The Essential Labor Day Safety Guide

From collisions caused by drunk drivers to drownings stemming from boating accidents, there are various safety hazards that become more prevalent around Labor Day. To fully enjoy the holiday weekend, it’s crucial to take various steps to prevent injuries and create a safe environment for yourself and your family.

Keep reading to learn more about some of the safety issues that are common on Labor Day and to receive several Labor Day safety tips.

What Is Labor Day and Why Is It Celebrated?

Labor Day is a federal holiday that takes place on the first Monday in September each year to commemorate the efforts of American workers and their impact on society. The holiday traces its roots to celebrations hosted by individual activists and organizations, which led to formal recognition at the municipal level beginning in the 1880s. Over time, Labor Day also began to be recognized officially at the state level, with 31 states passing Labor Day observance laws before Congress established it as a federal holiday in 1894.^[1]

What Are the Most Common Disasters and Accidents on Labor Day?

The following sections will go over some of the most common risks you should look out for as you plan your Labor Day celebration.

Drunk Driving

The overall risk of being injured or killed in a drunk driving accident is noticeably higher on Labor Day than on many other days throughout the year. While alcohol-impaired drivers played a role in 31% of fatal car accidents in 2021, they were involved in 41% of traffic fatalities during Labor Day weekend that year.^[2]

Meanwhile, the National Safety Council found that traffic deaths were 11% more common overall on Labor Day weekend than on the weekends before and after it on average from 2016 to 2021. Additionally, Labor Day has one of the highest traffic fatality rates among holidays along with Memorial Day and Independence Day.^[2]

Fireworks

Although firework-related injuries are unlikely to be as prevalent on Labor Day as they are on July 4th, you should still be aware of the risks associated with fireworks if you plan on attending a Labor Day fireworks show in your area or using personal sparklers or firecrackers.

On average, fireworks start 19,000 fires and result in thousands of injuries that necessitate medical attention every year. Sparklers, which have the potential to ignite clothes and severely burn skin, account for over 25% of fireworks-related emergency room visits.^[3]

Boating

The weekends surrounding Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day are some of the busiest of the year for boaters, meaning you should be on high alert for boat crashes around Labor Day.^[4] In total, there were 4,040 boating accidents reported throughout the year in 2022, resulting in 2,222 injuries and 636 fatalities.^[5]

Cooking Hazards

There were 4,625 outdoor gas grill fires per year on average from 2017 to 2021, so you should be wary of the potential for fires if you plan on hosting a Labor Day barbecue.^[6] Another possible food safety concern for your end-of-summer cookout is foodborne illness, which tends to be a bigger threat during the summer since bacteria multiply more quickly when it’s hot and people have less easy access to sinks, thermometers and refrigerators when they cook outside.^[7]

Extreme Heat

Labor Day weather patterns will naturally vary substantially depending on where you live but multiple regions have historically experienced high temperatures in the 80s and 90s on Labor Day.^[8] There is a risk of heatstroke if you spend an extended amount of time outside when the heat index is 90 degrees or higher, so it’s important to be mindful of the weather when planning a Labor Day get-together.^[9]

How To Stay Safe When Celebrating Labor Day

See the sections below for a rundown of several safety tips for Labor Day weekend that can hopefully help you avoid Labor Day injuries and property damage.

Around the House

Some of the steps you can take to lower the risk of a cooking-related house fire include making sure your grill is clean before using it and positioning your grill far away from your home, your deck and any plants that are close to your home.^[6] Meanwhile, you can mitigate the risk of food poisoning by moving refrigerated or frozen foods directly to a cooler before cooking them outside, keeping uncooked foods separate from cooked foods and foods that are meant to be eaten raw and avoiding eating foods that have been sitting in the sun for an hour or two.^[10]

Depending on the temperature, you may also want to limit the amount of time you spend outside and you’ll definitely want to make sure that you drink plenty of fluids. In addition, you should follow safety tips like these if you intend to use consumer fireworks:^[3]

• Don’t let younger children use them at all and don’t let older children use them unsupervised
• Don’t use them while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Wear protective eyewear
• Don’t light them indoors
• Keep them away from people, houses and flammable materials
• Light only one at a time and stay a safe distance from it once it’s lit
• Soak used fireworks and any leftover fireworks that you didn’t light for a few hours before throwing them away
• Keep a bucket of water handy in case of a fire

Finally, it’s important to maintain adequate homeowners insurance in case of an accident. Homeowners insurance can cover damage to your home or belongings due to a fire and medical bills for guests who get sick or injured at your house party.

While Driving

Do not drive at all if you have been drinking on Labor Day. Instead, you should use a rideshare service, take public transportation or ask a friend or family member to be your designated driver. If you are sober and intend to drive, be especially vigilant due to the slightly heightened risk of encountering a drunk driver during Labor Day weekend.

Some best practices you should follow to keep yourself safe include staying within the speed limit, maintaining a safe distance between your car and other vehicles on the road and avoiding distractions such as texting while driving.

Of course, carrying car insurance is a crucial aspect of driver safety. Not only is auto insurance usually required by law but it may also cover damage to your vehicle and others’ property along with medical expenses for those injured in an accident depending on the coverage types included in your policy.

At a River, Lake or Ocean

There are various actions that can lower the risk of injury or death in the event of a boating accident such as wearing a life jacket, avoiding drinking while driving a boat, undergoing boater safety training, paying attention to the water and driving at an appropriate speed.^[5] Make sure you maintain health insurance to cover medical treatments in case you are injured while swimming or boating this Labor Day weekend.