Division of Environmental Health

How to Make Sure your Campers are Safe while still having Fun

Nothing can ruin a child's Summer faster than getting sick or hurt while at camp. The Department of Health (HEALTH) has the following suggestions to keep your campers healthy and happy this Summer.

SUN/UV EXPOSURE: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently announced a "Choose Your Cover"educational campaign to remind young Americans that protecting their skin from the sun's damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays can help reduce the risk of getting skin cancer. This campaign includes some simple, common sense steps that can be taken to reduce your UV exposure. Additional details can be obtained form the CDC Website. In addition, to some very good general guidance, two PDF (Adobe Acrobat) format brochures, Play it Safe in the Sun: A Guide for Parents and Choose Your Cover, can also be downloaded from the CDC website.

HEAT STRESS: A little common sense goes a long way: keep cool; avoid strenuous physical activity, especially in the heat of the midday sun; and drink plenty of fluids. The CDC has a website on Extreme Heat which provides some common sense guidance for dealing with heat-related issues. 

MOSQUITOS/WEST NILE VIRUS: There has been concern recently about the possibility of an outbreak of West Nile Virus (WNV) in RI during this Summer. HEALTH and the RI Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) are working together with RI cities and towns to reduce the possibility of any mosquito-borne disease outbreaks this Summer. The best source of current information about preventive actions that you can take, as well as any updated information on possible WNV activity, is the WNV Website.

OZONE ALERTS/AIR QUALITY: The RIDEM Office of Air Resources provides a Daily Ozone Forecast, as well as some general background information about ozone, precautionary procedures to be taken, and typical health effects that may be associated with exposure to various levels of ozone. All of these materials may be downloaded directly from the RIDEM Website. Further information may also be obtained from Lenny Giuliano of the RIDEM (401) 222-2808 x7041, or lgiulian@dem.state.ri.us

FOOD SAFETY: The Partnership for Food Safety Education has some great "Fight Bac" tools that could be useful for your own staff, as well as for providing information for parents. All of this information (and more) can be downloaded from their Website: http://www.fightbac.org  In addition, any food safety questions can also be handled by HEALTH's Office of Food Protection (401) 222-2750. 

We hope this fact sheet has provided you with some information that will help make this Summer's camp experience more enjoyable for you, your staff, and your campers. Please continue to check the HEALTH Website throughout the Summer for additional tips and any late-breaking health news.