Cold Weather Safety Topics

Significant drops in temperature caused by cold weather always present a challenge to keep warm. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that even though everyone can be affected, infants and the elderly are more at risk due to their fragility. The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones in cold weather is to be informed so as to take necessary precautions. These precautions include wearing the right clothing, knowing the signs of frostbite and hypothermia and knowing how to properly heat your home, workplace or car.

Prepare Your Home

• Listen to weather forecasts and stock up on food.

  According to the CDC, older people are less able to feel a change in temperature because the ability to feel such changes decrease with age. This makes them particularly vulnerable to the effects of cold weather. To prevent any risks, the CDC advocates that people more than 65 years old should install an easy-to-read thermometer indoors in a conspicuous position. Make the home more weatherproof by adding insulation, thermal pane windows and insulated doors. When cold weather approaches, prepare your home to properly protect you and your family by making sure your source of heat is working properly. If you use a fireplace with a chimney as a primary heat source, make sure it is cleaned and inspected by a qualified inspector at least once a year. If you use a wood stove, kerosene heater or fireplace, you must install a battery-powered carbon monoxide detector nearby and replace its batteries periodically. Keep appropriate fire extinguishers handy. Do not use camp stoves, generators or charcoal grills indoors, or near an open window, to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

Protect Yourself

• The CDC explains that wind chill index is used to describe the temperature that the body feels as the wind speed is compared to the air temperature. The skin temperature drops more rapidly as the increased speed of the wind causes the heat to be carried away from the body more quickly. To avoid this, stay indoors as much as possible when there are high winds. Wear warm clothing during cold weather to reduce the risk of hypothermia or frostbite, or to generally stay warm. These type of clothing include warm scarves, mittens, skid-resistant shoes to prevent slips on icy grounds, thermal underwear and wind-resistant jackets or wind breakers. Invest in winter coats or trench coats, ear muffs and warm knitted hats.

Recognize Signs of Hypothermia and Frostbite

• Hypothermia occurs when the body loses warmth faster than it is produced, leading to an extremely low body temperature. Such abnormally low temperature affects the brain and causes a reduction in clarity of the thinking process. Hypothermia is accompanied by shivering, confusion, loss of memory, exhaustion, drowsiness and slurred speech. When these signs are noticed, the CDC recommends calling an ambulance; if this is not possible, try to warm the person by removing any wet clothing, warming the chest, neck, groin and head, using an electric blanket or applying skin-to-skin contact under loose dry layers of blankets, towels or other sheets until the body temperature increases. On the other hand, frostbite causes a loss of feeling and color in the affected frozen parts. Usually, the areas most susceptible to frostbite are the fingers, toes, ears, nose and chin. When frostbite is severe enough, it can lead to an amputation of the affected area. The best measure against frostbite is to prevent it in the first place. However, if it occurs, soak the affected area in warm -- not hot -- water.