Summers are here, and so is the temptation to enjoy many outdoor activities with your family. While many families go on a vacation, touring and swimming in the clear blues of Maldives, many prefer summer camps above all forms of joy.
According to research from Nationwide Children’s, about 11 million children and young adults go on a summer camp every year. This means a mass of injuries is reported every eighth hour of the day.
Being a responsible camp administrator or staff member means ensuring the safety of the people, especially the children. Given that children have an unpredictable nature, the risks of them getting injured are much higher than that of adults.
Therefore, it is crucial to have all the facilities available at hand to avoid such emergencies. However, this sure seems like a backbreaking task.
In this article, we suggest a few practices that can benefit the summer camp workers in case of any accident or mishaps. To add more, we believe having a personal safety device can also help the staff members to great lengths along with these life-saving pre-camp preparations.
Safety precautions and a safety device on a long journey, how else could one feel safer? A question with not many answers to follow.
Camping Injuries
Fun without harm and memory without its proof is as bland as a blank book cover with a colorful inside. Sure, none wants an open wound on a summer camp; however, a trip without a head or leg injury is inescapable. It is time to accept it.
1. Flu & Illnesses
Children going on a camping trip without getting sick is a rare sight. Regardless of the weather conditions, American Camp Association states children are twice as likely to fall ill than be physically injured in a camp.
It is best to isolate the affected ones from the others to avoid a viral infection among children in a camp. In case of severe illness (for example, a child fainting during a hike or in a remote area), seek medical help immediately by using a panic safety button.
2. Cuts & Open Wounds
Cuts, scrapes, and scratches are a common occurrence on a camp. Using sharp objects carelessly, running in trees, and falling from horsebacks without wearing protective sets can cause deep wounds to many.
As a responsible staff member, it is in your hands to advise campers, supervise safety protocols, and contact 911 in case of gut-wrenching injuries.
3. Body Fatigue & Heat Stroke
Summers and heat strokes have a deep, soulful relation with each other. One cannot live without the other and cannot happen without the presence of the other.
It is understandable how camps during summers can cause dehydration, body fatigue, and exhaustion in campers. And dare we say, quite easily.
However, treating an individual with or without the proper medical supplies can be daunting, no matter the tips you carry on your sleeve. That’s why it is best to seek medical help as soon as possible.
Well, using Silent Beacon’s panic button can help alert all the authorities nearby you at once in an unfortunate event.
How To Avoid Injuries On A Summer Camp?
Camp administrations should have the staff specially prepared for any situations during a camping trip. Staff workers must be trained to use medical supplies to treat common injuries. Well, most of the medical supplies.
Here are a few suggestions on how to avoid emergencies ahead;
1. Pack Medical Supplies
It is crucial to understand that emergencies do not only involve injuries, cuts, oozing blood, and flesh out of open wounds. Body fatigue, fever, infectious disease, heat exhaustion, and infections contribute to emergencies just as much.
Therefore, it is always better to pack medical supplies appropriate for any unfortunate event. A well-stocked first aid kit must have the following items:
- Antiseptic wipes, alcoholic pads/swabs
- Disinfectant spray
- Adhesive bandages and rolled gauze cloth
- Medical tools; scissors, tweezers, knives, CPR mask
- Hot and cold packs
- Oral Rehydration Salts
- Glucose Solution
- Thermometer
- Emergency blanket
- Latex Gloves
- Sanitizer
- Medications; ibrufen, aspirin, antithistamine
- Antibacterial ointment
2. Encourage The Use Of Protective Equipment
According to a Healthy Camp Study, 50 percent of injury instances during a summer camp were due to the non-use of protective equipment by the campers.
Different activities require different kinds of protective equipment that must be worn while engaging. If only the campers start wearing the advised protective equipment, fifty percent of these injuries will go down in hindsight.
3. Ensure Proper Footwear
About 40 percent of injuries caused by falls, slips, and trips were reported by staff members and the campers. Forty percent of injuries of various measures, yet all have the same reason behind every fall: not wearing proper footwear.
It appears that campers and staff commonly wear t sandals, flip-flops, and open shoes, given that they are on a “summer camp.” Hence, the outcome of injuries.
American Camp Association suggests wearing appropriate footwear should minimize the onset of severe injuries. Terrains that are rough, bumpy, and slippery should be avoided. However, if walking on uneven terrains, it is best to wear closed-toe shoes to escape falls and injuries.
3. Knife Use Training
Seventeen percent of open wounds from sharp objects, such as knives and scissors, were reported in day camps.
Careless use of sharp objects is the main culprit for gruesome cuts and wounds in camps. Hence why proper training of staff on how to use and handle knives should be made crucial.
5. Using Personal Safety Devices
Just like joy and fun on a camp, injuries are inevitable. However, ensuring and promoting safety precautions during trips and camps can make these injuries less risky.
Therefore, staff along with campers should be fully equipped with appropriate supplies and strategies to treat injuries.
In events like these, having your personal safety device can alert authorities to seek medical help. What’s better than having to push a panic button to alert safety personnel and all your emergency contacts at once during a massive fall? For sure, relying on a panic safety button rather than reaching out for your backpack to pull your phone out to call 911 seems more convenient
