It’s time for a nice and relaxing three day weekend, as Memorial Day is almost here! As joyous as holidays can be, they also can lead to dangerous situations if the right precautions aren’t taken. Whether you’re vacationing, grilling out, or meeting your buddies for a night on the town, we want you to prioritize safety always! Please keep the following safety tips in mind when you are out enjoying the weekend.
Safety First This Memorial Day
- Grilling some delicious burgers and chicken wings? Let’s not spoil an eventful evening with food poisoning. Did you know that U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that beef is cooked to 160 degrees and poultry to 145 degrees. Even though the meat looks tasty and done, it may not be cooked properly all the way through. Investing in a food thermometer is always a wise idea while grilling outdoors. Remember that you are responsible for the health of those you cook for! Bon appetit!
- You’ve been waiting all week to try on that new bathing suit, spend a day out on the lake, and just chill out. The last thing on your mind is dousing yourself in sunscreen right? Whether you burn easily or not, sunscreen is an essential for anyone spending a considerable amount of time in the sun. Experts recommend that you use SPF 15 or above, while reapplying sunscreen every two hours. Just because you doused yourself in SPF 80 at 9 a.m. doesn’t ensure safety for an entire day. We recommend setting alerts on your phone to remind yourself to reapply while you’re out and about. We don’t want to see you in your ER with severe burns this weekend!
- Traveling to new places is a ton of fun! However, we find that many people solely rely on their GPS to do all of the work. This will get you from A to B, but are you really familiar with the new city you’re traveling to? An hour of research at lunch could be extremely helpful to understanding the do’s and don’ts along your trek. Every city has places to go and places to avoid. We’d also recommend bringing a traveling first aid kit. From tiny bumps or bruises to minor allergic reactions, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. We don’t expect you to be like the Griswalds on vacation, but the unexpected should be expected!
- Thieves love vacation weekends and they can figure your whereabouts on social media. Does your Facebook have privacy settings that filter out strangers from seeing your posts? If you alert them that you’re away for three days on your timeline this gives potential criminals an opportunity to rob your home. We recommend not posting your entire vacation itinerary on social media, or beefing up privacy settings across the board.
- Hydration is key! In the warmer months we get a lot of patients who have suffered from dehydration during outdoor activities. If you know you’re going to be outside for several hours and possibly drinking alcohol, we recommend drinking plenty of water the night before. The best way to avoid dehydration will be to drink a solid 16 ounce bottle of water before bed and another before you leave for your outdoor activity. However, in a perfect world you’d be drinking water throughout the day for optimal safety!
Regardless of your top safety precautions we know that unexpected health situations can occur. That’s why we’re here for your 24/7/365. Visit https://nec24.com/ to find a Neighbors Emergency Center near you!