Photo credit: futureatlas.com on Flickr

Happy Canada Day! My readers outside the country may not know that this year, 2015, is the Canadian flag’s 50th birthday.

Canada itself is 148 years old on July 1 – and people across the country will gather at outdoor parties to mark the occasion.

Of course, as you might expect, I have some safety tips to share. Please take a few moments to read them all in this message from Public Safety Canada’s Hot Topic: Summer safety.

And for now, here’s a few (of many) reminders to help keep summer safe. Let’s call it a safety appetizer… which leads to the first tip.

Keep food fresh: Chilling food properly is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of food-borne illness. Leftovers should be chilled promptly, but remember to throw them away if they have been out at room temperature for more than two (2) hours.

Stay cool in the heat: Keep cool and hydrated and minimize your time in the sun between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Drink plenty of water, find shade, visit cool buildings, slow down, bathe in cool water, and wear light-coloured clothing. Never leave children or pets inside a parked vehicle.

Wear the right helmet: Everyone is encouraged to wear a helmet when cycling, inline skating, and skateboarding.

The rest of the warnings involve camping, thunderstorms, bug bites, emergency kits, water safety, road safety, and more.

We are also reminded to be careful how we update social media. Our photos (especially when geo-tagged) can act as an announcement to would-be robbers: “Hey world! We are not home right now!”

Working in the heat?

Check out Preventing Heat Stress at Work by WorkSafeBC. It reminds us that early symptoms of heat stroke – like excessive fatigue, lethargy, irritability, lack of coordination, and altered judgment – can result in serious accidents. If left untreated, they can lead to serious illness and even death.

But let’s get back to the cheerful side of things. We’ll be prepared for what can go wrong and then hope everything goes right – and everyone has a happy Canada Day!