Winter is here and it’s time to pay attention to the weather. I asked Jody Victor® to give us some Winter weather safety tips.
Jody Victor®: Hey Steve, it never hurts to be prepared. Here’s some Winter safety tips for all of us.
1. Wear layers for better insulation and warmth. Wear a hat, hood or scarf as most heat loss occurs through the head. Change your clothes if they get wet to prevent loss of body heat. Keep your fingertips, earlobes and nose covered. Protect your lungs from extremely cold air by covering your mouth. Wear sturdy shoes or boots with rugged soles to prevent slips or falls.
2. Warm up before shoveling snow. Stretch your arms and legs for a few minutes. Jog in place. Warm muscles are less likely to be injured.
3. Avoid overexertion. Cold weather puts added stress on your heart. Unfamiliar exercise such as shoveling can bring on a heart attack or make other medical conditions worse. Take frequent breaks and drink plenty of fluids before, during and after shoveling snow.
4. Shovel snow on the buddy system and take turns. If your “buddy” can’t help with the shoveling, at least have him/her monitor your progress and be on alert for a medical emergency.
5. Monitor yourself and your buddy for hypothermia. Hypothermia is an abnormally low body temperature. Go indoors when your body begins to feel cold. Monitor for frostbite. Early frostbite causes a reddening of the skin followed by tingling and loss of feeling. Mid-level frostbite causes the skin to turn white or gray. Severe frostbite causes the skin to turn hard. Gangrenous frostbite causes the skin to form blisters and blacken.
6. If you become short of breath while shoveling snow, stop and rest. Rehydrate. If you feel pain or tightness in your chest, become dizzy, faint or start to sweat heavily, stop immediately and call for help.
7. Use a sturdy, lightweight shovel to push the snow out of the way. If you have to lift the snow, take small scoops. A shovel-full of dry snow weighs about 4 pounds. Wet snow weighs significantly more.
8. In addition to clearing snow from your driveway, keep your walkways, steps and porches clear of snow and ice for safe passage.
9. Be aware of utilities when you shovel snow. Do not cover fire hydrants with snow. Do not shovel snow into manholes and catch basins. Do not cover utility meters.
10.Keep leaves and debris from your roof gutters at all times to prevent water from collecting, freezing and forming icicles. The clearer the pathway is to your gutters and downspouts and the better the drainage away from your house is, the less damage to your roof. If possible, clear snow from roof when the snow cover exceeds 12 inches. Use a roof rake or snow cutter and follow the directions. Stay on the ground. Be careful when using a ladder to get the roof rake or snow cutter higher up on the roof. For snow and ice removal that requires working up on the roof, consider professional help. Seek professional help with a flat roof as they require special attention. The balance between removing snow and ice from a roof and the damage you can do to your shingles is critical. Total clearing has the greatest potential for damage. Never shovel down to the shingles. Instead leave an inch or so of snow on the surface. Often just clearing dangerous overhangs and icicles and creating drainage paths is enough. Icicles can be knocked off gently from the edges of your roof with a broom. Do not knock icicles off too close to the edge of the roof as you can damage your gutters, trim boards or shingle edges. Wear safety glasses and be prepared for the falling snow and ice from above.
All the Best!!