Here are some tips to have a safe Fourth of July holiday for you, your family, and friends:
Fireworks:
- Never allow young children to handle fireworks
- Older children should use them only under close adult supervision
- Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol
- Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear
- Never hold lighted fireworks in your hands
- Never light them indoors
- Only use them away from people, houses and flammable material
- Never point or throw fireworks at another person
- Only light one device at a time and maintain a safe distance after lighting
- Never ignite devices in a container
- Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks
- Soak both spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding
- Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don’t go off or in case of fire
- Never use illegal fireworks
- Beware of sparkers as they can be dangerous
Source: National Safety Council in America
Barbeque/Food Safety
With extreme hot weather you need to be extra careful with food safety. And if you are barbecuing this weekend extend, here are some barbeque safety tips:
Barbeque:
- Only use grills outside
- Place your grill away from your home
- Make sure your grill is located on a flat, level surface
- Check your grill for leaks
- Always clean your grill after use
- Never leave your barbecue grill unattended while in use
- Wear appropriate clothing
- Keep a spray bottle on hand
- Always have a fire extinguisher close by
Source: First Alert
Food safety
When planning a picnic, making packed lunches or preparing for any other occasion where you are eating away from home, be aware of the basic food safety rule - keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.You should also:
Some practical hints for keeping food safe to eat when you have a barbeque at home are:
- Keep the meat in the fridge until you are ready to start cooking it.
- Store raw meats and poultry separately from cooked items, and below other food so that raw juices do not contaminate other food.
- Cook food to at least 75 °C. Use a meat thermometer to check the final temperature. Using a thermometer is the best way to ensure that meats are properly cooked. If you don’t have one, you should cook poultry until the meat is white - there should be no pink flesh. Similarly, if there is no thermometer, cook hamburgers, mince, sausages, and other meats right through until any juices run clear.
- Never buy cracked or dirty eggs and always thoroughly cook any food made from eggs.
- Use a clean plate for all cooked meats - don’t re-use the same plate or container that held raw meats. Don’t use the same equipment used to cook raw food (such as tongs or forks) to handle cooked food.
- Take salads, pates, dips, and other perishables outside only when required, and return them to the fridge when that part of the meal is finished.
- Throw out any high-risk food left in the temperature danger zone for more than 4 hours. Don’t put it in the fridge and don’t leave it for later.
- Cover food and keep birds, insects, and animals away from it.
Source: Better Health Channel