Summer’s dangers are often overlooked as people try to relax. The Ohio Department of Health offers some quick tips to help keep you and your loved ones safe this season, whether at home or on the beach.

Sun protection

Skin cancer is the most-commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States; it accounts for about half of all cancers in the United States., About 53,600 new cases of skin cancer were diagnosed in 2007, according to the American Cancer Society. Here are some helpful tips to protect yourself from the sun:

• Wear protective clothing such as long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat that shades your face, neck and ears.
• Seek shade whenever possible.
• Wear sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher as well as UVA and UVB protection.
• Re-apply sunscreen regularly, especially after swimming, perspiring heavily or drying skin with a towel.
• Wear sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays.
• Avoid direct sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the sun’s rays are strongest.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion are:

• Heavy sweating.                      
• Paleness.
• Muscle cramps.
• Tiredness.
• Weakness.
• Dizziness.
• Headache.
• Nausea or fainting.

Those at highest risk for heat stroke or heat exhaustion are:

• Infants and children up to 4 years of age.
• People 65 years of age and older.
• People who are overweight.
• People who overexert during work or exercise.
• People who are ill or on certain medications.

Heat-related stress prevention:

• Drink plenty of fluids and avoid alcohol and caffeine; they can add to dehydration and increase the effects of heat illness.
• Avoid outdoor activities during the hottest parts of the day.

West Nile virus

West Nile virus is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito. It is widespread in Africa, southern Europe and western Asia. It first appeared in the United States in 1999 in the greater New York City area. In 2007, there were human cases in 45 states. It has caused illness and death in humans, wildlife and domestic animals, especially birds and horses. In humans, it causes an influenza-like illness that may lead to aseptic meningitis, encephalitis and death, especially in people age 50 or older.  

West Nile virus protection:

• Avoid outdoor activities between dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most likely to be active.
• Cover up by wearing socks, shoes, long pants and long-sleeved shirts; wear light colors as these are least likely to attract mosquitoes.
• Use mosquito repellent containing DEET, 30 percent for adults and 10 percent for children.

West Nile virus prevention:

• Remove any discarded tires.
• Dispose of tin cans, empty pots and other similar containers.
• Make sure roof gutters drain properly.
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, outdoor saunas and hot tubs.
• Drain water from pool covers.
• Change water in bird baths weekly.
• Turn over plastic pools and wheelbarrows when not in use.
• Encourage neighbors to take these steps on their property as well.

Food Safety

Tips to help prevent the spread of E. coli O157 include:

The E. coli O157:H7 bacterium is blamed for roughly 73,000 infections and 61 deaths in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease control and Prevention (CDC). Most illnesses from E. coli O157:H7 are associated with eating undercooked, contaminated ground beef, making it important to cook hamburgers to an internal temperature of at least 160 °F. Use a meat thermometer to be sure, as contaminated meat looks and smells normal and can turn brown before disease-causing bacteria are killed.

• Wash hands thoroughly* before eating, preparing food, after using the bathroom, changing diapers or after contact with animals.
• Cook all ground beef thoroughly, until juices run clear. Use a meat thermometer to ensure it is cooked to 160 °F.
• Wash meat thermometers between uses.
• Wash counters and utensils with hot, soapy water after coming in contact with raw meat.
• When cooking outdoors, use separate plates for raw meat and cooked meat.
• Keep raw meats and their juices away from other foods.
• When ordering hamburger at a restaurant, cut the patty at its thickest part to make certain the center is not still pink. If it is pink, return it for further cooking and ask for a new bun and plate.
• Wash all fruits and vegetables well, especially those that will be served raw.
• Drink only pasteurized milk, juice or cider.
• Drink water only from regulated supplies.
• Avoid swallowing lake or pool water while swimming.
• Keep hot foods hot and keep cold foods cold.
• People and children suffering from diarrhea should avoid swimming in public pools or lakes, sharing baths and preparing food.

* Thorough hand washing is defined as using warm water and washing with soap for at least 30 seconds. In public restrooms, use your arm or a paper towel to turn off the faucet and, if available, use the automatic door opener to exit the bathroom.

Grilling Safety

It’s safe to picnic and grill in the summer, but it’s especially important to be vigilant about food preparation.

• Keep meat and poultry refrigerated until ready to use. Take out only the meat and poultry that will immediately be placed on the grill.
• When using a cooler, keep it out of the direct sun and place it in the shade or shelter. Avoid opening the lid too often, which lets cold air out and warm air in. Pack beverages in one cooler and perishables in a separate cooler.
• Cook food to a safe internal temperature to destroy harmful bacteria. Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often browns very fast on the outside. Use a food thermometer to be sure the food has reached a safe internal temperature. Whole poultry should reach 180 °F; breasts, 170 °F. Hamburgers made of ground beef should reach 160 °F; ground poultry, 165 °F. Beef, veal and lamb steaks, roasts and chops can be cooked to 145 °F. All cuts of pork should reach 160 °F.
• NEVER partially grill meat or poultry and finish cooking later.
• After cooking meat and poultry on the grill, keep it hot until served - at 140 °F or warmer.
• Keep cooked meats hot by setting them to the side of the grill rack, not directly over the coals where they could overcook. At home, the cooked meat can be kept hot in a warm oven (approximately 200 °F), in a chafing dish or slow cooker or on a warming tray.
• When taking food off the grill, use a clean platter. Don't put cooked food on the same platter that held raw meat or poultry. Any harmful bacteria present in the raw meat juices could contaminate safely cooked food.
• In hot weather (above 90 °F), food should never sit out for more than one hour.
• Refrigerate any leftovers promptly in shallow containers. Discard any food left out more than two hours (one hour if temperatures are above 90 °F).

Fireworks Safety

Summer is also a time for celebrations. The Fourth of July is fast approaching. It is important to remember that fireworks can be extremely dangerous, cause permanent injury and sometimes death, and in Ohio, it is also illegal to light most fireworks. Each year, fireworks injure thousands of children. The eyes, face and/or hands are the body parts most often injured.

• Fireworks are not toys.
• Always leave fireworks to trained professionals. That means sparklers too; they can get as hot as 1,800 °F.
• Attend only public fireworks displays put on by trained professionals and stay back at least 500 feet from the   launch area.

Bathing Beach Safety

Beach water can become polluted from many sources including, but not limited to, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, and combined sewer overflows; urban, rural, and agricultural runoff; malfunctioning septic tanks and aeration systems; industrial wastes, boating wastes, human and animal wastes.

During the summer months, selected public beaches along Lake Erie are sampled for E. coli bacteria. The presence of this bacteria in beach water is a good indicator of pollution that could be potentially harmful to swimmers. When the amount of bacteria in the water exceeds state standards, beaches are posted with signs that advise against swimming.

Learn if the beaches in your area are safe for swimming.