Safety precautions to follow this Memorial Day weekend

NEW YORK STATE (WSYR-TV) — With Memorial Day weekend now only a day away, the New York State Department of health has outlined a few safety precautions to ensure the weekend is safe.

These tips include safe food preparation, water safety, avoiding tick and mosquito bites, and limiting sun exposure.

“As we honor and reflect on the immense sacrifices of those who died while serving in our military, we also want to make sure that New Yorkers can safely enjoy the Memorial Day holiday weekend,” Health Commissioner James McDonald said. “Many of us will host and attend gatherings with family and friends to welcome the summer. I encourage New Yorkers to follow some simple precautions to ensure a holiday free of emergencies and illness.”

Food safety starts with making sure your hands are clean, especially after handling raw meat and before serving food.

Other food preparation tips include:

• Wrap raw meat in plastic bags at the market to prevent blood and juices from dripping onto other foods.
• Refrigerate meat and other perishable food promptly and avoid keeping them at room temperature.
• Marinate food in a refrigerator and avoid tasting or re-using the marinade after adding meat.
• Avoid placing ready-to-eat food on an unwashed surface with raw meat or seafood.
• Wash cutting boards and counters immediately after using them to prepare raw meat or seafood.
• Use clean utensils when handling cooked meat.
• Avoid tasting or eating raw or undercooked meat.

Additional safety precautions for handling meat include cooking it to the proper temperature to avoid illness from germs such as E-coli and salmonella, which can be found in undercooked meats such as chicken and hamburgers.

Ideally, meat should be checked with a thermometer to check the inner temperature of these foods.

Here are the temperatures food should be cooked to to avoid illness:

• Chicken – 165 degrees Fahrenheit
• Hamburger – 160 degrees Fahrenheit
• Pork – 150 degrees Fahrenheit
• Hot dogs – 140 degrees Fahrenheit
• Leftovers – 165 degrees Fahrenheit
• Eggs – 145 degrees Fahrenheit
• Other foods – 140 degrees Fahrenheit

As people rush to the beaches and pools this weekend the New York State Department of Health also wants to remind you some safety tips that can greatly reduce the chances of harm.

Swimming safety tips include:

• Never swim alone, drowning can happen quickly and quietly.
• Always watch children and keep young children within arm’s length when in and around water, even if lifeguards are present. Life jackets and swimming aids don’t take the place of adult supervision.
• Always wear a life jacket while boating
• Avoid drugs and alcohol while swimming and boating as they slow reaction time and impair judgment.
• Take children on frequent bathroom breaks and change diapers in the bathhouse.
• Stay out of the water if you have an open wound or feel sick.
• Wear sunscreen and be aware of extreme heat or fatigue.

Another measure to protect against serious illness over the holiday weekend and during the summer season is to take precautions to avoid being bitten by ticks and mosquitos. Blacklegged (deer) ticks can transmit the bacteria that causes Lyme disease and other diseases.

As warmer weather moves in, they recommend, everyone regardless of skin tone, follow sun safety guidance.

These tips include using a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher applied to dry skin at least 15 minutes before going outdoors, and again after swimming or perspiring.

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