As always, the Red Cross reminds people to take precautions against the cold. It’s good to reacquaint yourself with some cold weather tips to get you through the season safely. Please, feel free to share this note with family, friends, co-workers and others in the community.
Protect Yourself from Freezing Temperatures
Avoid unnecessary exposure to the cold. Be aware of
both the temperature and the wind chill when planning outdoor activities. When
you prepare to go outside in severe cold weather, please remember the
following:
• Most of
your body heat is lost through your head so wear a hat, preferably one that
covers your ears.
• Dressing in
layers helps you retain heat. You can remove layers as needed if you become too
warm.
• Mittens
provide more warmth to your hands than gloves.
• Wear
waterproof, insulated boots to help avoid hypothermia or frostbite by keeping
your feet warm and dry and to maintain your footing in
ice and
snow.
• Get out of
wet clothes immediately and warm the core body temperature with a blanket or
warm fluids like hot cider or soup. Avoid drinking
caffeine
or alcohol if you expect you or someone you are trying to help has hypothermia
or frostbite.
• Recognize
the symptoms of hypothermia that can be a serious medical condition: confusion,
dizziness, exhaustion, and severe shivering.
Seek
medical attention immediately if you have these symptoms.
• Recognize
frostbite warning signs: gray, white, or yellow skin discoloration, numbness,
waxy feeling skin. Seek medical attention
immediately
if you have these symptoms.
Heat Your Home Safely
As families turn to alternative heating sources to
supplement their home heating systems, they should take the following
precautions:
• Use
caution with portable space heaters - Heating equipment is the
leading cause of home fires during the winter months, according to the
National
Fire Prevention Association. About two-thirds of home heating fire deaths are
caused by portable or fixed space heaters.
• To prevent
fire, place space heaters at least three feet away from anything combustible,
including wallpaper, bedding, clothing, pets and
people.
• Never leave
space heaters operating when you are not in the room or when you go to bed.
Don't leave children or pets unattended near
space heaters.
• Drying wet
mittens or other clothing over space heaters is a fire hazard.
• Make sure
smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are working properly and replace
batteries as necessary.
REMEMBER: smoke alarms have a finite lifetime and should be replaced after 10 years. Many newer models have long-life
batteries that do not need replacing during their 10-year lifespan.
• Don't
overload your electrical outlets when plugging in space heaters. Be careful of
extension cords that present hazardous walkways.
• Have your
chimney connections and flues inspected by a professional and cleaned if
necessary prior to the start of every heating season.
• Use a
sturdy fireplace screen when burning fires. Burn only wood - never burn paper
or pine boughs.
• Create a
disaster supplies kit — Get together lifesaving items in both your home and
vehicle.
Prevent Frozen Pipes
Many homeowners may not be ready for frigid weather
either. Now is the time to protect your house pipes from freezing and bursting.
With the cold weather upon us, preventive action may make all the difference.
• Keep garage
doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage or in walls adjacent
to the garage.
• Open
kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the
plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and
household
chemicals up out of the reach of children.
• When the
temperature is very low outside, let the cold water drip from faucets served by
exposed pipes or pipes in exterior walls. Running
water
through the pipe - even at a trickle - helps prevent pipes from freezing
because the temperature of the water running through it is
above
freezing.
• Keep the
thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night. By temporarily
suspending the use of lower nighttime
temperatures,
you may incur a higher heating bill, but you can prevent a much more costly
repair job if pipes freeze and burst.
• If you will
be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a
temperature no lower than 55ºF.
Visit www.redcross.org/prepare for more
information on preparing for cold weather.
Mario J. Bruno, CEO
American Red Cross
209 Farmington Avenue
Farmington, CT 06032
