Winter days are not just about beautiful white streets and ice skating. Sudden cold snaps, temperature fluctuations, and icy roads often cause injuries.
Winter days are not just about beautiful white streets and ice skating. Sudden cold snaps, temperature fluctuations, and icy roads often cause injuries. The consequences of falls vary, from bruises and dislocations to fractures and traumatic brain injuries.
Potentially hazardous areas during icy conditions:
- Entrance steps;
- Steps of underpasses;
- Public transport stops;
- Slopes, including children's sledding hills.
Heads of enterprises and organisations, including individual entrepreneurs in Lepel and Lepel District, must ensure that adjacent territories are promptly cleared of snow and ice and treated with anti-icing agents.
Recommendations on how to avoid ice-related injuries:
- If possible, try to limit going outside in such weather. Choose a safer route, walk where there is lighting, less ice, and paths are sprinkled with sand.
- During icy conditions, caution must be exercised; move slowly with short steps;
- Footwear should be appropriate for the weather. It is advisable for the sole to be ribbed. Women should completely avoid high heels and stilettos during icy periods – they are entirely unsuitable on ice;
- If you feel yourself falling, try to crouch down as much as possible. This will reduce the kinetic energy of the impact;
- Do not try to "fall gracefully," as women often do. You should try to tuck yourself in as much as possible and fall onto your side if possible;
- When falling, do not extend your arms or legs outwards, as any limb will absorb the full force of the impact and may be injured, as all kinetic energy is transferred to one point;
- it is necessary to avoid falling on your back and hitting the back of your head as much as possible. Spinal injuries and traumatic brain injuries can be very severe and take a long time to treat, and in some cases can be fatal;
- when falling, one should save oneself, not property. Bags and other items should be dropped from hands, and one should brace with all limbs.
However, doctors are confident that the vast majority of ice-related injuries could be avoided if people paid more attention to their health. After all, it only takes a second to sustain such an injury, while treatment can sometimes take months.
Remember, the best prevention of injuries is caution and prudence. It is easier to prevent an injury than to ensure the restoration of one's health.
Take care of yourselves!
Lepel District Centre for Hygiene and Epidemiology