By Aaron Schulze

Cold cautions

Paramedics watch for health hazards from frostbite to carbon monoxide

Feb 4, 2019 | 5:18 PM

With temperatures expected to reach highs of -22 Celsius and lows of -35 C for the week, Melfort Ambulance Care is warning the public of indoor and outdoor dangers due to the cold.

Melfort Ambulance Care has unveiled a new abbreviation named C-O-L-D.

C-O-L-D stands for:

• C – Cover your head, neck, and face, there is a lot of heat loss from your head. Wear hats, scarves, mittens, and remember lip protection.
• O – Overexertion leads to perspiration, which causes damp or wet clothing. This will cause you to chill quicker.
• L – Layer your clothing to protect against wind and cold. Start with a snug inner layer that allows perspiration to escape, second layer should be the insulation layer and be loose and warm, and the third and outer layer should be windproof and waterproof.
• D – Dry. Wear waterproof clothing and insulated, waterproof boots and mittens. Ensure they are not too tight as this can increase your risk of frostbite.

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When it comes to a certain amount of time people should be outdoors, Wayne Therres, equipment manager for Melfort Ambulance Care, told northeastNOW it all depends on the temperature and windchill factor.

“The colder it is outside and the higher the wind blows, the less time we need to spend outside,” Therres said. “In some cases, you’re talking 15 to 20 minutes outside when you’ve got windchills in the -45 C area, but if you’re in that -20 C area you can be outside for an hour or two, as long as you’re dressed appropriately.

“You need to watch each other if you’re outside workers, to make sure that person you’re with isn’t starting to show signs of being cold or hypothermic. They start having slurred speech, loss of coordination, talking in nonsensical terms, and that applies not to people who are just outside, but people that are outside snowmobiling, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing.”

Therres said frostbite and hypothermia can be suffered indoors too, so check to see if doors and windows are secure. However paramedics encourage carbon monoxide detectors in heating devices such as furnaces and water heaters.

“When it’s really cold like this, our interior heating devices are going to be working at peak efficiency,” he said. “If you have a gas or wood fireplace, we want to make sure those chimneys stay clear or the exhaust vents with the newer furnaces, so we don’t have that blockage in there and the potential for carbon monoxide to build in our houses.”

If residents are spending time outdoors, Melfort Ambulance Care encourages:

• eat and drink to retain body heat, no alcohol
• limit the amount of time spent sitting or standing
• stay with their vehicle if stranded, make sure the exhaust is clear and run the engine periodically
• carry a charged cellphone
• carry a winter survival kit

Therres also encourages residents to check in on neighbours if they haven’t been seen in a day or so in extreme cold weather.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 10:08 a.m. on Feb. 5, 2019 to correct a spelling error.

aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow