Memorial Day Safety

Memorial Day is right around the corner, the first long holiday weekend of the summer. For many it may mean taking to the highway, opening up the backyard pool, or gathering friends together for a cookout. The American Red Cross would like everyone to enjoy a safe summer holiday, and offers some tips to help you and your loved ones have a great weekend.

Traveling during the Memorial Day Holiday?

During the Memorial Day holiday weekend, as you travel to celebrate and spend time with family and friends, the American Red Cross encourages you to use the following tips while on the road to ensure a safe holiday for all.

• Buckle up, slow down, don’t drive impaired.
• Be well rested and alert; give your full attention to the road.
• Use caution in work zones.
• Observe speed limits.
• Make frequent stops.
• Be respectful of other motorists; follow the rules of the road.
• Don’t drink and drive. Designate a driver who won’t drink.
• Clean your vehicle’s lights and windows to help you see, especially at night.
• Turn your headlights on as dusk approaches, or during inclement weather.
• Don’t overdrive your headlights.
• Carry a Disaster Supplies Kit in your trunk.
• Find out what disasters may occur where you are traveling and how you would get information in the event of a disaster (local radio systems, emergency alert systems).
• Pay attention to the weather forecast for your destination.
• Don’t let your vehicle’s gas tank get too low.
• If you have car trouble, pull as far as possible off the highway.
• Let someone know your destination, your route, and when you expect to arrive. If your car gets stuck along the way, help can be sent along your predetermined route.

Water Safety is Important

Learning to swim is one of the best steps someone can take to be safe around water. Almost two million people of all ages learn to swim each year through Red Cross programs.

For pool owners, knowing what equipment to have on hand and what to do in an emergency is key to safety. Home Pool Essentials: Maintenance and Safety is an online course developed by the Red Cross and the National Swimming Pool Foundation to teach pool and hot tub owners how to create a safer environment.

Other water safety tips include:

• Closely supervise children whenever they are near any body of water. Never leave a young child unattended near water, and do not trust a child’s life to another child; teach children to always ask permission to go near water.
• Avoid distractions when supervising children around water.
• If you have a pool, secure it with appropriate barriers.
• If a child is missing, check the water first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability.
• Weak or inexperienced swimmers should wear U. S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets anytime they’re around water.
• Know how to respond to an emergency (including lifesaving CPR skills), how to tell if a swimmer is in distress or is drowning, and how and when to call for emergency help.
• If you have a pool or hot tub, keep lifesaving gear handy. Always have on hand a ring buoy, life jackets, rope, pole or other object that can be used to help a person in trouble. Be sure to have a first aid kit, cordless phone and emergency contact information by the pool.

Grill Up Those Goodies Safely

Always supervise a barbecue grill when in use. Never add charcoal starter fluid when coals have already been ignited. And keep the grill out in the open, away from the house, the deck, tree branches, or anything that could catch fire. That means you should not be grilling in your house, camper, tent or any enclosed area.

While you’re mastering the art of the perfectly-cooked steak, make sure everyone else, including the pets, stays away from the grill. Finally, keep yourself safe by using the long-handled tools especially made for cooking on the grill.