Summer Safety Tips

Summer is in full swing. It's a beautiful time of the year in the Hamilton area, and hopefully you're enjoying all of the great activities that summer has to offer. While spending a lot of time outdoors provides many benefits to your body, it can also create many hazards that can lead to serious injuries. In order to ensure that your summer endeavors are safe as well as fun, the attorneys at Findlay Personal Injury Lawyers have compiled some important safety tips to keep in mind.

The sun is extremely strong during the summer months. This can increase your risk of a serious sunburn and make exposure to harmful UV rays even more dangerous than normal. In order to avoid these issues:

• Make sure you wear sunscreen anytime you're outside, even on a cloudy day
• Use a sunscreen that is SPF 30 or higher
• Apply sunscreen about 30 minutes prior to going outside in order to get the maximum protection possible
• Reapply every 2 hours and after swimming

Water activities are popular during the summer, especially since Hamilton is in such close proximity to Lake Ontario. When enjoying water sports, please keep the following precautions in mind:

• Make sure children are supervised by an adult anytime they go swimming in order to avoid drowning accidents
• Consider giving your children swimming lessons at an early age so that they'll have the ability to safely enjoy playing in pools and lakes
• Make sure everyone is wearing a life jacket when riding in a boat
• Never consume alcohol when driving a boat; driving a boat under the influence can result in the same catastrophic consequences as drunk driving

Heat stroke is a common issue on extremely hot days. To avoid this:

• Stay hydrated when outside on very hot days; drink plenty of water, as well as beverages such as Gatorade which replace electrolytes
• Know the warning signs of heat stroke, including cramping in the legs, feeling lightheaded, nausea and profuse heavy sweating
• If you begin to experience any of these warning signs, get out of the sun so that your body can cool down, and immerse your body in cool water if possible in order to drop your body temperature

Biking, hiking and camping are fun summer activities. When engaging in these activities, make sure you:

• Wear appropriate clothing and safety gear at all times, including a helmet while biking
• When camping, always keep food securely stored in a place where animals can't get to it
• To avoid forest fires and serious burn injuries, monitor campfires at all times and make sure they're put out completely before going to sleep

If you're taking a road trip during the summer, always maintain safe driving practices, including:

• Bringing your vehicle for all necessary servicing prior to leaving on your trip
• Adhering to all posted speed limits
• Driving defensively, not aggressively or recklessly
• Refraining from drinking while driving
• Getting a good night's sleep before leaving on your trip, and getting off the road whenever you become extremely tired so that you can avoid a potential car accident
• Reporting any signs of intoxicated drivers to police

Even when you take the proper safety precautions, injuries still occur from time to time. If you've been injured in an accident caused by the negligence of another, you may be entitled to recover compensation in a personal injury lawsuit. The attorneys at Findlay Personal Injury Lawyers have been fighting for the rights of injured victims in the Hamilton area for more than 35 years, and we can help you hold all negligent parties accountable for your damages.

Please contact Findlay Personal Injury Lawyers using the form on this page or call 905-522-9799 today to schedule your free consultation. We serve clients in Hamilton, Brantford, Burlington, Stoney Creek, Niagara Falls and the surrounding areas of Ontario.