Safety Resources
First Aid Kit Locations
-
First Aid Kits Are Located in Several Places Throughout Stewart Hall, Including:
Under the Front Office Window
Inside the Handicapped Bathroom
Near the Bottom of the Dining Room Stairs
By the Kitchen Entrance
-
The first-aid kit is located in the kitchen.
-
The first-aid kit is located in the kitchen.
-
The first-aid kit is located in the kitchen.
-
The first-aid kit is located on the deck outside the room entrances.
-
The first-aid kit is located in the kitchen.
Resources For Professional Medical Care
-
If it's an emergency and you need IMMEDIATE medical attention, call 9-1-1.
If you require emergency medical care but don't require an ambulance or any other immediate support, please use this link to find your nearest open emergency medical centre.
-
If you have a non-life-threatening medical emergency but still require urgent care, you can call 8-1-1 to speak with a registered nurse.
You can also use the following link to find your nearest open Urgent Treatment Centre and book an appointment.
-
If you have minor, non-urgent medical concerns, you can speak to a registered nurse for advice by calling 8-1-1.
You may also seek care at outpatient centres or walk-in clinics.
Use this link to find open outpatient centres near you.
https://www.nshealth.ca/clinics-programs-and-services/after-hours-clinics
Use this link to find open walk-in clinics near you.
Tick Safety
-
Ticks like moist and humid environments and can be found in or near woods, shrubs, leaf litter, long grass, urban parks, and gardens. They are very small, which makes them hard to spot, and their bites don’t hurt, which makes it difficult to know when you’ve been bitten.
-
Wear long pants and long sleeves in areas likely to have ticks.
Wear light coloured clothing; it's easier to see ticks.
Wear enclosed shoes, and tuck your pants into your socks.
Walk on well-travelled paths, avoiding long grass and vegetation.
Apply insect repellents containing DEET or Icaridin to exposed skin and clothes. Follow the directions on the package carefully. Permethrin-treated clothing repels and kills ticks when they come in contact with it and is now registered for use in Canada for those 16 years of age and older.
-
To remove ticks safely from your skin, do the following:
Carefully grab the tick with tweezers (the pointier, the better) as close to the skin as possible.
gently and slowly pull the tick straight out of the skin. Don’t jerk, twist, or squeeze it.
Clean the area of the bite with soap and water or alcohol hand sanitizer once you’ve removed the tick.
Make a note of the date and where on the body the bite occurred. This is important if you or a loved one begin to feel unwell.
-
Guide to Tick Safety by Grillio:
https://grillio.com/blog/tick-safety/
Additional Tick Safety Information from the Government of Nova Scotia:
https://novascotia.ca/ticksafety/
Identify the tick species that you found:
Be Tick-Aware Video by the Nova Scotia Government:
Wasp Safety
-
Wasps are often present in areas such as woods, orchards, flower gardens, picnic areas, or near trash containers or old buildings.
They nest around eaves, attics, window frames, crawl spaces, and vents where insects may nest.
Wasps may fly around or near you. Don't make any sudden movements or swat at the wasp; this may provoke them.
-
Cover as much of your body as feasible in light-coloured smooth-finished clothing.
Give wasps space and avoid sudden movements. If an individual wasp or bee flies near you, remain calm and still.
If you are swarmed by aggressive wasps or bees, cover your face as much as you can and run away in a straight line. Try to get to an indoor space or a shaded area if no buildings are available.
DO NOT JUMP INTO THE WATER to avoid wasps or bees. Several species are known to hover over the water, waiting for you to resurface.
-
If you have a history of severe bee/wasp sting reactions or reactions to other insect stings, call emergency medical services.
Most wasps and bumblebees can sting more than once. If the stinger is still present, remove it immediately. Gently scrape the skin with a credit card, your thumbnail, or a blunt knife.
Don’t pull out the stinger or pinch the stinger with your fingers or tweezers. This will only release more venom into the skin.
After the stinger is eased out with the credit card, apply ice or cold packs to constrict the capillaries, reduce swelling, and mitigate the pain.
Even though the area might become itchy, try not to scratch it. Dirt or other microbes from the surface of the skin could get into the sting and cause an infection.
It’s better to clean the area with soap and water and apply hydrocortisone cream or a mixture of baking soda and water (which will help the itching and discomfort).
If no other treatment is available, apply a slice of onion to the spot and hold it for a minute or so.
Acetaminophen, or ibuprofen, can be used for pain. Seek medical support. Nurse 411 before taking an antihistamine or other drugs for swelling.
Canoe & Kayak Safety
-
Be mindful of the conditions when swimming in open water. Conditions can change rapidly with the weather, tides, and many other factors. Make sure to check the conditions in your area and prepare for them before entering the open water. Keep an eye out for changes in the conditions and reassess the water's safety. If anything feels off or you're uncomfortable in the new conditions, exit the water.
Currents are an important factor in open-water swimming. Unlike in a swimming pool, open water can have a variety of currents moving at different speeds. If you're not careful, it's easy for even a strong swimmer to get swept away. If you get caught in a river current, flip onto your back and go down stream feet first. Once you have been moved to an area with a weaker current, swim straight to the shore.
Check out these resources for additional tips on safely swimming in open water.
https://www.decathlon.com/blogs/sports-advice/top-11-open-water-safety-tips
https://ndpa.org/10-open-water-safety-tips/
https://www.redcross.ca/crc/documents/What-We-Do/Swimming-Water-Safety/Tips_Open_water_EN.pdf
-
Make sure each person in the canoe wears a life vest. Have a change of clothes prepared in case your canoe tips over or the weather changes.
Put everything you bring with you in waterproof bags to keep it dry. Tie the bags to one of the center beams in the canoe so that you don't lose everything if your canoe tips over.
When getting into the canoe
Ask someone to hold the canoe steady.
Stay low. Keep your knees bent. Do not stand up or walk in your canoe when you are getting in or when you are away from shore.
Grab the sides of the canoe. This helps you balance as you walk or crawl to your seat.
Keep to the center: Keeping your feet on the centerline will help keep the canoe from rocking.
When on the water
Avoid sudden or jerky movements. Rocking from side to side could cause the canoe to tip over.
Stay away from low-hanging trees and branches along the shore.
Be aware of the currents in the water. If the current starts to pull you along faster or you see lots of rocks in the water ahead of you, paddle away from them or paddle towards the shore.
Avoid letting big waves hit the side of your canoe. Always try to keep your canoe at a right angle to the waves; otherwise, the waves might push your canoe over.
If your canoe tips over
Don't panic
Stay with your canoe. Your canoe will float even if it's full of water.
Paddle or push your canoe to the shore.
-
It's important to keep safety in mind when you're kayaking. Check out this article for a reminder on kayaking safety best practices.
Here are some important safety maneuvers you should know before you go kayaking:
How to perform a wet exit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=By4PgYkeJzw
How to perform a self-rescue:
How to perform a T-rescue:
Additional Safety Tips
-
Avoid mosquito bites by going unscented or fragrance-free. Mosquitoes love fragrances from personal care products (e.g., soap, shampoo, etc.) and laundry products (detergent and dryer sheets).
Cover up with long sleeves, long pants, and socks. Wear light-coloured, loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks. Mosquitoes are drawn to dark colours like navy, black, and red. Tuck pants into socks for extra protection—it also helps prevent tick bites!
In the event that you do get a mosquito bite, there are some easy ways to relieve the itching.
Hand Sanitizer: Gently dab or rub a small amount of hand sanitizer on the bite to temporarily relieve itching.
Vinegar: Dab a little white or apple cider vinegar on a cloth. Apply it to the bite. Reapply as needed, or dampen an organic cotton ball in vinegar and tape it on.
Baking soda: Add enough water to a tablespoon of baking soda to make a paste. Apply to the bite and dry. (Many bug bite relief products are five percent baking soda.) You can also add 125 milliliters of baking soda to a warm bath.
-
Always check the local burn restrictions before starting a fire. Check here for current burn restrictions. It's updated daily at 2:00 p.m..
When is it safe to leave a fire pit?
It’s not safe to leave a fire burning on its own without supervision. Always ensure the fire is completely extinguished before exiting the area. This means there are no glowing embers or smoke. Use water or sand to extinguish the fire thoroughly. Then monitor the area to make sure there are no remaining hot spots.
What can you burn in a fire pit?
You can burn seasoned firewood, manufactured fire logs, or charcoal in a fire pit. Avoid burning things like leaves, paper, or trash; these can release harmful toxins when burned. Leaves, paper, and trash may also generate flying embers that could travel greater distances and ignite nearby combustible materials. Always check the local burn restrictions.
Don't wear flammable or loose-fitting clothing when near the firepit.
Accidents can quickly and easily happen. Make sure that you have a bucket of water on hand in case the flames get out of control.