Winter safety tips from St. Luke’s Emergency Department
December 8, 2009
Extreme winter weather can mean extended interruptions of power and heat in your home. Here are tips from the St. Luke’s Emergency Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stay safe and comfortable in severe winter weather.
In Your Home
Put together an emergency box. This kit should have blankets and sleeping bags; matches; first-aid kit; candles; flashlight or battery-powered lantern; battery-powered radio; battery-powered clock or watch; extra batteries; non-electric can opener; snow shovel; rock salt; games, playing cards and books; special needs items (diapers, hearing aid batteries, medications); food items that do not require cooking or refrigeration, such as bread, crackers, cereal, canned foods; water stored in clean containers (at least five gallons per person).
Hypothermia
Overexposure to cold temperatures or cold water can be deadly. Here are some tips to treat overexposure:
Warning signs: Confusion or sleepiness; slowed, slurred speech, or shallow breathing; weak pulse or low blood pressure; a change in behavior; severe shivering or no shivering; poor control over body movements or slow reactions.
What to do: Get the victim into a warm room or shelter; remove clothes from victim if they are wet; warm the center of the body first - chest, neck, head, groin - using an electric blanket if one is available; use skin-to-skin contact under loose, dry layers of blankets, clothing, towels; give warm beverages; get medical attention as soon as possible; if victim is unconscious, CPR may be necessary.
Frostbite
Signs: A white or grayish-yellow area on skin; skin that feels unusually firm or "waxy'; numbness.
What to do: Get medical care; if there is no sign of hypothermia, or medical care is not available, get person into a warm room as soon as possible; do not walk or use frostbitten extremities; immerse injured area in warm water; warm injured area with body heat.
Carbon Monoxide Danger
Warning signs of exposure: In low concentrations, fatigue in healthy people and chest pain in people with heart disease. At higher concentrations, impaired vision and impaired coordination; headaches; dizziness; confusion; nausea. Flu-like symptoms that diminish with exposure to fresh air are a warning sign. Exposure at very high concentrations can be fatal.
Prevention: Keep gas appliances properly adjusted; use proper fuel in kerosene space heaters; open flues when fireplaces are in use; do not idle the car inside a garage; choose properly sized wood stoves that are certified to meet EPA emission standards; make sure that doors on all wood stoves fit tightly; do not use outdoor grills for heat or cooking inside your home; do not run gas-powered generators in your home.
A Few More Tips
Tell someone where you are going if you leave the house during a storm and tell them when you expect to return. Falls resulting in injuries are common on icy drives and streets.
Check on older neighbors and family members frequently. You may want to invite them into your home until power is restored.
Seek alternative shelter if you believe conditions in your home are unhealthy or unsafe.
Use a battery-powered or crank-powered emergency radio to stay informed during a power outage.
