Red Cross offers 4th of July safety tips

[July 02, 2014]  CENTRAL ILLINOIS — This Fourth of July weekend, many people will be traveling, firing up the backyard grill or enjoying fireworks and the American Red Cross offers a series of steps to safely enjoy the holiday weekend.

HIGHWAY SAFETY

Millions of people will be on the highways over the Fourth of July weekend. The Red Cross offers these five things everyone should do to stay safe while traveling:

• Buckle seat belts and observe speed limits.
• Do not drink and drive.
• Pay full attention to the road – don’t use a cell phone to text while behind the wheel.
• Use caution in work zones.
• Clean the vehicle’s lights and windows to help the driver see, especially at night. Turn the headlights on as dusk approaches, or during inclement weather.

FIREWORKS SAFETY

The best way to enjoy fireworks is to attend a public fireworks show put on by professionals. Here are five safety steps for people setting fireworks off at home:

• Never give fireworks to small children, and always follow the instructions on the packaging.
• Keep a supply of water close by as a precaution.
• Make sure the person lighting fireworks always wears eye protection.
• Light only one firework at a time and never attempt to relight "a dud."
• Never throw or point a firework toward people, animals, vehicles, structures or flammable materials.

GRILLING SAFETY

Every year people are injured while using charcoal or gas grills. Here are several steps to safely cook up treats for the backyard barbecue:

• Always supervise a barbecue grill when in use.
• Never grill indoors – not in the house, camper, tent, or any enclosed area.
• Make sure everyone, including the pets, stays away from the grill.
• Keep the grill out in the open, away from the house, the deck, tree branches, or anything that could catch fire.
• Use the long-handled tools especially made for cooking on the grill to keep the chef safe.

FREE SWIM AND FIRST AID APPS

Another thing people can do is download the free Red Cross Swim and First Aid Apps. Swim App users can learn water safety and drowning prevention information for a variety of aquatic environments. Children can have fun learning water safety tips with the child-friendly videos and quizzes in the app. The First Aid App puts expert advice for everyday emergencies at someone’s fingertips. The apps are available for smart phones and tablets and can be downloaded from the Apple or Google Play for Android app stores. The Swim App is also available in the Amazon Kindle Store.

More water safety information is available at redcross.org.

[Text received; ERIN MILLER; AMERICAN RED CROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS REGION]