Winter begins on December 21, 2023, and extends to March 19, 2024. The National Safety Council and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer these winter safety tips to protect your health and well-being when the chill creeps in.
- Winterize your home to. This includes insulating water lines that run along exterior walls, cleaning out gutters, installing weather stripping, and replenishing insulation.
- Be careful exercising in cold temperatures. Cold temperatures put people who are typically inactive at a greater risk of heart attack. If you must exercise in cold weather, remember to stretch beforehand, take breaks while shoveling, or ask for help.
- Check carbon monoxide alarms. More than 400 people die from and 50,000 are treated for carbon monoxide poisoning yearly in the U.S. Exhaust from improperly vented heating appliances can cause carbon monoxide sickness.
- Keep an emergency winter kit in your car. Create a kit that include food, water, blankets, first-aid supplies, flares, and booster cables, to keep you safe if you become stranded.
- Wear appropriate clothing. To stay warm enough, choose layers, which can be added or removed as needed.
- Sprinkle sand or cat litter on icy patches of walkways. Sand or cat litter is easier on the environment than some chemical ice melt products for better traction.
- Consider a whole-house generator. Generators keep your heat and refrigerator running in the event of a power outage.
- Space heater safety. Turn them off when you leave the room, and overnight while you are sleeping.
- Drive carefully in snow. Black ice patches can be difficult to see, and snow can reduce tire traction.
- Choose gloves instead of mittens. Fingers touching in mittens helps generate more body heat.
