For safty in the water, obey guidance given by life guards. Photo by Cpl Belinda Mepham, 1JPAU(P)

Tips for a safe festive season
Sick Parade with Sqn-Ldr Kathleen Pyne

Surf and pool safety
Obey the guidance given by lifeguards. They advise for safety reasons. Teach your children to also obey lifeguards and to swim within the flags.

Always know where your children are, especially toddlers. Do not assume that they are with your partner. Todders drown silently.

Warn teenagers not to go out too far in the surf and educate them on the dangers.

Sun safety
So you want a tan? Tanning in the sun is not worth the risk of developing skin cancer.

Stay out of the sun between 10am and 2pm (11am to 3pm daylight saving time), when UVA and UVB rays are the strongest.

Irreversible burning of your skin occurs after only 10-15 minutes exposure.

Slip on a shirt. Slop on sunscreen and reapply every two hours. Slap on a hat. Slide on a pair of sunglasses – they help to prevent damage to the retina and eye, which may cause cancer. Protect your lips; use lip cream with 30-plus sunscreen.

Protect your children; because sunburn during childhood and the teenage years significantly increases the risk of skin cancer.
Clouds do not block out UV rays. If you are sunburnt refer to your little red What Should I Do booklet.

Exercise
Walk on the beach and take time to relax, but also get some exercise. Exercise increases endorphin levels which make you feel good and help to reduce stress.

Use the holidays as a time to begin the exercise program you have been putting off all year.

Alcohol
Drink driving is a crime and is expensive (double fines and double demerit points). You run the risk of losing your licence (if caught twice) and/or going to prison.

It kills you, your loved ones and other innocent road users.

Don’t drive for 12 hours after your last drink. Get home safely and make sure your friends and relatives do too.

Drink lots of water to help expel the alcohol from your body and to rehydrate. Your body needs eight units of water to process one unit of alcohol.

Food storage/handling
Do not leave food out for unnecessarily long times. Bacteria will grow, especially if left out at room temperature and put back in the fridge, then taken out again.

Never thaw food at room temperature: use the microwave or thaw out in the fridge. Never refreeze thawed food.

Keep pets out of the kitchen.

Cook meat until there are no pink areas. Pink meat means that bacteria may still be present even after cooking.

When reheating food, make sure it is piping hot.

Raw food needs to be stored in covered containers.

Avoid cross contamination: raw meat, fish, vegetables and poultry contain bacteria and can cross contaminate ready to eat foods if not stored or handled correctly.

Store raw foods below ready to eat foods in your fridge to prevent meat juice spilling or dripping on other food.

Wash hands immediately after handling raw foods and before handling ready to eat or cooked foods. Use different chopping boards, plates and utensils for preparing raw and ready to eat food.

If in doubt, throw it out.
If you get gastroenteritis, do not handle food or serve it.

Travel
Wear seatbelts – it is the law and they save lives. Ensure that children are restrained correctly.

Remember to stop, revive and survive. Never drive longer than two hours at a time.

Only drive reasonable distances in a day. It is worth the extra day to arrive alive.