Summer Safety Advice: Top tips from experts around the country
Woohoo – the summer break is finally upon us! Much like you, we’re looking forward to a well-deserved rest after a big year. Of course, as risk management experts, the team at Plus4 naturally takes a highly safety-conscious approach to our holiday activities.
With that in mind, we’ve scoured the web for some great tips that will help you and your loved ones stay safe and well over the break. Check them out – and have a wonderful, safe and relaxing summer.
Playing it safe on the sand
Figures published by ACC in 2022 showed an average of 1,400 claims for sand-related injuries during the six-week period between the 20th of December and 31st of January.
While the majority of these claims arise from soft-tissue injuries caused by activities like walking, running or playing sport on the beach, an average of 4.5% relate to sand getting into people’s eyes and 9% were caused by cuts and stings.
To ensure your time on the beach is all fun in the sun, here are some sound tips to take into account:
Don’t go hard just because you’re on soft sand! While soft, sandy surfaces may seem like a much safer environment in which to take a fall, they can actually be nasty. That’s because moving on soft surfaces, like sand, can put more strain on muscles and joints – especially if the body isn’t used to them.
Invest in a pair of reef shoes: Widely available for under $20, reef shoes (sometimes called aqua socks) have a tough rubber sole that will protect your feet from cuts caused by sharp rocks and shells. They’ll also give you better grip on slippery surfaces, reducing your risk of a fall.
When you slip, slop, slap – don’t forget to wrap: A pair of sunnies will keep the glare from your eyes, while also ensuring you don’t bear the brunt of flying sand when little ones (or overexcited pups) indulge in some enthusiastic hole digging.
Check out the full ACC article here.
Safer feasting
There’s nothing like a poorly timed bout of food poisoning to wreck a holiday – and cause some awkward conversations if it was your turkey that made the in-laws unwell!
Fortunately, Consumer NZ has an excellent article that gives some great tips that will help keep everyone safe and well while they indulge in all of the deliciousness that comes with Christmas.
Their tips include:
Timing your turkey purchase: Grab your bird as close to Christmas as possible and store it on the bottom shelf of your fridge at a temperature of between 2 and 4 degrees C. If you have a second fridge in your garage that is not opened multiple times during the day, that’s even better.
Making sure your turkey is toasty before pronouncing it cooked: When fully cooked, the turkey should be 75℃ or above. (Hot tip: If your Mum, Dad or Aunt Doris is a shocker for undercooking the turkey on Christmas Day, a meat thermometer could be the perfect Christmas pressie!)
Not hanging onto the Christmas ham for too long: According to the article, cooked ham (if stored correctly) should be eaten or frozen within two weeks. To store correctly, keep your ham in the fridge and covered with a damp tea towel that is refreshed daily.
You can read the full Consumer NZ article here.
Travelling safely
Getting to and from our favourite holiday spots is many people’s least favourite part of the Christmas holidays – especially if travelling with kids! But don’t be tempted to ‘push on’ to get the job done if it means adding risks like speeding, overtaking or skipping breaks.
Instead, take a moment before you start the trip to set the intention of a leisurely pace, including a few stops.
The AA has also published some excellent advice for staying safe when travelling long distances. For example, they recommend the following:
Keep the fresh air flowing: The AA recommends be wary of using your vehicles ‘air reticulation’ system for too long. Doing so can lead to a build-up of CO2 in the vehicle that could make drivers drowsy. Instead, use the air conditioning or go old school and wind the windows down.
Snack wisely! When it’s the silly season, taking sensible food on a road trip might seem a bit lame… but it’s really important for ensuring safer driving. Caffeine jitters and sugar crashes will affect your concentration - so, make the effort to swap your Red Bull and bag of chips for water, nuts and fruit instead.
Want to see all of their tips? You can read the full article here.
Wherever you and your family are this Christmas, we wish you a wonderful (and safe!) break.