WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- With summer now in full swing, the days are getting hotter, and water activities are increasing.
“Summer months bring a greater number of people participating in water events which brings up a greater risk of injury or worse,” said Senior Master Sgt. James Lide, 445th Airlift Wing Safety Office Occupational Safety manager. “Then, there’s the heat, people lacking hydration, sunburns. So, it’s important to take that into consideration during these summertime months.”
The Air Force Safety Center offers several tips on both heat and water safety.
To help mitigate heat stroke or exhaustion, the Security Center states people can avoid either by wearing lightweight and loose-fitting clothes that are light in color, wearing sunscreen, drinking plenty fluids like water and drinks with electrolytes, pacing oneself when outdoors, and not leaving anyone inside a car with no air conditioning.
It is also important to know the signs and symptoms of both like confusion, loss of consciousness, and seizures for heat stroke; and headache, nausea, and dizziness for heat exhaustion, to name a few.
Once discovered, heat stroke can be treated by calling 911, moving the person to shade, and staying with them until emergency services arrive. Additionally, heat exhaustion can be treated by removing the person from the hot area, giving them liquids and cooling them down.
During the summer months, swimming, water sports and boating tend to be big activities to beat the heat.
Swimming can be especially perilous for children, especially for those up to age 4 where drowning is the No. 1 cause of death, according to the American Red Cross.
The Safety Center website recommends not leaving children alone near water, keeping tabs on them at all times, and taking children with adults when leaving the water.
For both water sports and boating, life jackets are key to safety, as the U.S. Coast Guard reported 75% of boating deaths in 2023 were due to drowning with 87% of those due to no life jacket.
More information can be found at https://www.safety.af.mil/Divisions/Occupational-Safety-Division/Summer-Safety/.