Information on Outdoor Winter Safety

• Never walk on ice less than four inches thick. Don't snowmobile on less than five inches or drive your car on less than eight inches of new, clear ice.
• Warn your children to stay away from ice-covered ponds and streams.
• Avoid alcoholic beverages, especially when snowmobiling. Alcohol causes the body to lose heat more rapidly, even though one may feel warmer after drinking alcoholic beverages.
• Avoid overexertion. Cold weather even without physical exertion, puts an extra strain on the heart. If you add to this the strain of heavy physical activity, such as shoveling snow, pushing an automobile or even walking too fast or too far, you risk damaging your body.
• Watch for FROSTBITE and other symptoms of cold-weather exposure. Frostbite causes loss of feeling and a white or pale appearance in extremities such as fingers, toes, tip of nose and ear lobes. If such symptoms are detected, get medical attention immediately. Do not rub with snow or ice. This does not help the condition and, in fact, will make it worse. The best treatment for frostbite is re-warming the affected tissue.
• Drink plenty of fluids. Dehydration can be a severe problem.
• Keep yourself and your clothes dry. Change wet socks and all other wet clothing as quickly as possible to prevent loss of body heat. Wet clothing loses its insulation value and transmits heat rapidly.
• If paralyzed persons or infants must go outside in severe weather, they should be checked frequently for signs of frostbite.

Courtesy of Minnesota Winter Hazard Awareness 2009-2010

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