Across the country, people have been scrambling in response to what might be the largest egg recall in history. According to the Food and Drug Administration, approximately 500 million eggs are being recalled in the wake of a spike in salmonella poisoning.

Salmonella enteritidis is a bacteria that can be found on both the outside or insides of an egg that may otherwise appear to be normal. If an affected egg is eaten either raw or undercooked, you might become sick from the bacteria.

The current outbreak is tied to a limited number of farm sources, and visiting the FDA or the U.S. Department of Agriculture websites can help you to determine if any eggs you’ve recently purchased would put you at risk. Regardless, there are precautions you should always take to help you reduce your risk of salmonella infection.

• Discard cracked or dirty eggs.
• Wash hands, utensils, and food preparation surfaces with soap and water after contact with raw eggs.
• Avoid eating raw or undercooked eggs. Eggs should be cooked until firm, and eaten promptly after preparation.
• Do not keep eggs warm or at room temperature for longer than two hours.
• The elderly, infants and those with impaired immune systems are especially susceptible to illness from salmonella and should always avoid eating foods with raw or undercooked eggs.
• Someone infected with the Salmonella bacteria may experience a fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated foods. Severe symptoms could require hospitalization.

Check out the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services site, FoodSafety.gov, for more tips on how to make sure you are playing it safe with eggs or any other foods.

As the summer begins to wind down, and both parents and kids start into back-to-school mode, our focus shifts from beach vacations toward backpacks filled with books. But beyond school supplies and new clothes, we should be taking this opportunity to think about back-to-school safety.

As classes start up, more and more kids are going to be out in our neighborhood streets running to catch their buses, riding their bikes or walking to school, and it becomes increasingly important for everyone to be more aware of their surroundings. Kids need to remember to be on guard for traffic when crossing busy streets just as drivers need to be on the look out for kids running out from between cars and or at bus stops.

The folks at Safe Kids USA have some helpful back-to-school tips for drivers and kids to keep in mind as the school year kicks off.

• Drivers should be mindful of residential and school zone speed limits, slow down, and stay especially alert.
• Take the extra time to look for kids at intersections, or on curbs and medians.
• Watch out for kids near roadways in the mornings and after school hours.
• Avoid distractions while driving, such as talking on the phone or texting.
• Children under 10 years of age should always cross the street with an adult.
• Kids should always walk in front of the school bus where the driver can see them.

As your kids start going back to school, there are plenty of opportunities you to talk to them about safety. We’ve got a wealth of information right here at the AMW Safety Center to help you talk to your kids about potential dangers they could find themselves up against. Whether bullying or violence in schools, sporting or online safety, the AMW Safety Center is your resource.

These days, technology is helping us to constantly stay connected. Our mobile phones especially help us to keep in touch with family members of all ages. Becoming more like handheld computers, they help us find restaurants based on our immediate location, they help us to gain our bearings if we are lost and need directions. Many phone applications even allow for you to broadcast your location with your friends.But these conveniences come at the cost of your privacy. Thanks to GPS, or global-positioning systems, your mobile phone company can track your whereabouts, but in some cases, this could be dangerous.

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal served as a reminder of some of the dangerous that exist when technology is exploited, such as when a Texas man was able to track his ex-wife because of the GPS chip in her phone. Some phone companies have features that allow you to track family members, and with more and more of us voluntarily using GPS-based apps, we might be opening the door to unforeseen dangers and creating opportunities for potential stalkers.

According to the National Center for Victims of Crime, as many as one million Americans are victims of stalking each year. And the U.S. Department of Justice reports that last year, there were more than 25,000 adults in the U.S. who were the target of GPS stalking.

A dangerous crime that can happen to anyone, stalking victims can include those individuals in immediate danger and those who may be targeted but not immediately at risk. But you don’t have to sit back and be a victim. The NCVC has some great tips for how you can protect yourself.

• Take threats seriously and always trust your instincts if you feel you could be in danger.
• Contact a crisis hot line, such as a domestic violence or rape crisis program.
• Create a safety plan.
• Don’t respond or communicate with a stalker.
• Keep all evidence of the stalking, including notes or e-mails, phone calls, text messages, dates and locations of any contact, or photos of damages to your property.
• Contact the police: Every state has stalking laws in place.

And with phones that are able to go online or use GPS, consider what personal information you have to give up to use those features. Your cell phone provider can disable tracking functions if authorities believe they are being used for stalking.

When you go online, there’s no doubt that at some point you will come across any number of suspicious websites or links. The web is filled with opportunities for any one of us to become the victim of phishing or malicious programming.

For those of us who are internet-savvy, we surf the web with our eyes wide open and do a pretty good job of avoid these dangers. But for those with families, it’s likely that your kids are getting on your computer as well. Whether they are online doing schoolwork, playing, or keeping up with friends and family, are you confident that your kids are making smart choices when they browse?

Just like adults, children should be aware of potentially offering up too much personal or private information. And as a parent, you should make sure to be talking with them regularly about the dangers that lurk online.

Thankfully, the FTC’s OnGuard Online website has a helpful checklist of tips to help you talk to your kids about using the web safely.

• Check out the sites your kids visit and take a look around to see what kind of information the sites are asking of them.
• Talk to your kids about what kinds of information is OK and not OK to post online.
• Many websites require your permission before they collect personal information from your kids, so be careful about which sites you are allowing your kids to join.
• If you come across a website that you feel is marketing to your child inappropriately or has shared information in violation of the agreed upon terms, report the site to the FTC.

Check out onguardonline.gov for more information about safely surfing the web, with plenty of tips for the whole family.