Incorporate Safety Into Your Summer Fun

Summer has arrived, which means long days spent outside in the hot sun.

Outdoor activities are the core of our summer existence here in the Northwest, but there are some important safety tips to keep in mind while communing with nature.

For many kids, summer is synonymous with spending a lot of time in the pool. But parents should be aware that just because your child knows how to swim doesn’t mean there’s nothing to be concerned about.

First, make sure that the pool your child swims in is properly sanitized with chlorine. Chlorine levels should be between 1 and 3 parts per million to eliminate bacteria and other contaminants. Pools at home should be checked once a day. Spokane’s public pools are checked hourly.

Indications that water has not been properly treated include coming out of the pool smelling like chlorine or with red eyes, itchy skin, or green hair.

Make sure that all children are properly supervised by an adult. Don’t allow your children to run or engage in horseplay near the pool. While pools are not in use, make sure they are protected by multiple safety precautions, such as having a fence with a securely latched gate surrounding the pool and using pool covers. Small children are naturally curious and are often able to open simple latches.

Whether your children are using a private or public pool, make sure there is lifesaving equipment and a first-aid kit nearby. Make sure the adult supervisor has been trained in CPR. All of Spokane’s public pools have lifeguards on duty who have CPR training, says Spokane Parks and Recreation’s Aquatics Director David Early.

To avoid greater chances of skin cancer later in life, cover all exposed skin with a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. Waterproof sunscreen works best while swimming, but must be reapplied frequently.

Perhaps the most important thing for people to remember is to make sure they drink enough fluids. The best choices for fluid replacement are sports drinks such as Gatorade, or water. Caffeinated drinks like colas and iced tea are diuretics and actually cause the body to lose fluids.

More immediate hazards from being out in the sun all day are heat exhaustion and heatstroke. Heat exhaustion results from the loss of fluids and salt. The symptoms are pale, cool, and moist skin as well as weakness, dizziness, nausea and a headache. Sufferers should lie still and lower their heads. Replace fluids with a lot of fruit juice or a sports drink.

Heatstroke is the more serious of the two and is caused by overheating and overexertion. Sufferers have hot, red, and dry skin, a rapid pulse, a high temperature, and have stopped sweating.

Heatstroke victims should lie down in a shady place with their heads elevated and be covered with ice packs, wet sheets, or placed in a cold bath to bring temperatures down. If a person has a fever of 104 degrees or above, is unconscious, or is suffering from confusion or seizures, he or she must be taken to the hospital at once for treatment.