Safety proves crucial in holiday activities

Jamie Teibel/Summer Editor Things that go boom: Fireworks line the aisles of L.A. Enterprises Fireworks and Party Supplies. Deb Shellenberger, manager, said that people cause injury from fireworks, not the other way around.

By Kyle Boggs
Summer Reporter

Traditionally, the Fourth of July is a holiday filled with fun, family, friends, food and fireworks. As students may love what makes the holiday fun, they must also be aware of potential dangers that could arise.

Many people are looking forward to a day of barbecuing in the sun and possibly drinking all day.

Nancy Maylath, Director of the Student Wellness Office, urges students to be careful and offers some safety tips.

"Students should be aware of a few food handling techniques to improve safety," she said.

The following is a compiled list of Fourth of July firework safety tips from the Indiana State Department of Health. • Don't allow young children to play with fireworks. • Closely supervise older children who are permitted to use fireworks. • Don't allow any boisterous play while fireworks are being used. • Before using any fireworks, read and follow all warning instructions. • Light fireworks outdoors in a clear area, away from flammable materials and houses. • Keep a bucket of water nearby for emergencies and for dousing fireworks that don't go off. • Don't try to relight or handle malfunctioning fireworks. Instead, soak them with water and throw them away. • Be sure other people are out of range before lighting fireworks. • Always wear eye protection when lighting or using any fireworks. • Never ignite fireworks in a container, especially one made of glass or metal. • Store fireworks in a dry, cool place, according to the instructions.

She said when barbecuing, two separate trays should be used to handle the meat. The first tray will carry the raw meat to the grill, but a second one should be used to carry the cooked meat. "Bacteria from the raw meat will stay on the tray, so it would be extremely unhealthy to put the cooked meat back on the same tray," she said.

"If you only use one tray for everything, you open yourself up to various meat related diseases."

Also, cold foods such as potato salad and coleslaw shouldn't remain outside for more than two hours. "The rule of thumb is to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold," said Maylath.

If it is warm and sunny, Maylath also encourages students to make sure to wear plenty of sunscreen, appropriate clothing and drink plenty of fluids.

Alcoholic beverages as well as those that contain caffeine are known as diuretic beverages, she said. This means that they make the body extremely dehydrated when consumed. This poses as a problem if students forget to drink plenty of water.

"Water is the best thing to drink," said Maylath.

Students that do plan on drinking on the Fourth of July should be aware of the new maximum blood alcohol content of .08, and should plan their driving accordingly.

Director of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute and member of the Governor's Council on Impaired and Dangerous Driving Jerry McCory said, "Police will be out this year enforcing in stronger numbers. Last year, alcohol-related car accidents claimed the lives of 342 people. All of these could have been avoided if that intoxicated driver didn't drive that night."

McCory says that many people often disregard the problem at hand.

"It's easy to forget that these statistics represent real people," he said. "We just want people to be smart and careful."