There’s no doubt outdoor activities can be fun, invigorating and, in some cases, provide a welcome departure from months of being stuck inside. But while you can control many aspects of indoor events (such as temperature), you have to be ready to handle whatever Mother Nature sends your way when you’re outside.

We work with many different types of organizations that run outdoor activities, from camps and schools to houses of worship and nonprofits. Here, we look at some of the most common risks associated with outdoor activities—and how you can mitigate them.

Swimming

Whether you’re swimming in a pool, pond, lake or other body of water, you need to take every precaution to protect those in your group—especially children. Church Mutual offers a Swimmer Safety Program at no cost to customers. The program uses color-coded wristbands to identify youth as either nonswimmers (red), intermediate swimmers (yellow) or qualified swimmers (green). The wristbands allow lifeguards and supervisors to easily spot when a child is swimming in the wrong area, which significantly lowers the drowning risk. Learn more about the Church Mutual Swimmer Safety Program.

Sun and heat

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends using sunblock with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. It’s a good idea to have a bottle or two of sunblock on hand, if there are people at your outdoor activities who didn’t apply their own.

Additionally, make sure your staff members and volunteers know the signs of heat illness. Signs of heat exhaustion include:

• Moist, clammy skin with heavy sweating.
• Dizziness, nausea or vomiting.
• Fast, weak pulse and fast, shallow breathing.

Provide shade and cool drinking water at all times. Take a lot of breaks during athletic activities, and specifically encourage participants to drink water at regular intervals. If you notice someone is becoming ill, remove them from the heat immediately and give them a cool towel.

Boating

When using watercraft, keep the following tips in mind:

• Allow only experienced drivers who have taken a certified boating safety course to drive the boat.
• Follow the rules of the body of water on which you are boating. In lakes, for example, all boats travel counterclockwise.
• If you are towing a water skier or tuber, always have a “spotter” on board to watch the rider at all times. The spotter should review communication signals with the rider to increase safety.
• Have at least two adult supervisors who can swim onboard; if the boat has a capacity of only two or three people, there should be at least one adult who can swim on board.

For more risk control information, visit our safety resources page.