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The fall and winter seasons are full of safety hazards: cold, snow, and ice; heating and maintenance challenges; and seasonal décor hazards and workplace safety challenges. Taking time ahead of the cooler seasons to make sure you and your family are prepared for whatever winter brings will help you reduce your chances of illness, injury, or death from winter conditions.
Before You Start, be Safety Smart” in this year’s winter safety campaign. It provides information and advice on fire safety, driving safety, home maintenance safety, hunting safety, winter alcohol safety, emergency preparation, home decoration safety, and weather safety tips, to include signs of frostbite and hyperthermia.
Background
“Before You Start, be Safety Smart” in this year’s winter safety campaign. It provides information and advice on fire safety, driving safety, home maintenance safety, hunting safety, winter alcohol safety, emergency preparation, home decoration safety, and weather safety tips, to include signs of frostbite and hyperthermia. The campaign begins in mid-November 2022 and ends in early March 2023.
Purpose
The winter safety campaign educates beneficiaries and other stakeholders about how to prepare for and avoid hazards caused by winter weather. The purpose of this campaign is to highlight good safety practices during the winter season.
Key Messages
Message for Communicators
- The winter season is full of safety hazards: cold, snow, and ice; home heating and maintenance challenges; and seasonal décor hazards.
- Taking time ahead of the winter season to make sure you and your family are prepared for whatever winter brings will help you reduce your chances of illness, injury, or death from winter conditions.
- Driving during winter can be hazardous and scary, especially in regions that receive a lot of snow and ice this time of year. Additional preparations can help make a trip safer. It is important to follow the safe winter driving practices. The holidays are full of cheer and merriment.
- Being outdoors in the autumn and winter can be a great way to get fresh air and exercise. For many, the cooler weather also means hunting season which can pose dangers, sending hunters to the hospital or worse. Heart attacks, injured backs and broken bones are among the most common medical emergencies in hunting.
- There’s nothing cozier than spending time next using a fireplace, furnace, or heater to keep warm as the weather turns colder. But they do present certain safety hazards. Remember these tips as the weather grows colder:
- Candles give wonderful ambience to a room but can also pose a fire hazard. Per the National Candle Association, careless candle use accounts for almost 10,000 house fires a year. Never leave candles unattended and keep them away from pets and children.
- There are always safety risks associated with drinking alcohol, but it’s important to remember that having a few drinks during the winter months can make your body very vulnerable.
- Although winter comes as no surprise, many of us may not be ready for its arrival. If you are prepared for the hazards of winter, you are more likely to stay safe and healthy when temperatures start to fall. Preparing your home for the winter months keeps your family and friends safe.
- Playing in the snow can be fun, but the fun can fade if one becomes victim to hypothermia or frostbite. Staying out in the cold for extended periods of time can cause cold-related problems and put health in jeopardy, so learn how to avoid, spot, and treat these conditions. Also, keep other vulnerable populations in mind and check on loved ones.
- If you work in a field and location where winter weather presents some safety concerns, you may wish to take some precautions. Winter presents safety hazards in possible frostbite, wind-chapped skin, and hypothermia, and winter weather can often be severe enough to cause amputation or death.
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