It’s Memorial Day weekend! Obviously, the main purpose of this holiday is to celebrate and honor the sacrifices of the brave people who died during active military service. As a holiday weekend, it is also considered the unofficial start to warm weather and summer fun. That means barbecues, pool parties and family cookouts.

In today’s post, we’ll share are a few tips to help keep your Memorial Day festivities as safe as possible.

Memorial Day Safety Tips 

Here are a few basic safety tips to keep everyone happy and healthy this Memorial Day!

General Barbecue Safety

One of the most popular parties for Memorial Day includes a big family barbecue. These events are a recipe for great enjoyment, but when preparing food, it’s always important to take extra precautions. If this tradition is in the cards for your holiday weekend, be sure to follow these basic guidelines:

Wash Your Hands and Your Food! 

Above all else, make sure to keep the food as clean as possible. That means washing your hands thoroughly before touching any food. Clean up with soap and water after handling raw meat, poultry or eggs as well.

For fruits and veggies, don’t forget to rinse them off before preparing any dish. Pesticides and other contaminates could still be lurking on the surface of these items.

For meat, be sure to cook thoroughly. For example, burgers should be cooked to at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit. This will help to ensure that any remaining bacteria is “cooked out” of the meat.

Finally, use separate plates for raw and cooked meats. Even if you burn your burgers, resting them on a plate that held raw meat can still contaminate them!

Watch That Heat!

Next up, let’s talk about heat! Above all, keep children far away from any heat sources. At Life Saver Pool Fence, our top concern is keeping kids as safe from harm as possible. That definitely extends to barbecues, too! When you’re cooking, make sure someone is watching the kids and that the children don’t have access to a hot grill or stove.

Before beginning to use your gas grill, be sure to inspect for potential leaks. These could lead to a fire or explosion. For a charcoal grill, be careful with that lighter fluid! Never apply lighter fluid to briquettes that are already burning. Additionally, always keep a fire extinguisher handy. Accidents happen suddenly and you never know when you might need it.

Pool Safety

Pools are a lot of fun, but they can also be quite dangerous. If your yard has a pool, here are some of our detailed safety blogs to read:

  • Active Supervision is one of the best ways to protect children in the pool.
  • Swimming and alcohol don’t mix. If people are going to be drinking at your party, be extra carful when you’re near the water. Be sure that any of your guests imbibing alcohol have a safe ride home. Additionally, keep them far away from the water.
  • Don’t underestimate the value of CPR. When used properly, CPR can mean the difference between life and death.
  • Pool fences are a wonderful way to help keep kids and pets away from the pool area. As a layer of protection, installing a mesh pool fence is a great way to stay safe this Memorial Day… and all summer long!