Your backyard pool may be your slice of summer heaven, and long hours at the beach may be your favorite way to spend your summer days. But everyone must take summer safety seriously. It could be the difference between life and death.

"Long exposure to sun can increase the rate of skin cancer about fourfold," says Dr. Marc Siegel, NYU Medical Center. More than one million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, you should apply sunscreen every day if you plan on being in the sun more than 20 minutes. Sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 or higher is recommended.

Once you've slathered on your protection and are ready to cool off with a dip in the pool there are some basic summer safety rules that should be enforced. Nationwide, about 250 children under the age of 5 drown each year. Most of these incidents occur in backyard pools. Dr. Siegel reinforces that even if your child has had swimming lessons and is a great swimmer, children should never go unattended in the pool, or while playing poolside.

"Stay with your kids and watch them. Do not let them go unsupervised in the pool," says Dr. Siegel. Make sure the perimeter or surrounding area of the pool does not get too slippery. Frequent cleaning of the pool to avoid bacteria from breeding is also a must.

And if all of that swimming has you working up an appetite, before you take the steaks off the fire, make certain they're cooked thoroughly.
"Meat can appear to be cooked on the outside, but remain uncooked inside, especially with a barbeque. That's when you're really laying your risk for salmonella," explains Dr. Siegel.

Salmonella bacteria which can be found in uncooked meats, can spread from the intestines to the blood stream, causing anything from mild to severe abdominal pain and vomiting, to an infection that will need antibiotics.

"If you take raw meat off the plate, don't use that plate then to eat on because you may be exposed to the bacteria from the meat when it was raw," warns Dr. Siegel. Whether eating, swimming or lazing in the sun, following the basic rules of summer safety can ensure that you have a great time the whole year through.

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