With winter just around the corner, it is important to bear in mind that with the change in season, there will often be a change in potential hazards from day to day.
These are some of the potential hazards you may face during winter and how you can protect yourself:
Watch where you walk – The worst part of winter is the inclement weather we face on a day-to-day basis. Pathways can become icy and dangerous. It is important to ensure you are prepared if you should have an accident while walking outside. Make sure you have the correct footwear and clothes, and keep a mobile phone available so you can contact help should you need it. Bright clothing is ideal should you be walking in the late afternoon or evening as it will ensure you are visible should something happen to you.
Stock up your car – Car owners should ensure that they keep emergency supplies in their cars at all times. Each year cars get stranded for hours at a time due to poor weather conditions so it is important you are prepared should this happen to you. The types of supplies you should stock up on include:
- Canned food and water
- First Aid Supplies
- Warm thermal blankets and clothes
- Flares or other ways to identify where you are
- Flashlights
- Batteries
- Fire Extinguishers
- Tools
- Lighter
Look after your house – Try to make sure your house path is gritted and ice free to help ensure your visitors and family aren’t injured. Never use hot water to melt ice as this will later refreeze causing more slippery surfaces. Grit or rock salt is often the best solution when looking to keep your path slip free.
Follow your highway code – We would suggest at Claims Aberdeen that it is important to be extra diligent while crossing roads and highways during winter. The weather greatly affects the performance of cars, increasing the stopping distance, reducing maneuverability and decreasing visibility. Ensure you check both ways before crossing any roads and avoid listening to music as often you will hear a car before you see it.
Tell people where you are going and keep in touch – Ensure that friends or family members know where you are if you are travelling at night. Ensure you have a mobile phone with you so you can easily get in touch with people or emergency services.
Stay indoors if the weather is too bad – If the weather is particularly bad then the best course of action is to stay indoors until it passes. High winds, heavy snow or torrential rain can all be dangerous weather conditions that are best avoided. Heavy winds can cause debris including trees to fall, which can cause injury or worse. Icy conditions can cause personal injuries such as slips and falls. While heavy rain reduces visibility and puts you at greater risk of falls and traffic injuries.
Winter can be a great time of the year as long as you are careful. Christmas time is wonderful especially when it snows but take note of the above advice and you should have a fantastic and healthy winter, Christmas and New Year.
Cormac Reynolds is a writer and a claims specialist he has written for a number of sites in this area. He has worked for a long time on articles like this one.