Recreation and Water Safety

Recreation and Water Safety Recreational activities are fun, but they can be accompanied by the unexpected. Common sense and caution can minimize the risk of accidental injuries during recreational activities.

In this lesson, you will learn to: Lesson Objectives Develop strategies for preventing accidental injuries that occur during recreational activities Examine the consequences of risk-taking during recreational activities

Recreational Safety Staying Healthy and Safe During Outdoor Activities • Know your limits. Stick with tasks that match your level of ability. • Bring supplies. Plan simple meals. Take plenty of safe drinking water with you and any supplies to store foods safely. • Wear protective clothing. The proper clothing can protect against the weather and poisonous plants and insects. • Tell people your plans. Let them know where you’re going and when you plan to return. • Plan ahead for the weather. To avoid heat exhaustion, stay in the shade in hot weather and drink plenty of water.

Recreational Safety Safety While Camping and Hiking • Stay in specified campsites, and hike only in approved areas. • Be knowledgeable about poisonous plants, insects, and snakes. • Store food where animals cannot get to it, such as in a vehicle or suspended from a high tree branch. • Be careful around campfires, and observe fire safety rules. • Never drink water from lakes, rivers, or streams; it may contain disease-causing pathogens.

Recreational Safety Winter Sport Safety • When skiing, snowboarding, or participating in other winter sports, dress in layers. • Air trapped between layers of clothing helps insulate you from the cold and prevents hypothermia. • Make sure the outermost layer is waterproof, and wear a hat. • Always wear the appropriate safety equipment, and make sure it’s in good working order and is sized correctly for you.

Recreational Safety Water Safety Drowning is the second leading cause of injury-related death. The four major causes of drowning are: • Failure to wear a life jacket • Alcohol use • Lack of swimming skill • Hypothermia

Recreational Safety Swimming • Learn how to swim. Know your abilities, and always swim with a buddy. • Swim only in designated areas where a lifeguard is present. • If you get a muscle cramp, relax, float, and press and squeeze the muscle until it relaxes.

Recreational Safety Diving • Learn the proper diving technique, and always check water depth before diving. • The American Red Cross recommends a minimum depth of nine feet. • Never dive in unfamiliar areas or into dark or shallow water. • Make sure the area is clear of swimmers and floating objects.

Recreational Safety Boating and Personal Watercraft • Learn how to handle a boat or personal watercraft (PWC) correctly, and know the laws governing their use. • Always wear approved personal flotation devices on boats and PWCs. • At the first indication of bad weather, return to shore. • Never ride in a boat or PWC with an operator who has been using alcohol or other drugs.

Recreational Safety Drowning Prevention

Recreational Safety Lake, River, and Ocean Safety • Swim in supervised areas only. • Enter feet first. • Watch for marine warnings. • Be aware of surroundings. • Plan ahead.

Choose the appropriate option. Quick Review Q.A condition in which body temperature becomes dangerously low is called ___________. • heat exhaustion • gonorrhea • hypothermia • syphilis

Quick Review - Answer A.3. hyperthermia A condition in which body temperature becomes dangerously low is called hypothermia. Click Next to attempt another question.

Quick Review Choose the appropriate option. Q.Drinking from lakes, rivers, and streams is risky because these water bodies may contain disease-causing pathogens. True False

Quick Review - Answer A.True. Drinking from lakes, rivers, and streams is risky because these water bodies may contain disease-causing pathogens. Click Next to attempt another question.

Q.Which of the following is NOT a strategy for preventing accidental injuries while camping or hiking? Quick Review • Staying in specified campsites, and hiking only in approved areas • Being knowledgeable about poisonous plants, insects, and snakes • Storing food where animals can eat it • Being careful around campfires, and observing fire safety rules

Quick Review - Answer A.3. storing food where animals can eat it Strategies for preventing accidental injuries while camping or hiking do NOT include storingfoodwhereanimalscaneatit. Click Next to attempt another question.

Quick Review Choose the appropriate option. Q.When boating with your family, take along adequate supplies and safety equipment. True False

Quick Review - Answer A.True. When boating with your family, take along adequate supplies and safety equipment. Click Next to attempt another question.

End of Lesson 2 Click Home to view the Main menu.

Recreational Safety Staying Healthy and Safe During Outdoor Activities • Know your limits. Stick with tasks that match your level of ability. • Bring supplies. Plan simple meals. Take plenty of safe drinking water with you and any supplies to store foods safely. • Wear protective clothing. The proper clothing can protect against the weather and poisonous plants and insects. • Tell people your plans. Let them know where you’re going and when you plan to return. • Plan ahead for the weather. To avoid heat exhaustion, stay in the shade in hot weather and drink plenty of water. Heat exhaustion is an overheating of the body that results in cold, clammy skin and symptoms of shock.

Recreational Safety Winter Sport Safety • When skiing, snowboarding, or participating in other winter sports, dress in layers. • Air trapped between layers of clothing helps insulate you from the cold and prevents hypothermia. • Make sure the outermost layer is waterproof, and wear a hat. • Always wear the appropriate safety equipment, and make sure it’s in good working order and is sized correctly for you. Hypothermia is a condition in which body temperature becomes dangerously low.

Quick Review - Answer A.Correct! A condition in which body temperature becomes dangerously low is called hypothermia. Click Next to attempt another question.

Quick Review - Answer You have answered the question incorrectly. Go back to try again, or click Next to view the correct answer.

Quick Review - Answer A.Correct! Drinking from lakes, rivers, and streams is risky because these water bodies may contain disease-causing pathogens. Click Next to attempt another question.

Quick Review - Answer A.Correct! Strategies for preventing accidental injuries while camping or hiking do NOT include: storing food where animals can eat it. Click Next to attempt another question.

Quick Review - Answer A.Correct! When boating with your family, take along adequate supplies and safety equipment. Click Next to attempt another question.

Recreation and Water Safety