FARMINGTON >> The American Red Cross has issued safety
tips to help the public cope with the extreme cold forecast in the next
few days, according to spokesperson Paul Shipman.
If outdoors:
• Avoid unnecessary exposure to the cold. Be aware of both the temperature and the wind chill factor when planning outdoor activities.
• Most of your body heat is lost through your head, so wear a hat, preferably one that covers your ears.
• Dressing in layers helps retain heat. You can remove layers as needed if you become too warm.
• Mittens provide more warmth to your hands than gloves.
• Wear waterproof, insulated boots to help avoid hypothermia or
frostbite by keeping your feet warm and dry and to maintain your footing
in ice and snow.
• Get out of wet clothes immediately and warm the core body temperature with a blanket or warm fluids like hot cider or soup. Avoid drinking caffeine or alcohol if you think you or someone you are trying to help has hypothermia or frostbite.
• Recognize the symptoms of hypothermia, which can be a serious medical condition: confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and severe shivering. Seek medical attention immediately if you have these symptoms.
• Recognize frostbite warning signs: gray, white or yellow skin discoloration; numbness; waxy feeling skin. Seek medical attention immediately if you have these symptoms.
If indoors:
• Do not use candles for lighting if the power goes out. Use flashlights only.
• Use caution with portable space heaters. Heating equipment is the leading cause of home fires during the winter, according to the National Fire Prevention Association. Place space heaters at least 3 feet away from anything combustible, including wallpaper, bedding, clothing, pets and people. Never leave space heaters operating when you are not in the room or when you go to bed. Don’t leave children or pets unattended near space heaters. Do not dry wet mittens or other clothing over space heaters.
• Make sure smoke alarms are working properly and replace batteries as necessary.
• If you use a portable generator during a power outage, always operate the generator outdoors -- never inside, including the basement or garage. Do not connect a generator directly to your home’s wiring -- leave that work to a professional electrician and buy a generator designed for that purpose. The safest thing to do is to connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator. Connecting a cord from the generator to a point on the permanent wiring system and back-feeding power to your home is unsafe.
• Don’t overload electrical outlets. Be careful of extension cords that create hazardous walkways.
• Have your chimney connections and flues inspected by a professional and cleaned if necessary prior to the start of every heating season.
• Use a sturdy fireplace screen when burning fires. Burn only wood, never burn paper or pine boughs.
• Create a disaster supplies kit. Gather lifesaving items in both your home and vehicle. Visit www.redcross.org/prepare for more information on disaster preparedness.
• Protect your house pipes from freezing and bursting.
• Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage or in walls adjacent to the garage.
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals up out of the reach of children.
• If the temperature is very low outside, let the cold water drip from faucets served by exposed pipes or pipes in exterior walls. Running water through the pipe, even at a trickle, helps prevent pipes from freezing because the temperature of the water is above freezing.
• Keep the thermostat at the same temperature both day and night. You may incur a higher heating bill, but you can prevent a much more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.
• If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55ºF.
• Visit www.redcross.org/prepare for more information on preparing for cold weather.
If outdoors:
• Avoid unnecessary exposure to the cold. Be aware of both the temperature and the wind chill factor when planning outdoor activities.
• Most of your body heat is lost through your head, so wear a hat, preferably one that covers your ears.
• Dressing in layers helps retain heat. You can remove layers as needed if you become too warm.
• Mittens provide more warmth to your hands than gloves.
• Wear waterproof, insulated boots to help avoid hypothermia or
frostbite by keeping your feet warm and dry and to maintain your footing
in ice and snow. • Get out of wet clothes immediately and warm the core body temperature with a blanket or warm fluids like hot cider or soup. Avoid drinking caffeine or alcohol if you think you or someone you are trying to help has hypothermia or frostbite.
• Recognize the symptoms of hypothermia, which can be a serious medical condition: confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and severe shivering. Seek medical attention immediately if you have these symptoms.
• Recognize frostbite warning signs: gray, white or yellow skin discoloration; numbness; waxy feeling skin. Seek medical attention immediately if you have these symptoms.
If indoors:
• Do not use candles for lighting if the power goes out. Use flashlights only.
• Use caution with portable space heaters. Heating equipment is the leading cause of home fires during the winter, according to the National Fire Prevention Association. Place space heaters at least 3 feet away from anything combustible, including wallpaper, bedding, clothing, pets and people. Never leave space heaters operating when you are not in the room or when you go to bed. Don’t leave children or pets unattended near space heaters. Do not dry wet mittens or other clothing over space heaters.
• Make sure smoke alarms are working properly and replace batteries as necessary.
• If you use a portable generator during a power outage, always operate the generator outdoors -- never inside, including the basement or garage. Do not connect a generator directly to your home’s wiring -- leave that work to a professional electrician and buy a generator designed for that purpose. The safest thing to do is to connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator. Connecting a cord from the generator to a point on the permanent wiring system and back-feeding power to your home is unsafe.
• Don’t overload electrical outlets. Be careful of extension cords that create hazardous walkways.
• Have your chimney connections and flues inspected by a professional and cleaned if necessary prior to the start of every heating season.
• Use a sturdy fireplace screen when burning fires. Burn only wood, never burn paper or pine boughs.
• Create a disaster supplies kit. Gather lifesaving items in both your home and vehicle. Visit www.redcross.org/prepare for more information on disaster preparedness.
• Protect your house pipes from freezing and bursting.
• Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage or in walls adjacent to the garage.
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals up out of the reach of children.
• If the temperature is very low outside, let the cold water drip from faucets served by exposed pipes or pipes in exterior walls. Running water through the pipe, even at a trickle, helps prevent pipes from freezing because the temperature of the water is above freezing.
• Keep the thermostat at the same temperature both day and night. You may incur a higher heating bill, but you can prevent a much more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.
• If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55ºF.
• Visit www.redcross.org/prepare for more information on preparing for cold weather.
