Peace Lutheran Church
416 Wellham Ave.
Glen Burnie MD, 21061
Bringing Christ's love to all people and all people to Christ's love
Health Highlights
With winter’s icy blast upon us again, it is time to review some safety issues both indoors & out. Indoor safety is extremely important for preventing fires & carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Be sure heater in good working order & has an emergency shutoff in case of tipping over.
- Avoid using candles for lighting & never leave unattended. Use battery powered flashlights.
- Never use electric generator indoors, inside garage, or near air intake of house.
- Never use a cooking range or oven for heating.
- Never fill kerosene heater while in operation.
- Keep young children & pets away from space heaters.
- Keep space heaters 3 feet away from anything flammable, such as drapes, bedding & furniture.
- Keep a glass or metal screen in front of the fireplace to protect from sparks & embers.
- Do not use flammable liquids to start or accelerate a fire & do not burn paper in fireplace.
- Never burn charcoal indoors – gives off lethal amounts of carbon monoxide
- If synthetic logs are used, do not break apart & burn only one at a time.
- Before you go to sleep, be sure fireplace fire is out. Don’t close damper with hot ashes in fireplace.
- Make sure there is proper venting for any fuel burning appliances
- Make sure smoke & carbon monoxide alarms are on every level of house. Check each month & change batteries every 6 months.
- Avoid using electric space heaters in areas where they can come in contact with water.
- Be careful not to overload circuit when using electric heater. Use extension cord same size or larger than the heater cord. Run cords under carpets to avoid tripping hazard.
- Plan & practice a home escape plan with your family.
- Keep fire hydrants cleared of snow
The following tips are for outdoor snow safety:
- Dress in layers to keep warm
- Remove drawstrings from children’s snow suits & avoid use of scarves to reduce risk of strangulation
- Wear helmets during sledding activities
- Make sure hill is safe & without obstacles
- Avoid shoveling if out of shape. Get doctor’s permission if there is history of heart trouble.
- Do light warm-up exercises before shoveling & take frequent breaks. Pace yourself.
- Do not drink alcohol before or while shoveling & never smoke while shoveling. Drink plenty of water to keep well hydrated.
- If possible, push snow in front of you instead of lifting it. Pick up snow in small amounts & lift using your legs. Squat with legs apart instead of bending at waist. Do not throw snow over shoulder.
For winter storms, it is good to have emergency supplies on hand: flashlights with extra batteries, matches, manual can opener, extra blankets, extra warm clothing, food that doesn’t need to be refrigerated or cooked, 1 gallon of bottled water per person x 3 days , special needs items such as diapers & medicines, first aid kit, & battery operated radio for updates.