation, children are outdoors more frequently and exposed to increased recreational hazards. The City of Worcester is urging parents and caretakers to remember important summer safety tips as children head out to the pool, camp, or even the backyard.
Water Safety:
- If you’ve never learned to swim, now is the time. New this year, swim lessons will be provided at Crompton Park Pool from 10:30-11:30 a.m. on the following dates: July 9-13; July 16-20; July 23-27; July 30-Aug. 3; Aug. 6-10; Aug. 13-17. Fee: $50 per week.
- It’s always a good time to learn CPR—Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation - especially if you'll be supervising others.
- Always supervise young children around water (stay close enough to reach a child at all times and avoid distractions such as playing cards, reading a book, or talking on the phone). Always have a phone nearby in case of an emergency.
- A drowning can happen quickly, and usually silently. Avoid alcohol while supervising children and before or during swimming, boating, or waterskiing.
- Prevent water-related injuries and drowning by swimming with a buddy and swimming where there’s a lifeguard. Always use life jackets and secure personal flotation devices—do not substitute air-filled or foam toys for safety gear. When enjoying natural bodies of water, be aware of the local weather conditions and forecast. Strong winds and thunderstorms with lightning can be dangerous.
- Watch for dangerous waves and signs of rip tides/currents. Also know and obey the posted warnings. For example, beaches often have different colored flags (red, yellow, green) to indicate beach conditions. Pay attention to lifeguards or posted instructions.
Sun Safety:
- Seek shade, especially during midday hours.
- Wear clothing to protect exposed skin.
- Wear a hat with a wide brim to shade the face, head, ears, and neck.
- Wear sunglasses that wrap around and block as close to 100 percent of both UVA and UVB rays as possible.
- Use sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher, and both UVA and UVBUVA and UVB protection.
Food Safety:
- When grilling, use a meat thermometer to ensure that you cook meat and poultry thoroughly.
- Ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F. Also, put cooked meat on a clean platter, rather than back on the one that held the raw meat, to avoid cross-contamination.
- Whether you’re cooking out in the backyard or at a picnic, always keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot.
- When you’re finished eating, refrigerate leftovers promptly.
Outdoor Precautions:
- Warmer temperatures aren’t just attractive to people, but also to mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas. Mosquitoes can transmit West Nile virus; ticks can transmit Lyme disease and other serious infections; and fleas can transmit plague.
- To prevent these illnesses, use an appropriate insect and tick repellent.
- Prime mosquito-biting hours are usually dusk to dawn, but ticks are out at all times. Empty any standing water on your property to eliminate breeding grounds. Secure all window and door screens and patch any holes.
- To keep ticks at a distance, avoid tick-infested areas (especially places with leaf-litter and high grasses) and use repellent containing 20 percent DEET.
- You can also treat clothing with the repellent, permethrin, (which protects through several washings) or purchase clothing that is pre-treated with permethrin. Always follow the directions on repellent packaging.
- After coming indoors, shower as soon as possible and check your body for ticks.
- Make sure that your children also bathe or shower and get checked for ticks. Wash and tumble dry your clothing and check your pets for ticks.
- If you find an attached tick, don’t panic, ticks are easy to remove with a pair of fine-tipped tweezers. Consult your healthcare provider if you develop a rash, fever, body aches, or fatigue in the 1-3 weeks following a bite. It could be any number of illnesses.
- The City of Worcester has partnered with the Central Massachusetts Mosquito Control Project to offer comprehensive mosquito control services and programs throughout the summer. Spraying will only be done based on requests received from residents. Requests for service may be made Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. by calling 508-393-3055.
