Posted: 7/10/2017
Parkland experts offer summer safety tips
Fun in the sun, days by the pool and cooling summer treats. That’s summer in Texas. Unfortunately, warm weather months bring the opportunity for summertime injuries. With this in mind, Parkland Health & Hospital System experts have advice to keep you from interrupting your summer fun with an unplanned trip to the doctor.
Food safety: from refrigerator to the picnic table
As temperatures rise, bacteria in food rapidly multiply. To avoid being victim of foodborne illnesses, food safety is critical. “Simple steps before, during and after preparing your summer snacks can make all the difference,” said Sharon Cox, registered dietitian at Parkland.
Proper handling of food is important to ensure its safety as it makes its way from the refrigerator to the picnic table. “It’s important to know what to do and what to avoid when packing for a picnic in the park or at the lake,” she said.
Tips to keep in mind:
• Wash your hands. Washing hands, surfaces and food is one of the easiest ways to prevent foodborne illnesses.
• Rinse fruits and vegetables under cool running water for one minute and thoroughly scrub firm-skinned produce.
• Avoid cross-contamination. Keep raw meat, poultry and seafood tightly wrapped to prevent their juices from contaminating other foods, especially foods meant to be eaten raw like vegetables and fruits.
• Keep cooler contents separate. Pack perishable food in one cooler and drinks in another. This will help avoid exposing perishable foods to warm temperatures from opening and closing the cooler to get drinks.
• Cook food thoroughly and bring your food thermometer if you plan to grill outdoors.
• Never allow perishable food to sit out for more than two hours. In weather above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, food should never sit out for more than one hour.
• Keep cold food cold. Cold food should be stored at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below to prevent bacterial growth.
• Do not reuse marinades; get rid of the used marinade to prevent raw meat juices getting on your cooked food.
The Food and Drug Administration recommends remembering four key words: clean, separate, cook and chill.
Water injuries: fast, silent and deadly
For many the best part of summer is cooling down by jumping into the water. Unfortunately, distractions, lack of supervision and lack of emergency training can lead to drownings and a variety of other water-related injuries.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from 2005 to 2014 there was an average of 3,536 unintentional drownings each year, or about 10 deaths per day. One in five people who die from drowning are children 14 and younger. Most drownings among children ages 1 to 4 occur in backyard swimming pools.
“The most important tip for water safety during the summer is to have a barrier, such as four-sided pool fencing, which can prevent young children from gaining access to the pool without the caregivers’ awareness,” said Shelli Stephens-Stidham, Director of the Injury Prevention Center of Greater Dallas, based at Parkland. “It only takes a few seconds and a few inches of water to cause severe injury, or even death.”
Stephens-Stidham said a successful pool barrier prevents a child from getting over, under or through to gain access to a pool. A four-sided isolation fence (separating the pool area from the house and yard) significantly reduces a child’s risk of drowning compared to three-sided property-line fencing. The fence should be at least four feet high, with self-closing and self-latching gates that open outward with latches that are out of reach of children.
Always remember:
• Supervise minors when they are in or around water.
• Drowning can occur fast and quietly; be sure to be within an arm’s reach. Even if your children know how to swim, never leave them unattended.
• Use the “buddy system,” never swim alone.
• Foam and air toys are not substitutes for proper flotation devices.
• When boating, all children and adults should wear approved life jackets.
• Consider learning cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
“Keeping these things in mind could prevent a tragedy,” Stephens-Stidham said.
For additional information about the Injury Prevention Center of Greater Dallas, call 214.590.4455 or visit www.injurypreventioncenter.org. For more information on services at Parkland, please visit www.parklandhospital.com.