Stay Healthy This Winter

Burn Wood Smart and Healthy (Word*)

• Take steps to weatherize your home, such as closing up areas that will let heat escape.
• Have your heating system inspected and cleaned once per year. 
• Replace old woodstoves (older than late 1980s) with newer ones that use less wood and burn up to 90% cleaner.
• If using cord wood, burn hardwoods that are clean, dry, and seasoned.
• Never burn garbage, plastics, paints, treated woods.
• Burn small, hot fires. 
• Split wood into 4-6 inch pieces.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning – Prevent This Silent Killer (Word*)

• Put a working carbon monoxide detector in your home near bedrooms. 
• Place generators outdoors in a well-ventilated location more than 15 feet from your home (20-25 feet is best) and away from windows or doors. Plan ahead to make sure you have long extension cords and an accessible spot to place the generator.
• Use kerosene heaters in a well-ventilated room.
• Do not cook inside with outdoor cooking devices, including charcoal.
• Do not use indoor gas cooking stoves or ovens or clothes dryers for heat.
• Inspect and clean heating system.
• Recognize the early symptoms (headache, nausea, fatigue, shortness of breath).
• If the detector sounds an alarm, go outside and call 911.

For more information:

• Carbon Monoxide Fact Sheet and information from US CDC and US EPA
• Carbon Monoxide FAQ from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission
• CMP: Generator Safety
• Electric Space Heater Safety Tips from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission

Stay Warm - Prevent Hypothermia (Word*)

• Dress in layers.
• Wear a hat, scarf, and gloves.
• Keep infants in a warm room, 61-68 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Drink plenty of fluids and warm/hot drinks.
• Eat regular balanced meals.
• Keep active, but not to the point of sweating.
• Keep dry.
• Cut down on alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine – all three cause heat loss.
• Try to keep one room in the house warm.
• Recognize the symptoms of hypothermia – impaired consciousness, sleepiness, confusion, and/or disorientation, shivering (may not see shivering in the elderly or people on certain medications), pale or blue skin, numbness, poor coordination, slurred speech. 

For more information:

• Hypothermia - A cold weather risk for older people from the National Institutes of Health
• Winter safety tips - for children from the Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center

Additional Information and Resources

• Maine Prepares winter safety and preparedness information from MEMA
• Winter weather health from US CDC
• Winter weather preparedness from FEMA
• Cold stress information for outdoor workers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and OSHA
• Monitor Maine-specific information from the National Weather Service
• Road conditions
• 211 Maine