It’s a sure sign of summer: the temperature begins to rise and people flock to the water to stay cool. And because so many people head to the beach and hang around their pools on the weekends and during their vacations, safety managers quite rightly start reminding workers about the need to stay safe around the water.
After all, proactive companies discuss off-the-job safety with the same rigor as they do with safety in the workplace, given that so many incidents happen off the job and that the risks of drowning are highest in the summer months. So it’s natural that water safety is a popular topic for discussion for July toolbox talks about safety at home.
While the risks of drowning are clear and water safety best practices are fairly straightforward, there are several elements that are often overlooked. While these issues may not be the riskiest elements of spending time around water, they definitely contribute to the risk of an incident.
Dogs
Yes, dogs. People take their canine companions with them everywhere, including around the pool, on the dock or at the beach. And when we say that workers should take safety home to help protect their loved ones, that includes furry family members.
Make no mistake: there is a real risk to dogs in the summer. Despite the common perception that canine companions are good swimmers, estimates suggest that 5,000 dogs drown every year. In fact, the belief that all dogs can swim may be a contributing factor because, as we’ll see a little later in this article, a false sense of security can be a dangerous form of complacency that can quickly lead to a fatal incident.
It’s also worth noting that when it comes to dogs and water, tragedies can compound. Kids can follow a dog into the water to try to save them. Small children may also be knocked into a pool by an excited pet, and can otherwise be put in danger by the family dog in all sorts of ways. That makes it even more important for adults to stay alert to what’s going on around the water. It’s also a good idea to provide life jackets or flotation devices for both children and dogs in case something unexpected occurs.
Sunscreen
Two of the biggest summer hazards are heat stress and the sun. Fortunately, taking a quick dip in the water is a great way to alleviate the effects of the high temperatures. (But, as frequent beachgoers will tell you, it’s still possible to overheat near the water if you aren’t paying attention to the signs of heat-related illness.) The bad news is that the risk of a sunburn is among the highest around the water. Prolonged exposure to the sun can cause both an acute burn as well as lead to longer-term issues—skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. And the prevalence of skin cancer is on the rise, says the National Cancer Institute, so taking steps to prevent it is a key part of water safety.
The use of sunscreen is a great way to reduce exposure to cancer-causing UV rays, and it’s also a major determinant of whether or not people get a painful sunburn. Even a quick dip in the lake can wash off a substantial amount of sunscreen, drastically reducing the protection it provides. The usual recommendation is to reapply sunscreen every two hours, but if you’re swimming, then you should make use of your tube of sunblock more often than that.
It’s also worth noting that water has a high reflective value. This means that “UV rays can bounce off surfaces like water,” according to the American Cancer Society, “leading to an increase in UV exposure.” As a result, the use of sunscreen is especially important near the water, since it can protect people from the increased exposure to the sun.
However, it’s not just UV rays that are a problem. One medical study found that when it comes to sunburns at the seaside, a lack of shade was even more of a concern than higher UV exposure. Which makes it all the more important for people to stay attentive to their length of exposure to the sun and to seek shelter when necessary—while also frequently applying sunscreen—when spending time in or near water.
Complacency
Dogs and sunscreen are both water-safety issues, but they don’t have too much else in common. That said, there is one factor that contributes to the risk of incidents for both: complacency.
Because dogs rarely drown (and even more rarely cause a potential drowning for a small child) it’s easy to forget it could happen and to ignore the need to take proactive steps to mitigate the risk. Because everyone faces constant, year-round exposure to the sun, it’s easy to forget how bad a serious sunburn is. And because cancer risks can seem like abstract, future-oriented problems, it’s easy to overlook the preventative measures that can be taken today.
The same goes for all sorts of other water safety issues. When was the last time one of your workers needed to rely on a PFD? When was the last time someone experienced a boat-related incident? When was the last time someone witnessed a drowning? The risks of each of these types of incidents is very real—and so is the complacency that can contribute to people taking safety shortcuts like forgoing a life jacket or taking needless risks when piloting a powerboat.
Safety managers who talk to their employees about water safety should make sure they’re taking steps to discuss the role of complacency as well. Doing so will help keep workers safe in their off-hours this summer. And it can also contribute to better workplace safety outcomes, too, because it’s long been recognized that complacency is an underlying factor in many on-the-job incidents as well.
This summer, take the time to include water-related issues as part of your ongoing safety discussions with workers. It could go a long way to keep them and their families safe as when they head to the beach or hang around the dock. And it will continue protecting your employees when they return to the workplace, too.