Snow days are back...
Although the snow is fun for some, for others it can be a scary experience. Our friends at RoSPA have shared advice to help you stay safe during the change in weather.
Winter Driving
Driving in the winter is very different to the rest of the year; tackling adverse weather and longer periods of darkness makes driving more dangerous. In very bad conditions, we recommend avoiding driving completely unless you absolutely have to make the journey. Different weather conditions result in different hazards; all require you to prepare accordingly. RoSPA's Winter Driving Tips give advice about preparing your vehicle, preparing your journey, preparing yourself and driving in snow or ice, rain, fog, strong winds, and low sunshine.
To help you prepare for any journeys you may need to take during hazardous weather, listening to local radio stations reporting on road conditions, weather forecasts and traffic reports will allow you to be more aware of your chosen route. Please find links to local stations below:
England
Scotland
Wales
Northern Ireland
Slips, Trent and Falls
Slip and trip accidents increase during the Autumn and Winter season for several reasons: there is less daylight, leaves fall onto paths and become wet and slippery and cold weather spells cause ice and snow to build up on paths.
During times when pavements and footpaths are covered in snow/ice:
- Wear sturdy footwear, with a good grip - you can always change into other footwear when you have reached your destination
- If you've got Nordic walking poles (or similar), use them
- Take it slowly and allow yourself extra time to get from A to B, so you don't find yourself having to make a last-minute dash to get to the bus, etc.
- Keep an eye on what is underfoot. Some places will remain icy for longer than others (e.g. places that do not get the sun)
- If you have neighbours who are elderly/disabled/new mums etc. offer to pop to the shops for them
- If councils have provided grit bins so people can treat public areas not included on the usual gritter route, use them - but don't remove vast quantities for your own personal use.
Remember - as well as slips and trips on pavements and in public places, many people fall over on their own footpaths and driveways. Take care in these places too.
Fall Fighter
Did you know we have launched a fall prevention project aiming to help people recognise and address fall risks. We are offering Fall Fighter training sessions to our colleagues and customers and free fall prevention home visits to all over-60s living in Trent & Dove properties. Both are designed to introduce simple, effective, and low-cost control measures that can reduce the chance of a fall and help our customers feel safer in their homes.
For more information and to book a ‘free fall prevention home visit’ click here.
Keeping yourself warm this winter
It’s important to stay protected against a drop in temperature as cold weather can affect your body’s ability to fight off viruses and infections. By keeping warm, you can help yourself stay well this winter. Find out below some simple ways to keep warm, stay healthy and make the best use of your heating:
- heat your main living room to around 18-21ºC (64-70ºF) and the rest of the house to at least 16ºC (61ºF)
- heat all the rooms you use during the day
- if you can’t heat all your rooms, make sure you keep your living room warm throughout the day and heat your bedroom before going to bed
- set the timer on your heating to come on before you get up and switch off when you go to bed
- in very cold weather, set the heating to come on earlier rather than turning the thermostat up, so you won’t be cold while you wait for your home to heat up
It is now, more important than ever to let us in for your gas servicing. Please get in touch with your housing officer to arrange this.