NEWSLETTERJANUARY 2016

Winter storms and cold temperatures can be

hazardous, but if you plan ahead, you can stay safe and healthy. Prepare your home and cars, prepare for power outages and outdoor activity and check on older adults.Although winter comes as no

surprise, many of us are not ready for its arrival. If you are prepared for the hazards of winter, you will be more likely to stay safe and healthy when temperatures start to fall.Many people prefer to remain

indoors in the winter, but staying inside is no guarantee of safety. Take the following steps to keep your home safe and warm during the winter months.Winterize your home. Install

weather stripping, insulation, and storm windows and insulate water lines that run along exterior walls.Clean out gutters, repair roof

leaks and check your heating systems or have your heating

system serviced professionally to make sure that it is clean, working properly and ventilated to the outside.If you have them, make sure

to inspect and clean fireplaces and chimneys. Install a smoke detectors and test batteries monthly.Try to have a safe alternate

heating source and alternate fuels available but be sure

to prevent carbon monoxide (CO) emergencies. Install a CO detector to alert you of the presence of the deadly, odorless, colorless gas. Just like smoke detectors, check the batteries regularly and learn the symptoms of CO poisoning: headaches, nausea, and disorientation.

Survive Winter Weather With Tips, Preparedness

In This Issue

Surviving Winter Weather Page 1

Chickasaw Country Exercise Page 3

Tips For Winter Sun Fun Page 3

Puzzles Page 4

Continued Pg 2 Æ

Of course, many of us have to venture out in the weather, so don’t forget to prepare your carGetting your vehicle ready for

cold weather use before winter arrives is the best prevention, but it’s never too late to get started.Service the radiator and

maintain antifreeze level, check your tire tread to avoid sliding or, if necessary, replace tires with all-weather or snow tires.Keep your gas tank full to

avoid ice in the tank and fuel lines and so you won’t run out if you have to keep your vehicle running for an extended period of time. Also, make sure to use a wintertime formula in your windshield washer.You hope you never need

it, but you should prepare a winter emergency kit to keep in your car in case you become stranded. Include blankets, food and water, booster cables, flares, a tire pump, and a bag of sand or cat litter (for traction), a compass and maps, flashlights, a battery-powered radio, extra batteries a first-aid kit and plastic bags.It’s not always a winter

wonderland out there. Be prepared for weather-related emergencies, including power outages.Stock food that needs no

cooking or refrigeration and store water in clean containers. Ensure that your cell phone is fully charged.When planning travel, be aware

of current and forecast weather conditions. Keep an up-to-date emergency kit, including battery-operated devices, such as a flashlight, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio, lamps, extra batteries a first-aid kit and extra medicine, baby items and cat litter or sand for icy walkways.These should come as no-

brainers, but need to be mentioned. Protect your family from carbon monoxide by keeping grills, camp stoves, and generators out of the house, basement and garage. Locate generators at least 20 feet from the house. Leave your home immediately if the CO detector sounds and call 911.Many people spend time

outdoors in the winter working, traveling, or enjoying winter sports. Outdoor activities can expose you to several safety hazards, but you can taking these steps will help you prepare for them. Wear appropriate outdoor clothing such as layers of light, warm clothing, as well as mittens, hats, scarves and waterproof boots.Sprinkle cat litter or sand on icy

patches of sidewalks.Be aware of the wind chill

factor and work slowly when doing outside chores.Take a buddy and an

emergency kit when you are participating in an outdoor activity.

Avoid traveling when the weather service has issued advisories.If you must travel, inform

a friend or relative of your proposed route and expected time of arrival. Follow these safety rules if you

become stranded in your car:Stay with your car unless safety

is no more than 100 yards away, but continue to move your arms and legs.Stay visible by putting a bright

cloth on the antenna, turning on the inside overhead light (when the engine is running), and raising the hood when snow stops falling.Run the engine and heater only

10 minutes every hour and keep a downwind window open. Make sure the tailpipe is not blocked.Above all, be prepared to

check on family and neighbors who are especially at risk from cold weather hazards: young children, older adults, and the chronically ill.

If you have pets, bring them inside. If you cannot bring them inside, provide adequate, warm shelter and unfrozen water to drink.No one can stop the onset of

winter. However, if you follow these suggestions, you will be ready for it when it comes.

- Content provided by CDC & edited by BC3

ÆSurvive Winter Weather Continued from Page 1

Page 2 EHS January Newsletter

A New You In Chickasaw CountryA new year brings resolutions to

eat healthy, exercise and to improve overall health. One way that many people do that is by walking. There are numerous walking

programs (including the Chickasaw Nation’s own Moccasin Trails, offered by the Wellness Centers), but sometimes the best program is the one you can create your own. And what better place to walk than the great outdoors? And what better outdoors than Chickasaw Country?Visit ChickasawCountry.com for

Outdoor Events where you can exercise throughout the year and enjoy festivals and the sights of the Chickasaw Nation.

Dehydrator Bike Ride - Duncan, July

Arbuckle Lake - Sulphur

Turner Falls - Davis

Chickasaw National Recreation Area - Sulphur

Seven Tips For Fun In The Winter Sun1) Layers! Base, middle, shell. Those are the three magic words when it comes to layering up against winter’s chill. For the base layer, cotton is not your friend. Once you sweat into it, your skin will feel wet and clammy for the rest of the day. So go for a nice merino wool or synthetic base layer. The middle layer is all about insulation, trapping your body heat and keeping it nearby. For this job it’s hard to beat goose down. The outer layer is the one exposed to the elements, so this is the place for Gor-Tex or another material that will keep rain and snow where it belongs, away from your skin.

2) Toes! Now that you’ve got the body layered, it’s time to turn your attention downward. Your feet are going to need some extra winter love and attention. Although it may seem sensible to wear the thickest pair of socks you can find, this can actually cut off circulation to your feet if they make your shoes too tight. Less circulation means less warmth. So go for socks that are

warm and thin enough to give your toes plenty of wiggle

room. Slipping a pair of insulated footbeds into

your shoes will add another warm layer between your toes

and the snow.

3) Dry Feet! Not

all waterproof shoes are created equal. Sure, a pair of

all-rubber boots will do the trick

when it comes to keeping water out. But they are powerless to deal with the

moisture produced by your own feet. It might be a freezing rain outside the boot, but inside, your feet are sweating like they are in the tropics. Opt for any

synthetic fibers that allow sweat to wick away from

your socks and feet, but are simultaneously impervious to moisture coming in from the

outside. Amazing? Yes, amazing.

4) Move It! Look outside on a bitter cold winter day and there will be

one group of people out there wearing nothing but shorts and t-shirts. Are they insane? Well,

maybe a little. But they are also jogging and running themselves right into

warmth. Though you may not want to put on gym shorts yourself, it’s still a good lesson.

If you want to be warm outside, then be moving around outside. Whatever the activity, make sure you’re part of the action and never just a spectator. Warmth aside, life is usually more fun that way.

5) Keep It Spicy! This one is pretty basic. Hot food equals hot

body. Capsaicin, the chemical compound that puts the spice in spicy pepper, is a powerful vasodilator. That means it opens the blood vessels and allows more blood to flow more quickly to more parts of the body. Translations? You feel warmer.

And that means an extra shake or two of hot sauce over your morning eggs is a fine idea.

6) Warm Hands! There’s nothing like a toasty coat pocket to get some feeling back in your fingers after a few rounds on the old

toboggan. Sure, you could buy a pre-packaged hand warmer. But those can get pricey if you’re using them on the

regular. A solution is to make your own. It’s easy. All you need is a Ziploc bag, a smaller

Ziploc bag, some water and some calcium chloride ice-melt pellets

you can get at any hardware store. Put the pellets in the big

bag then fill the little bag with water. Squeeze the little bag until it ruptures and starts to leak then put it into the big bag. Seal it up and put it in your coat pocket. Warm hands shall be yours.

7) H2-Uh-Oh! It’s easy to remember to drink plenty of water on a miserably hot day. But who thinks to drink plenty of water when there are icicles forming on your nose? Yet dehydration is just as real of a danger in the winter as in the summer. You’re sweating away under all those layers, and probably

eating lots of fatty and salty snacks on top of that. Without enough hydration your body

will have a heck of time regulating its temperature. So drink

up! And if you’re having a problem with your water bottle freezing solid, add some electrolyte powder before leaving the house.

- Content provided by Discovery & edited by BC3

EHS January Newsletter Page 3

Page 4 EHS January Newsletter

Please email completed puzzles to Rebecca.Campbell@chickasaw.net in an effort to go green ! This PDF is enabled for you to complete it without printing. Please submit by Friday, January 15th, in order to be eligible for the monthly prize drawing!

1. Winter storms and cold ____________ can be hazardous, but if you plan ahead, you canstay safe and healthy.2. Learn the symptoms of _________________: headaches, nausea, and disorientation.3. A winter __________________ includes blankets, food and water, booster cables, flares, atire pump, and a bag of sand or cat litter.4. When planning travel, be aware of ______________________________ conditions.5. If you have ______, bring them inside.6. There are numerous walking programs, including the Chickasaw Nation’s own_______________________.7. Once you sweat into it, your _________ will feel wet and clammy for the rest of the day.8. A pair of _________________ will do the trick when it comes to keeping water out.9. ___________________, the chemical compound that puts the spice in spicy pepper, is apowerful vasodilator.10. Yet ________________________ is just as real of a danger in the winter as in the summer.

ANTIFREEZECAT LITTERCHICKASAWCLAMMYDETECTORINSULATIONJOGGINGMOCCASIN TRAILSOCKSSPICESYNTHETICWALKINGWATERPROOFWINDCHILLWINTERYOGA

Name ________________________________________________________________Department ____________________________________________________________Facility _______________________________________________________________