Assemble a summer survival guide checklist

Compile a list of essential web sites

By Gabrielle Bauer

Safety may be the furthest thing from your child’s mind as she hops on her two-wheeler and pedals away, her back warmed by the sun and her hair whipping in the wind. But safety can’t be ignored in the balmy summer months any more than during the cooler seasons. In fact, the summer sees more hospital emergency-room visits and drunk-driving accidents than any other time of year.

Safety guide at hand

While summer does pose unique safety challenges, you can minimize the risks to your family with a few basic safety rules and a little planning. Your computer and the web make the job easier than ever.

Click on our summer survival guide template for a handy reference or to keep on your fridge.

Weather and sun safety

Whether you want to know if the day is hot, humid, cool or cloudy, you’ll find all the weather information you need at The Weather Network. Wendy Graham, a mother of two in Vancouver, uses the site to find out about the day’s UV index and pollen count. “Everyone in the family has hay fever or tree allergies, so I follow the pollen count as closely as some people follow the stock market,” she says with a chuckle. “We tailor our days accordingly.”

On sunny days, slip, slap and slop: slip on a top that covers your shoulders, slap on a hat and slop on the sunscreen — preferably a broad-coverage type with an SPF of at least 15. For further details about sun safety, check out the Canada Safety Council site.

Road conditions

Not only does the Weather Network’s site tell you what kind of day it’s going to be, but it also posts information about construction on Canadian roads. Go to your local branch of the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) for even more detailed road information, including provincial and territorial reports on highway traffic, closures and construction. In regions covered by traffic cameras, you can click on a button and view the conditions for yourself.

Travelling away from home

Planning a trip abroad? Consult the Country Travel Reports before your departure to learn about the appropriate health, safety and security precautions to take in the country you’ll be visiting. You may also want to peruse the more detailed travel health advisories on the Travel Medicine Program web page.

West Nile virus

Closer to home, Health Canada’s West Nile Virus Surveillance Information page keeps you updated about the mosquito-borne West Nile virus (WNV). Another resource site for WNV is the comprehensive question-and-answer section provided on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention site.

“Personal protection is the best defence against the West Nile virus,” says Dr. Bernard Marlow, a Toronto family doctor. “Wear loose-fitting, light-coloured clothing; long sleeves and high collars are preferred,” he advises. When applying insect repellents, “make sure you read the label and follow frequency of application.”

Boating basics

If your summer plans include boating, be sure to follow the p’s and q’s of boating safety, spelled out in the Office of Boating Safety web site. Whether you’ll be paddling on remote streams or dragging a pair of water skiers behind you, the site tells you what safety equipment you need to have on your boat.

Water safety

No equipment replaces parental supervision, of course. A high proportion of children who drown are alone, says Ethel Archard, manager of marketing and communications at the Canada Safety Council. “Don’t assume that your children are water-safe just because they’ve taken swimming lessons.” Read up on beach and pool safety tips by following the links to the water safety articles on the Canadian Red Cross site.

To find out about the outdoor pools and public beaches in your area, call your municipality or consult its web site. Information about beach closings and water pollution indexes does not necessarily appear online, so click on the recreation or leisure link on the site or to obtain the appropriate phone number or e-mail address.

Wheel-wise strategies

You probably know about the importance of wearing helmets while cycling, inline skating or skateboarding, but you may not be aware that a single helmet doesn’t cover all the activities.

Skateboarding: “Skateboarders tend to fall backwards,” says Laveena Sethia, injury prevention information specialist at Safe Kids Canada, a nonprofit organization devoted to keeping kids from harm’s way. For this reason, “they need a helmet that covers the back of the head.”

Cycling: About 90 per cent of cycling fatalities occur when a cyclist collides with a moving vehicle — one of the reasons why Sethia cautions against letting children under 10 ride their bikes on the street. Before entrusting her 13-year-old son with that privilege, Wendy Graham drove behind him a few times to check on his cycling capabilites.

“I only let him go out on his own after he showed me he was following all the safety rules,” she says. For more wheel-wise strategies, check out the Wheels in a Child’s Life page on the Canada Safety Council site. Print out a safety-themed colouring page or click on the Elmer the Safety Elephant icon for safety snippets that appeal to younger children.