Summer is Here

Outdoor Warm Weather Safety Tips:

•  Extreme Heat - The combined effects of high temperature and high humidity, often expressed as the Heat Index, can have negatively impact your safety.  Measure the potential health effects at various temperature and humidity settings with the Heat Index Calculator.  For  more information regarding heat stress in the elderly, visit CDC.gov and EPA.gov  for more.  For a list of designated cooling centers in Cuyahoga County or to search facilities by ZIP code visit the United Way’s 211/First Call For Help.

•  Beware of Bugs - People aren’t the only ones who like warm weather outside.  Mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and other insects thrive in warmer weather, and they can transmit disease.  Repellants (DEET) can protect you against mosquitoes and ticks.    Read the labels to find out which one will work best for the activities you have in mind.  Board of Health Repellant Poster and FDA Guidance on Avoiding Bites and Stings

•  Protect Your Skin from the Sun - Keep your skin covered with clothing as possible. Wearing long-sleeved shirt and pants can protect against sun burn.  Physicians recommend a sun block with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or greater.

•  Put a Helmet On -  There are different helmets for biking, skating, and sports.  Wearing a helmet can reduce your risk of a head injury.  For example, did you know that wearing a bicycle helmet while biking can reduce the risk of a head injury by 85%.  Helmet Poster in English and Spanish

•  Grilling Out  -  its a great way to eat healthy, but make sure you use a thermometer to ensure that foods are cooked to the proper temperatures, at least 160°F for burgers and 165°F for chicken. If you are going on a picnic make sure foods are put away in a cooler after meal time or discarded.  Food left out can harbor foodborne pathogens that cause illness.  Outdoor Food Safety Fact Sheet

Tips for Spring Cleaning Indoors:
•  Use Disinfectants -  Disinfectants reduce the disease causing pathogens on surfaces.  Reducing pathogens give you an extra layer of protection from infectious diseases.
•  Read the Labels - Your household cleaners have specific directions.  Be sure to read the labels to ensure that products are being used properly and safely. 
•  Wash Your Hands often while you are cleaning with soap and warm water for at least 20 second.  Handwashing is the most important thing you can do to prevent illness. 

 For more spring time health and safety tips visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention