Slow Down Move Over

  

 

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Emergency Medical Services Workers:
Preventing Injuries and Exposures - Click here>> for more information on EMS Safety

 

 

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 Winter Safety Tips 

Travel Safety

Do NOT drive while fatigued
Avoid Excessive Speed
Wear Seat Belts

 Prepare Yourself: REMEMBER, INCIDENTS TAKE NO HOLIDAYS OR TIME OFF  -  “SAFETY FIRST”

 

• Storm WATCH: Storm is possible in your area

• Storm WARNING: Storm is headed for your area
  
  

• Listen to NOAA Weather Radio, local radio, and TV stations, or cable TV such as The Weather Channel for further updates.

• Be alert to changing weather conditions.

• Avoid unnecessary travel.

When a Storm ‘Warning’ is Issued

• Stay indoors during the storm.

• Understand the hazards of wind chill, which combines the cooling effect of wind and cold temperatures on exposed skin.

• As the wind increases, heat is carried away from a person’s body at an accelerated rated, driving down the body temperature.

Avoid traveling by car in a storm, but if you must…

• Carry a Disaster Supplies Kit in the trunk.

• Keep your car’s gas tank full for emergency use.

• Let someone know your destination, your route, and when you expect to arrive. If your car gets stuck along the way, help can be sent along your predetermined route.

If You Get Stuck

• Stay with your car. Do not try to walk to safety.

• Tie a brightly colored cloth (preferably red) to the antenna for rescuers to see.

• Leave the overhead light on when the engine is running so that you can be seen.

• Keep one window away from the blowing wind slightly open to let in air. 

Avoid Hypothermia: Cold temperatures can be a fatal. Once exposed to cold or freezing temperature for long periods of time, we run the risk of losing a serious amount of body heat. If not treated immediately, this could lead to brain damage and even death. It is important to know how to avoid hypothermia.

During the colder days, we should be aware of the signs and symptoms of cold stress or cold-induced injuries like hypothermia and frostbite.

Signs and symptoms of hypothermia:

• Cool skin
• Slower, irregular breathing
• Slower heartbeat
• Weak pulse
• Uncontrollable shivering
• Severe shaking
• Rigid muscles
• Drowsiness
• Exhaustion
• Slurred speech
• Memory lapses

Signs and symptoms of frostbite:

• Paleness of the skin
• Sensation of coldness or pain
• Pain disappears after a while with the freezing of the tissues.
• Tissues become increasingly whiter and harder.

Use a buddy system: This is not the time to enjoy solitude while accomplishing your tasks outdoors. You don’t want to be working one minute and thawing your fingers the next. So get a partner and work on monitoring each other for signs of cold stress. Don’t be stubborn because most of the time, it’s just difficult to determine danger signs when you only have yourself to rely on.