Summer Safety Checklist

With summer comes the opportunity to participate in more outdoor activities and an increased amount of travel. With all of the summer fun, it’s important to keep some safety tips in mind so you can continue to enjoy your summer with your friends and family. Follow this summer safety checklist to maximize your days spent in the sun this year:

• If you’re hitting the trails this summer, enjoy hiking with a partner. If you experience an injury while hiking alone, it can be difficult to get the help that you may need. Make sure to hike with plenty of water and food if necessary. 
• If you enjoy cycling, make sure you’re wearing the proper protective gear. Head injuries are common with cyclists, so be sure to take the proper precautions.
• Dive into fun, safely. If you’re spending time in a body of water this summer, never dive into shallow water. Make sure to follow this rule of thumb when spending time in water, never dive or jump into water if you’re not sure of the depth. 
• Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and dehydration. When you know these signs, you can identify them in others and yourself and get the medical attention necessary.
• Take playground precautions this summer. If your children enjoy spending time on the playground, make sure to supervise so that they stay safe while they’re playing. Also, watch the temperature of the day. During hot summer days, playground equipment can severely burn a child. 
• Don’t be a distracted driver. With summer comes an increased amount of traveling. Make sure you’re paying attention to the road when you’re driving to keep those around you safe.
• If your children have access to a trampoline, make sure only one child is jumping on the trampoline at a time to decrease the risk of injuries. Do not allow children younger than six to play on full-sized trampolines.
• If you’re starting into a sport or physical activity, make sure to start slow. A large majority of injuries from sports are preventable. Overtraining injuries are caused by not easing into physical activity properly. Make sure you’re stretching before and after physical exercise and listening to your body if you’re experiencing any pain.

If you find you or one of your loved ones has experienced an injury this summer, don’t hesitate to reach out to Dr. Nelson for expert orthopaedic care. Summer should be an enjoyable and active time in your life, don’t let injuries slow you down. Dr. Nelson has over 22 years of experience in getting his patients back on the road to recovery and is currently accepting new patients. To schedule your appointment with him, give us a call at 435-774-8511.