Summer is here at last! And what a winter it was. Across America, people are emerging to see the great glowing ball in the sky and asking, “What’s that thing?” But summer is a time of accidents and injuries, a time of unexpected tragedy. That’s why, to this day, I feel anxious going to work in the ER on hot summer days and evenings.

So I have a few suggestions for the season. First, if you’re biking, riding motorcycles or ATVs, please wear a helmet. There’s no question that brain injuries and associated deaths are reduced with the use of helmets. Ditto for horseback riding, since your Quarter Horse is just a tall, one-horsepower ATV, right?

Next, everyone needs to know how to swim. My grandfather always said, “Never go near the water till you know how to swim.” It took me a while to get that one. But swimming lessons are widely available, and all children should have them early in life. Adults? If you don’t know how to swim, there’s a project for the summer. Furthermore, nobody should swim alone.

And if you’re on a boat, life preservers are not meant to be merely handy seat cushions. They exist for a reason. So use them, especially when using small water craft, skiing or tubing on our wonderful southern lakes, rivers and coastal waters.

What else? Believe it or not, shoes — even sandals — are a great idea. Summer is the season of foot lacerations, puncture wounds, bites and glass foreign bodies — all of it painful and fraught with possible infections. So even though going barefoot is fun, and ladies want to show off their pedicures, consider shoes, please? Stitches in the foot are no fun.

I’ve written about allergic reactions and biting/stinging insects, but just a refresher here: If you’ve had bad reactions, ask your doctor for an EpiPen and keep it handy. Keep Benadryl on hand either way. For any reaction that includes trouble breathing or swallowing, put on your shoes, helmet and life vest (subtle, eh?) and head to the ER.

Ticks are out this time of year, so check yourself and your children after a day of camping, hiking, fishing or working in the yard. With tweezers, grasp the tick close to the head and pull gently and directly back. Clean the wound and move on. If you develop fever or rash, have your doctor evaluate you. A simple tick bite is not an emergency in itself.

Next? Well, it seems obvious, but wild animals are just that — wild. Rabies is a very real disease, and a deadly one. Avoid unknown, aggressive domestic animals and wild animals that show up in your yard. Wild animals may look cute, but if they want to cuddle, they probably have rabies. Furthermore, a bat in your house overnight is a cause for rabies vaccination if it can’t be caught and evaluated.

And fireworks? Well, it’s the South, and I’m guilty, too. But all fireworks should be used with the supervision of responsible adults. (Not that cousin you can’t trust … I mean real adults.) Fireworks should be used with eye protection and at appropriate safe distances. I’ve seen some ugly injuries from explosives.

Obviously, there are other issues. But these are some high points I want everyone to keep in mind. Have fun! Enjoy the vacations, the weather and the travel. But be careful. I really don’t want to work hard tonight.