With the Old Man winter starting to set in for next couple of months all of us from Seneca EMS would like to take a minute to remind everyone a couple of Winter safety tips.
Snow Removal/ Shoveling safety tips
- When the snow is heavy take your time shoveling and don’t try to do it on your own. Always ask for help
- When your Snowblower becomes plugged do not use your hands to remove the blockage. Either use a stick or tool that is supplied with your snowblower to remove the blockage eve n if the machine is off.
Hypothermia and Dressing for the weather
- Make sure that you dress in layers
- With the cold temperatures that you leave no skin exposed to the elements
- Do not stay outside for long periods of time.
- Watch for signs of frost Bite
- At first, cold skin and a prickling feeling.
- Numbness.
- Skin that looks red, white, bluish-white, grayish-yellow, purplish, brown or ashen, depending on the severity of the condition and usual skin color.
- Hard or waxy-looking skin.
- Clumsiness due to joint and muscle stiffness.
- Signs/ Symptoms of Hypothermia
- Shivering.
- Exhaustion or feeling very tired.
- Confusion.
- Fumbling hands.
- Memory loss.
- Slurred speech.
- Drowsiness.
- In the event that you develop Hypothermia or Frost bite remember these key points
- NEVER Rub the effected body part(s) to warm them as it may cause more damage. Warm the effected body part slowly
- Anyone with symptoms of hypothermia needs immediate medical attention. Until help arrives, the CDCTrusted Source recommends:
- moving the person to a warm, dry place, if possible, or sheltering them from the elements
- taking off any wet clothing
- covering the person with an electric blanket, if available, or dry layers of towels, clothing, or blankets
- making skin-to-skin contact with another individual
- having the person drink a warm beverage, excluding alcohol, if they are not unconscious
- avoiding moving or jostling the person, as doing so can trigger a fatal heart rhythm abnormality
- If someone has severe hypothermia, they may be unconscious. They may also appear not to have a pulse or be breathing. If this occurs, a bystander should perform CPR and continue it until help arrives. Sometimes people with hypothermia who appear to be dead can resuscitate.
Seneca EMS is always here when you or family needs us. Check out our Facebook page and watch for some upcoming events.
