TAKING
TIME
by Rebecca Escott
Extension Home Economist
Winter Safety Reminders
If all the talk is correct, this
winter could be a snowy one. In
fact, you may have already had a
taste of winter a few weeks ago. A
daily paper in my area ran a graph
showing winter snowfall for the
last 50 years. The recent years
have been well below normal. So
this year may be the one to change
the trend.
If it is, you need to be prepared.
Winter activities can be fun, but
don’t forget safety. These precau
tions are particularly important if
you have family or guests who are
enjoying winter outdoor activities
on your property.
Over half of all heat produced
by the body is lost through the
uncovered head and neck. (So
mothers are right to say, “Wear a
hat!”) If you or your children go
outside, wrap up in a scarf and hat.
If you have teenagers, see if you
can work out a compromise. For
girls, wide fabric headbands may
be an acceptable way to avoid
frostbitten ears. Don’t forget, in
their eyes, a fashionable hair style
is more important than good
health.
Everyone can practice layering
clothes for warmth. In fact, you
will be warmer wearing a long
sleeved shirt and a bulky knit swe
ater than wearing a heavy jacket.
Layering provides insulation and
helps protect a person from hypo
thermia. Hypothermia occurs
when a person’s body loses heat
faster than it can replace it, caus
ing the internal body temperature
to drop dangerously low. This is
particularly important for seniors
who may be more susceptible to
hypothermia than younger family
members. Some medications may
heighten a person’s vulnerability
to hypothermia. Ask your doctor if
this concern applies to you. Wrist
watches, tight pieces of jewelry,
and tight shoes or boots may
reduce the flow of warm blood to
your hands and feet. Are you
aware that hypothermia can occur
in mild indoor climates? Any time
you feel chilly, slip on another
layer of clothes as a precaution.
Because water cools a person
25 to 30 times faster than exposure
to air of the same temperature,
people who fall into water must
concentrate on quickly getting
warm. Remember this if you arc
ice skating or wandering near a
stream.
Hypothermia is only one of
many winter safety issues.
Another concerns sledding. The
U.S. Consumer Product Safely
Commission estimates that more
than 50,000 people receive
emergency room treatment annu
ally for injuries related to sleds,
toboggans and snow disks. Acci
dents occur when old sleds splint
er, when steering mechanisms fail,
and when icy conditions make it
difficult to control the sled’s speed
and direction. Unfortunately
children often plow blindly
through new snow into hidden
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 26, 1992-B5
rocks and tree stumps. Concus
sions and other serious injuries
result.
To help prevent these injuries,
teach children to roll sideways off
a sled to lessen the chance of
injury in a collision. Also sand
rough edges and wax runners for
smooth, controllable operation.
Avoid roads and fence lines.
If you plan to retreat to a warm
home and blazing fire after your
outdoor fun, make this important
safety check. Have your chimney
inspected for creosote build-up.
Creosote can clog the chimney
and may ignite. Perhaps you know
families who have suffered great
loss due to chimney fires. It is pos
sible to inspect the chimney with a
mirror and to clean it if you have
Wintertime Doesn’t Spell End
To Landis Valley Farm Work
LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.)
Ask any farmre and he’ll tell
you that even in winter there’s
plenty to do around a farm. Landis
Valley Museum’s Historic Farm
Project is no exception. There’s
plent to do this winter.
The museum is looking for
individuals or families to lend a
hand to hblp accomplish this
work. There are many opportuni
ties for interested youth and adult
volunteers to assist the museum
the proper tools. But if you are
unsure, this is one lime that is
worth paying someone to do the
job well.
If all the hustle and bustle of the
last few weeks has worn you out, I
suggest that you to put off the
plans for outdoor activities for a
day or two and curl up under a
warm afghan, sip a mug of hot
chocolate and read a good book.
Yes, it’s refreshing to get outside.
It’s important to follow good
winter safely practices. But it is
also healthy to relax and enjoy a
quiet moment indoors once in
awhile, 100.
Rebecca Escott is a Home
Economist with Penn State
Cooperative Extension in
Lehigh County.
farmer in a variety of chores
from routine farm and livestock
maintenance, to special construc
tion, restoration, landscaping and
research projects. Volunteers also
have the opportunity to learn
interpretive skills and interact
with visitors from the unique
standpoint of living history during
many of the museum’s special
events.
A strong back and a willingness
to work outdoors are helpful,
although not required, to join this
ever-growing part of the Landis
Valley Museum family.
Contact: Steve Miller - Curator
of Agricultural History or Jeff
Powell - Museum Farm Project
Coordinator
Phone: (717) 569-0401 or (717)
299-7586 Mon - Fri
Hours: Starting Thursday 12:30
- 4:30 pm (flexible after
orientation)
Minimum Hours: 4 hours
weekly