5 summertime safety tips
For a safe and enjoyable summer, here are a few tips to keep in mind while you are planning your summer activities.
Today's guest blogger is Blair Thornley, PharmD, CSPI, a pharmacist at The Poison Control Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
School is out and kids are excited for summer vacations, summer camps, and extra time to play with friends outside or at the pool. For some children, this is a carefree period of freedom after nine long months of school. Here at the Poison Control Center, each change of season brings with it a fresh batch of potential exposures, and the summer is no different. To ensure your kids have a safe and enjoyable summer, here are a few tips to keep in mind while you are planning your summer activities.
Pool Chemicals: The chemicals needed to maintain the pool can be dangerous if eaten or inhaled, especially those containing chlorine or bromine. Use caution when opening containers of chlorine tablets. Merely opening the lid can disturb the chlorine dust and create a cloud of chlorine powder that can easily be inhaled by anyone nearby. Inhalation of the chlorine powder can cause coughing and breathing difficulties. As always, be sure to store all chemicals in a safe and secure place, away from young children.
Lamp Oils and Tiki Torch Fuel: Lamps and Tiki torches can be a great addition to any outside barbeque. Unfortunately, to children, some of these fuels may resemble apple juice. These products contain hydrocarbons, which are slippery compounds. If ingested, the fluids can easily slide down into the lungs, causing pneumonia-like symptoms. If you keep the oils in your home, be sure to store them in a locked cabinet, or up and away on a high shelf where children are less likely to find them. Never keep lamp oils where food is being served. Read more about the fuels here.
Poison Ivy: "Leaves of three – let it be" is a helpful phrase to identify poison ivy or poison oak. The rashes associated with poison ivy and poison oak are due to an allergic reaction to urushiol oil, and some people are more sensitive to the oil than others. If you are out hiking in the woods, wearing long pants can help protect your legs from the irritating oils if you were to inadvertently walk through a patch of ivy. If you think you or your kids skin may have come in contact with the oil, be sure to wash ASAP with cold, soapy water.
Mosquitos, Bees, Snakes, Jellyfish: Whether you're vacationing at the beach, in the mountains or at a lake, you are at risk of encountering one of these stinging or biting critters. The number of calls we get about bites and stings always increase during the summer. Be aware of your environment and be on the look-out!
Hopefully with these tips in mind, we can all enjoy a safer, healthier summer! Feel free to visit our website for more information on how to keep your kids safe and have a poison-free summer. If an exposure occurs, do not hesitate to call the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222, a pharmacist or nurse is standing by with helpful advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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