Fourth of July Safety Tips for Your Whole Family

Summertime is the perfect season to enjoy a picnic outdoors and spend quality time with family and friends. And the Fourth of July offers a special chance to relax, gather and celebrate.

For many, this day is filled with outdoor activities, good food and quality fellowship. No matter how you celebrate Independence Day this year, we want it to be memorable for all the right reasons. Keep reading to learn about our food-, fireworks-, sun- and pet-safety tips and how to have a safe and happy Fourth of July.

Food Safety Tips

Keep Uncooked Food and Leftovers Cool

The risk of food poisoning increases in the summer because bacteria grow faster in warmer weather. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), foods left too long in the “danger zone” — between 40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit — can make people sick. Keep raw meat and seafood chilled in a refrigerator or an insulated cooler packed with ice until you’re ready to fire up the grill.

The CDC advises dividing leftovers into covered, shallow containers and refrigerating them within two hours of cooking or one hour if it’s hotter than 90 degrees Fahrenheit outside. Throw away any remaining perishable food that can’t be refrigerated.

Cook Meat Properly

Use a meat thermometer to ensure you have cooked the meat to a hot enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria. The CDC advises that safe minimum cooking temperatures are:

• 145 degrees Fahrenheit for fish, beef, lamb, veal and pork
• 160 degrees Fahrenheit for hamburgers and other ground beef
• 165 degrees Fahrenheit for poultry and precooked meats like hot dogs

When testing food temperature, place the thermometer in the thickest part of the food and avoid touching bone, fat or gristle, according to foodsafety.gov. Serve cooked food immediately or keep it at 140 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer until serving time.

Keep Your Hands Clean

Wash your hands before handling food, especially after touching raw meat or seafood. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.

Wash all work surfaces and utensils, and use a wet cloth or paper towel to clean the grill before cooking. Avoid using a wire cleaning brush because bristles may break free and stick to food on the grill, the CDC advises.

Separate Raw and Cooked Foods

Throw away any marinades or sauces that have been in contact with raw meat or seafood. Put cooked meat on a clean plate — not the one you used to bring raw foods to the grill. Don’t use the same utensils for raw and cooked foods.

Stay Safe in the Sun

Protect your family from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, which can cause skin cancer from damage that builds up over time. Stay in the shade as much as possible, especially during the middle of the day, by using an umbrella or sitting under a tree or other shelter.

Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher on all parts of exposed skin. Reapply at least every two hours, after sweating, swimming or toweling off.

Make sure to use other strategies, too, such as wearing a long-sleeved shirt and pants and a wide-brimmed hat that shades your face, ears and neck. Wrap-around sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays offer the best protection.

Firework Safety: Enjoy Fireworks from Afar

It’s fun to ooh and aah at fireworks, but they can cause serious burns and eye injuries when not handled properly. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in the weeks leading up to and after July Fourth, about 180 people visit the emergency room daily due to fireworks injuries.

The best way to stay safe is to let professionals handle the fireworks and attend a public display, if available in your area.

If you’re planning to buy fireworks for personal use, keep your family safe by heeding these tips from the CPSC:

• Always have an adult supervise.
• Avoid buying fireworks packaged in brown paper, since that may indicate they were intended for professional use and may pose a danger to consumers.
• Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose ready.
• Light fireworks one at a time and move back quickly.
• Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or lighting them.
• Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them from metal or glass containers.
• Never point or throw fireworks at other people.
• Never relight or pick up any fireworks that do not light properly.
• When it’s finished burning, prevent a garbage fire by dousing a used firework with lots of water from the bucket or hose before throwing it away.

Never allow young children to play with or light fireworks. A lit sparkler can cause third-degree burns if it touches the skin. That’s because sparklers burn at about 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough to melt some metals, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Encourage small children to wave flags instead of using sparklers.

We hope your little ones never get burned. But if they do, know we’re here for you 24/7 with the compassionate, world-class emergency care they deserve.

Pets and Fireworks: How to Keep Your Furry Friends Safe

Although the Fourth of July is a beloved holiday for millions of Americans, our pets may disagree. Many pets can be very frightened by the loud bangs and the flashing colors that paint the night. Because of this, it’s very common for pets to run away. That’s why it’s important to keep a close eye on your furry friends.

To keep pets safe, we recommend the following:

• Consider microchipping your pet.
• Don’t apply sunscreen or insect repellent to your pet.
• Don’t give your pet food scraps, as many Fourth of July staple foods can be highly toxic.
• Keep pets away from fire and never use lighters or lighter fluid near them.
• Keep your animals inside while you enjoy fireworks.
• Leave your pets at home if you go to a local event.
• Make sure they’re properly hydrated and keep them cool.
• Never put glow jewelry on your pets.
• Try behavioral therapy or medication if your pet has a history of anxiety surrounding Independence Day.
• Update your pet’s identification tags and take a new photo of them in case they get lost.

Keeping You Safe Through Every Season

Nothing matters more to us than your health and safety. We’re always here to help you celebrate safely, holiday to holiday and year to year.

Learn more about our whole health care services and where your nearest AdventHealth emergency room and urgent care location is, so you’re prepared if you need us.