Safety Tips

Stock up on emergency supplies for communication, food, safety, heating, and car in case a storm hits. Make sure you have at least one of the following in case there is a power failure: a battery-powered radio (for listening to local emergency instructions) or a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio receiver (for listening to National Weather Service broadcasts). More information on NOAA weather radio receivers is available at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr

Find out if your community warns the public about severe weather through siren, radio or television and listen to emergency broadcasts. Know what winter storm warning terms mean:

Have a week’s worth of food and safety supplies on hand, including the following:

Extreme cold can cause water pipes in your home to freeze and sometimes break. Follow these tips:

• Leave all water taps slightly open so they drip continuously
• Keep the indoor temperature warm
• Allow more heated air near pipes. Open kitchen cabinet doors under the kitchen sink
• If your pipes do freeze, do not thaw them with a torch. Thaw the pipes slowly with warm air from an electric hair dryer
• If you cannot thaw your pipes, or if the pipes have broken open, use bottled water or get water from a neighbor’s home
• Have bottled water on hand
• In an emergency—if no other water is available—snow can be melted for water. Bringing water to a rolling boil for one minute will kill most germs but won’t get rid of chemicals sometimes found in snow

• Have at least one of the following heat sources in case the power goes out:
  • Fireplace with plenty of dry firewood or gas log fireplace
  • Portable space heaters or kerosene heaters (Check with your local fire department to make sure that kerosene heaters are legal in your area)
• Never place a space heater on top of furniture or near water. Use electric space heaters with:
  • Automatic shut-off switches
  • Non-glowing elements
• Keep heat sources at least 3 feet away from furniture and drapes and never leave children unattended near a space heater. Keep the following safety equipment near any heat source:
  • Chemical fire extinguisher
  • Smoke alarm in working order
  • Carbon monoxide detector
• Never use an electric generator indoors, inside the garage, or near the air intake of your home because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. To keep safe, follow these tips:
  • Do not use the generator or appliances if they are wet
  • Do not store gasoline indoors where the fumes could ignite
  • Use individual heavy-duty, outdoor-rated cords to plug in other appliances

• Never use charcoal grills or portable gas camp stove indoors—the fumes are deadly.
• Use battery-powered flashlights or lanterns
• Avoid using candles
• Never leave lit candles unattended

Indoor Safety

• If possible, stay indoors and dress warmly
• Conserve fuel. Lower the thermostat to 65 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 55 degrees Fahrenheit at night
• Close off unused rooms
• Seal drafts from doors and windows

Outdoor Safety

• Babies and the elderly are more at risk from the cold and should be kept warm
• Dress warmly. Wear loose-fitting, layered clothes. Outer garments should be tightly woven and water-repellent
• Wear mittens rather than gloves—mittens are warmer
• If you shovel snow, do stretching exercises to warm up and take breaks often
• Cover your mouth to protect your lungs from extremely cold air
• Avoid working too hard (strains your heart)
• Drink water and other fluids to avoid dehydration
• Watch for signs of frostbite: Feeling of “pins and needles” followed by numbness (no feeling). Skin may freeze hard and look white. When thawed out, skin is red and painful. Very bad frostbite may cause blisters or gangrene (black, dead tissue)
• Watch for signs of hypothermia (uncontrolled shivering, slow speech, memory loss, stumbling, sleepiness, extreme tiredness)
• If you think you have frostbite or hypothermia, don’t eat or drink anything containing caffeine or alcohol—they can worsen your symptoms
• Drink warm liquids that do not contain caffeine or alcohol (alcoholic drinks cause your body to lose heat more quickly)
• Do not eat snow (lowers your body temperature)

• Travel with caution
• Listen for travel warnings
• Avoid icy roads if possible
• Use tire chains
• Let someone know where you are going and when you expect to arrive. Ask them to notify help if you are late
• Check and restock emergency supplies in your car before you leave
• Never pour water on your windshield to remove ice or snow; the windshield may shatter

• Stay in the car
• Do not leave the car to look for help unless help is visible within 100 yards
• Display a “call for help” sign
• Raise the car hood or hang a brightly colored cloth on the antenna to signal for help
• To keep warm, turn on the car’s engine for about 10 minutes each hour
• Run the heater only when the car is running (Avoid running the car battery down)
• Turn on car lights only when the car is running (Avoid running the car battery down)
• Keep the exhaust pipe clear of snow (Avoid carbon monoxide poisoning)
• Open a window slightly for fresh air
• Do light exercise to stay warm
• If you’re alone, stay awake as much as possible
• If more than one person is in the car, take turns sleeping
• For warmth, huddle close together
• Wrap your body and head with extra clothes, blankets, newspapers, maps, or removable car mats
• Do not eat snow (lowers your body temperature).
• If no other water is available, snow can be melted for water using a can and a lit match (Water must come to a rolling boil for one minute to kill most germs, but boiling water won’t get rid of chemicals sometimes found in snow)

Sunlight contains ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which causes premature aging of the skin, wrinkles, cataracts and skin cancer. There are no safe UV rays or safe suntans. Protect yourself with these helpful hints:

• Cover up- Wear tightly woven clothing that you can’t see through.
• Use sunscreen- A sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 blocks 93 percent of UV rays. Be sure to follow application directions on the bottle or tube.
• Wear a hat- A wide brim hat, not a baseball cap, works best because it protects the neck, ears, eyes, forehead, nose, and scalp.
• Wear UV-absorbent shades- Sunglasses don’t have to be expensive, but they should block 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB radiation. Before you buy, read the product tag or label.
• Limit exposure- UV rays are most intense between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The combination of heat and humidity can be a serious health threat during the summer months. Take precautions, here’s how:

• Drink plenty of water before you get thirsty.
• Wear light, loose-fitting, breathable clothing—cotton is good.
• Take frequent short breaks in cool shade.
• Eat smaller meals before work activity.
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol or large amounts of sugar.
• Find out from your health-care provider if your medications and heat don’t mix.
• Know that equipment such as respirators or work suits can increase heat stress.

This illness is caused by bites from infected ticks. Most, but not all, victims will develop a “bulls-eye” rash. Other signs and symptoms may be non-specific and similar to flu symptoms such as fever, lymph node swelling, neck stiffness, generalized fatigue, headaches, migrating joint aches, or muscle aches. Protect yourself with these precautions:

• Wear light-colored clothes to see ticks more easily.
• Wear long sleeves; tuck pant legs into socks or boots.
• Wear high boots or closed shoes that cover your feet completely.
• Wear a hat.
• Use tick repellants, but not on your face.
• Shower after work. Wash and dry your work clothes at high temperature.
• Ask your health-care provider if using the LYMErix vaccine is okay for you.
• Examine your body for ticks after work. Remove any attached ticks promptly with fine-tipped tweezers. Do not use petroleum jelly, a hot match, or nail polish to remove the tick.

Illness from the West Nile virus is rare, but it does happen. Mild symptoms include fever, headache, and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands. Symptoms of severe infection include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis. You can help to protect yourself by doing the following:

• Apply insect repellent with DEET to exposed skin.
• Spray clothing with repellents containing DEET or permethrin.
• Wear long sleeves, long pants, and socks.
• Be extra vigilant at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.