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Spring Safety Tips

As Spring and warm weather rolls in, we all enjoy moving our activities to the great outdoors. According to the CDC, below are some tips to help keep you safe and healthy during the spring and summer seasons.

Dress to Protect:

· Wear safety goggles, sturdy shoes, and long pants when using lawn mowers and other machinery.

· Protect your hearing when using machinery. If you have to raise your voice to talk to someone who is an arm's length away, the noise can be potentially harmful to your hearing.

· Wear gloves to lower the risk for skin irritations, cuts, and certain contaminants.

· Protect yourself from diseases caused by mosquitoes and ticks. Use insect repellent containing DEET. Wear clothing treated with permethrin, long-sleeved shirts, and pants tucked in your socks. You may also want to wear high rubber boots since ticks are usually located close to the ground.

Put Safety First:             

· Follow instructions and warning labels on chemicals and lawn and garden equipment.

· Make sure equipment is working properly.

· Sharpen tools carefully.

· Keep harmful chemicals, tools, and equipment out of children's reach.

Watch out for heat-related illness.

· Drink plenty of water throughout the day to replace lost fluids. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.

· Avoid drinking liquids that contain alcohol or large amounts of sugar, especially in the heat. These actually cause you to lose more body fluid.

· Take breaks often. Try to rest in shady areas so that your body's thermostat will have a chance to recover. Stop working if you experience breathlessness or muscle soreness.

· Pay attention to signs of heat-related illness, including extremely high body temperature, headache, rapid pulse, dizziness, nausea, confusion, or unconsciousness.

· Watch people who are at higher risk for heat-related illness, including infants and children up to four years of age; people 65 years of age or older; people who are overweight; people who push themselves too hard during work or exercise; and people who are physically ill or who take certain medications (i.e. for depression, insomnia, or poor circulation).

· Eat healthy foods to help keep you energized.

Article Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Visit http://www.cdc.gov.