Prepare yourself for winter

Winter is often a magical time of year, but it can also pose many challenges.

Colds and the flu are more common, existing conditions such as asthma and joint pain can worsen, there’s more chance or a slip or fall, and as the temperature drops it can even be life threatening if you’re unprepared.

Promed NZ independent instructor Simon Townsend, who worked with St John for 25 years as a paramedic, has been to countless callouts over winter, so has seen first-hand how quickly someone who underestimates the conditions can get into trouble.

He used to be the ambulance at the bottom of the hill, but now as a health and safety instructor he’s the fence at the top.

Whether you’re a schoolkid, worker or a retiree, the insights and advice he shared with Mahurangi Matters can help you stay safe this winter.

Townsend says the big thing he sees around Mahurangi is that people aren’t prepared, and stresses it’s important to have the right gear with you before you need it.

And ask yourself: is my clothing fit for purpose?

“Don’t wear acrylic or cotton hats. They’re a complete waste of time because they suck heat from the body, especially when they’re wet,” he says.

“I saw a guy walking along to the bus in the rain recently and he just wasn’t prepared and got wet to the bone. If he’d had a woollen hat to put on his head that could have made all the difference.”

The next essential accoutrements are a waterproof outer shell and a thermal layer of clothing that’s worn against the skin.

“Sometimes kids don’t like wearing jackets because they’re not fashionable. They’re going to school without a jacket and they’re getting absolutely wet through and just pushing through it. I make sure my children, who are at Mahu College, always have a jacket with them.

“This applies to workplaces as well, and not just construction sites. On a cold, wet day anyone can get caught out in the rain. Even office workers can get hypothermia because they tend to wear professional clothing that isn’t always functional.

“When cotton gets wet, you rapidly lose your body heat. So having proper clothing like woollen base layers is important because wool retains heat even when it’s wet.”

It’s good to have a change of clothes at work just in case you get caught between the bus stop or carpark and the office and you’re drenched, he says.

Townsend adds, “If somebody is really cold you’ve got to remove the wet clothing.

“Your body loses heat 25 times faster in water compared to air at the same temperature. Water conducts heat away from the body because it has greater density.

“Even if you bring them inside where the temperature is warm they’ll need dry clothing as soon as possible. And don’t ever rub someone who’s cold as it’s an artificial heat,” he says.

Townsend says it’s harder to re-warm if you’re dehydrated.

“You lose a lot of fluid when you’re cold because your body pees it all out. Also, breathing in cold, dry air causes water loss because your body needs to warm and moisten it before it reaches your lungs.

Sweating under layers of clothing can also cause dehydration.”

He says to stay hydrated in cold weather drink plenty of fluids throughout the day, especially warm drinks like Milo.

“Avoid coffee and tea because they are diuretics, and when you lose fluid from your body, hypothermia gets worse.”

Townsend reinforces that preparation is key, which is why learning first aid is a must.

“Get trained before you need it. We used to get so many calls coming in where people had been caught out by the cold.

“People falsely believe that St John’s is around the corner. The reality is if someone’s hit by a car or injured playing rugby, you could be waiting two to three hours for an ambulance if it’s been delayed by another call.”

Townsend says a business must have two staff on site that are first aid-trained at all times.

“The business is not the physical building, it’s anywhere where work is taking place. So at the office, there should be two people that are trained in first aid. If you’re working by yourself outside of the office, you should have been given a first aid course.”

He says the first aid kit has to be fit for purpose, which means it should have two survival blankets that are waterproof.

“At a lot of emergencies I attended as a paramedic in Warkworth people would be on the wet road, and when it’s like that the ground gets cold. Waiting for an ambulance when people are that cold is going to be life-threatening.

“Everybody remembers to put a blanket over the top but most people don’t have the confidence to put anything underneath. That’s why it’s so important to get first aid training so you know how to safely move people,” he says.

Finally, Townsend says family need to check in on elderly relatives and even young adults who are flatting because their houses aren’t always warm.

“Being cold can increase the risk of tripping and falling. I’ve been to so many calls where an elderly person is on the floor because they’ve just gotten that cold and fallen over.

“Also when it’s cold the elderly don’t like to go down to the pharmacy to get their medication. So it’s just making sure they have enough available so they don’t have to leave the house.”

Preparation and prevention are key to a safe winter, he says.