Summer Safety
Summer will be here soon and I would like to share some safety reminders with you.
BICYCLE SAFETY
• Ensure proper bike size. When standing over your bike there should be a 1-2” clearance between you and the bar. Your leg should have a slight bend when fully extended.
• Always wear a bike helmet. Be sure that it fits snugly and remains level on your head. It should be labeled as “Snell Certified” or “CPSC Certified” (Consumer Product Safety Commission Certified)
• Be visible. Especially at dawn and dusk wear neon colors and reflective clothing. Front and back reflectors should be present on your bike; a flashing rear light helps too.
• Follow road rules. Use hand signals to indicate turns; obey traffic lights and signs, especially stop signs. Always ride with traffic as far to the right as possible or in an actual bike lane.
• Share the road. Stay out of drivers’ blind spots. Be considerate of others who have the right of way (motorists and pedestrians).
• Wear the right gear. Wear closed-toe footwear, and never wear loose clothing.
SHOPPING FOR SUN GLASSES
• The label. UV protection is more important than style. 100% protection against both UVA and UVB or UV400 (which blocks all harmful UV rays) should be the ratings.
• The size. Larger lenses give better protection. Wraparound lenses are best because they prevent UV rays from entering at the side.
• The shade. Dark lenses are not automatically better. The coatings applied to the lenses give the UV protection, though nowadays UV protection is sometimes imbedded in the lenses.
• The cost. There is no relationship between protection offered and price of sun glasses. The label (see above) is the important factor.
MOSQUITO PROTECTION
• Protect skin with: products containing DEET (20%), picaridin, IR3535, oils of lemon eucalyptus, or para-menthanediol.
• Treat clothing with: a spray containing permethrin (repels mosquitos and ticks).
TICK PROTECTION
• When hiking, stick to paths and avoid underbrush, grass, and foliage.
• Spray skin with DEET or picaridin repellents and clothing with permethrin.
• Wear light-colored protective clothing (to make it easier to see ticks), long-sleeved shirts, and pant legs tucked into socks or boots. • Before taking a shower or bath, use a hand mirror to examine your whole body for ticks.
• Examine pets for ticks as they can be carriers of ticks, but can also get Lyme disease.
SUN TANNING IS STILL A BAD IDEA
• Apply water resistant, broad-spectrum coverage sun screen SPF 30 or higher to exposed skin 15 minutes before going outside. Reapply every 2 hours or after swimming or sweating.
• Wear protective clothing made with lightweight fabric that has an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of at least 25, AND a broad brimmed hat.
• Avoid peak sun hours (10 AM - 2 PM) when the sun’s rays are the strongest and most direct.
• Consider the option of sunless tanning by using self-tanning creams and sprays containing dihydroxyacetone (DHA), which is FDA approved for use in cosmetics.