How to Host a Safe Summertime Celebration
WHAT’S AT STAKE
It’s summer! Time for the backyard barbecue, fireworks and fun in the sun. If you’re planning to host a day of summertime activities with family and friends, remember to work a little safety into the event, too.
WHAT’S THE DANGER
The risks associated with the traditional backyard barbecue and other summertime celebrations include E. coli, burns and heat illness.
How to Protect Yourself
Let’s take a look at some common hazards of summertime activities and how to address them.
Mind the Heat
May the sun shine on your festivities. And if it does get hot, be prepared.
- Have extra sunscreen on hand to share with your guests.
- Have lots of water available to help prevent dehydration.
- Watch guests for signs of heat illness, including cramps, exhaustion, nausea, dizziness, pale and clammy skin, quick pulse and low blood pressure.
Mild cases of heat illness can be treated by moving the person to a cool area and supplying water to drink. However, heat stroke—when perspiration stops and the body temperature rises—is a life-threatening condition and requires immediate medical help.
Be Water Wise
Children, summer and water are a happy trio, but this trio can also be a deadly combination. If there’s a body of water (swimming or wading pool, lake, ocean or river) nearby that children will be playing in, then you must:
- Establish and enforce water safety rules.
- Make sure a responsible adult is present when children are in or near the water.
- Have reaching and throwing water safety aids handy.
- Have a first aid kit handy.
Keep Foodborne Illnesses off The Menu
Food safety is serious business. To prevent foodborne illness:
- Keep food, utensils and surfaces clean and protected from contact with disease-carrying insects, such as flies.
- Serve hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Keep meat hot on the barbecue until it’s served, and cold items such as salads refrigerated. Use freezer packs to transport perishable foods in coolers.
- Use a food thermometer to ensure that meat is cooked thoroughly.
- Chicken must reach more than 165°F (74°C).
- Burgers and pork must be heated to at least 160°F (71°C).
- Steaks, roasts and chops should reach a minimum of 145°F (63°C).
- If you partially pre-cook meat in your microwave, barbecue it right away. Don’t let it sit around.
Handle Fireworks Safely
Fireworks are safer than they used to be, but every year serious injuries do still occur. If fireworks are part of your celebration plans, follow these guidelines:
- Read and follow directions carefully.
- Only ignite fireworks outdoors in a well-cleared area.
- Have a responsible adult supervising all fireworks activity.
- Light fireworks one item at a time.
- Have a bucket of water available to douse used fireworks.
Designate Safe Drivers
Here are some ideas to help everyone get home safely:
- Arrange designated drivers before the party starts.
- Serve other beverages besides alcohol.
- Serve high protein food such as cheese snacks.
- Plan party activities that do not revolve around drinking.
- Close the bar an hour before the party ends and serve non-alcoholic beverages and snacks.
- Prevent intoxicated guests from driving.
FINAL WORD
As a good host, you put a lot of thought and planning into creating a festi
ve setting. It’s just a few more steps to create a safe environment, too.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
- Name at least 5 signs of heat illness.
______________________________________________________________ - To ensure that chicken is cooked thoroughly, it must reach a minimum internal temperature of
______________________________________________________________ - When children will be playing in water, what must be first established and enforced?
______________________________________________________________ - If you’ve partially pre-cooked meat in the microwave, you can wait for an hour before barbecuing it without risking foodborne illnesses
True False - To help everyone get home safely, what should be designated before the party even starts?
______________________________________________________________
What Would You Do?
You’ve put a lot of work into planning the annual family barbecue, and the guests are starting to arrive, including Auntie Sue, who you note has driven her car to the party. This wasn’t part of the plan. Auntie Sue has a history of drinking excessively at parties, so you took great care to arrange a ride for her and asked that she leave her car at home. While greeting her at the door, you ask about the change in plan. She brushes aside your concerns and says, “Oh, don’t worry about me. I won’t drink that much.” What should you do?
__________________________________________________________________
Answers to Quiz:
1 Cramps, exhaustion, nausea, dizziness, pale and clammy skin, quick pulse and low blood pressure, 2 Chicken must reach a minimum temperature of 165°F (74°C), 3 Water safety rules, 4 False. Partially pre-cooked meat should be barbecued right away, 5 Drivers.
Before The Talk – 7 Preparation Tips
- Injuries received off the job can cause as much disruption to your workplace as those occurring at the plant. This safety talk on summer celebrations tells your workers you want them back in good shape on Monday morning.
- Are you aware of any recent off-the-job injuries that have caused lost time from work? You might want to talk about the related hazards.
- What kind of sports and recreational activities do your workers enjoy? Find out and ask them to share some safety tips for these activities.
- Go around the room and ask each person to give the group one food safety tip.
- Summer can find workers more tired than usual. Recreational pursuits, summer travel, entertaining and hot weather can result in less sleep than usual. And fatigue takes its toll in injuries and accidents. Consider discussing a few fatigue-fighting strategies at your meeting.
- The Safety Talks mentions establishing water safety rules. Discuss what these should be. Ask for suggestions.
- The laws governing the use of fireworks vary widely from region to region. What are the laws in your area? Check with your local authority for a directory of laws pertaining to fireworks and review your findings at your meeting.
