Category Archives: Bad Weather

Do not drive unless you have to

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Drive safely in the snow

Drive safely in the snow

 

Do not drive unless you have to.

Irish weather is causing havoc – to businesses, children off school and driving.

Some road safety tips according to IrishHealth.com -

Road Safety:

The Gardai are urging people to leave their cars behind and travel by public transport where possible. If you have to make a journey, there are a number of things you should do.

 

-Before setting out, ensure all your windows are clear of snow and ice and remove snow from your footwear to ensure your feet do not slip on the pedals.
- When moving off, use second gear to minimise wheel spin. If your car starts to slip in place while you are trying to start off, ease off the accelerator.
-Drive slowly and stay well behind the car in front of you.
-Use dipped headlights in the daytime.
-Beware of black ice. A very noticeable decrease in road noise is an indication that you are driving on black ice.
-Use the highest gear possible when driving on flat ground and engage a lower gear when travelling downhill, particularly when driving through bends. Look ahead and choose a suitable gear in advance before climbing a hill to avoid having to change down while on an incline.
-Avoid sudden braking or acceleration. Anticipate when you may need to stop and use engine braking, in other words, changing down through the gears in order to slow the car gradually before gently applying the brakes.
-If your car starts to skid and you do not have ABS, press down on the clutch and turn the steering wheel in the same direction as the skid, while gently easing off the accelerator. Avoid over-correction with too much steering. Braking or accelerating suddenly could put your car into a spin.
-If the car does spin, remain calm and press down on the brake pedal firmly, holding it there until the car comes to a stop.
-Never try to overtake a car that is skidding or spinning on the road in front of you

AVOID  DRIVING  WHERE  POSSIBLE  AND  ONLY  MAKE  JOURNEYS  ON  THE  ROAD THAT  ARE  NECESSARY

Putting our Clocks back this weekend not good for our Health

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Clocks back not good for our Health

Clocks back not good for our Health

A UK Expert, Dr Mayer Hillman of the Policies Studies Institute in London has said not putting our clocks back this weekend and still putting them forward next Spring would be a simple way to vastly improve our wellbeing and health.

As this would increase our outdoor accessibility in terms of daylight, it would encourage more outdoor activity and sports.

Dr Hillman pointed out that lack of exercise is a major contributing factor for chronic illnesses.

Adults are advised to partake in at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per day, while children are encouraged to do one hours activity per day – many people are falling short on this advice.

Although most people are aware of the benefits of this exercise – lower blood pressure, less risk of obesity, Diabetes and heart disease, this routine does not feature in a high percentage of people’s daily lives.

During the Summer and ‘brighter’ months, there is a lower sickness rate, people feel happier and more energetic, but moods tend to lower in the darker Winter months.

Dr Hillman states – Taking account of the typical daily patterns of adults and children, the clock change ‘would considerably increase opportunities for outdoor leisure activities – about 300 additional hours of daylight for adults each year and 200 more for children’, he said.

“Adopting the clock change proposal is an effective, practical and remarkably easily managed way of achieving a better alignment of our waking hours with the available daylight during the year. It must be rare to find a means of vastly improving the health and wellbeing of nearly everyone in the population – and at no cost. Here we have it,” he concluded.

Scarlet Fever is lurking………..

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Strawberry tongue - symptom of Scarlet FeverWith the schools now back a few weeks and changes in weather, the usual bugs are circling our children – one of note – Scarlet Fever – has been mentioned surprisingly often.

What is Scarlet Fever?

Scarlet fever is a condition in which a distinct rash develops. It is caused by group A streptococcus bacteria.

The bacteria make a toxin, which when released, causes the ‘scarlet’ rash to develop, along with other common symptoms, such as a high fever and sore throat.

While the illness can affect people of all ages, it most commonly affects young children. Cases of scarlet fever in people over the age of 18 are rare.

Scarlet fever is contagious.

What are the symptoms?

People usually get sick two to five days after being exposed to the illness. Symptoms include:

-A high fever. This usually peaks at 103 or 104 degrees Fahrenheit on the second day.

-A sore throat.

-Headache.

-Nausea or vomiting.

-Body aches and pain.

-A general feeling of unwell.

-Loss of appetite.

-Swollen neck glands.

-A ‘strawberry’ tongue – this is when the tongue develops a thick, white coating that peels off after four or five days, producing a strawberry-like appearance.

However the scarlet fever rash is the most distinctive symptom. It usually appears 12 – 48 hours after the person becomes ill. The rash generally starts below the ears, neck, chest, armpits and groin, before spreading to the rest of the body after 24 hours. The face is spared, although it does appear flushed, except around the area of the mouth.

The rash is usually scarlet in colour and can feel quite rough – like sandpaper. It eventually fades and begins to peel, like sunburned skin. Peeling usually begins after six days and can last up to six weeks.

How is scarlet fever contracted?

Scarlet fever is contagious. A person can contract it by breathing in the airborne droplets from an infected person’s coughing or sneezing.

It can also be contracted by sharing contaminated clothes, towels or bed linen, or by touching the skin of someone infected.

It should be noted that in order to get scarlet fever, you must be susceptible to the toxin produced by the group A streptococcus bacteria. It can happen that two children in the same family may both have streptococcal infections, such as strep throat, but only one – the one susceptible to the toxin – will develop scarlet fever.

How is scarlet fever diagnosed and treated?

A GP may suspect scarlet fever based on a physical examination and symptoms history. This diagnosis can be confirmed by taking a throat swab sample – a painless procedure – and testing it for bacterial growth.

Once scarlet fever is confirmed, a course of antibiotics will usually be prescribed. These are generally taken for up to 10 days. It is essential that the patient finishes the prescribed course of antibiotics.

Additional treatments and advice can include:

-Paracetamol for fever, headache or throat pain.

-Oral antihistamines or calamine lotion to relieve the itch of the rash.

-Eating soft foods and drinking cool liquids, as the throat may be very sore.

-Keep fingernails on young children short, as they may scratch and damage the skin.

With treatment, most patients recover after four to five days, although it may take up to six weeks for skin symptoms to clear fully.

If left untreated or if treatment is unsuccessful, complications can occur, including rheumatic fever, pneumonia and septicaemia. However this is rare.

 

Its not the end of the world it just looks like it!

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How to spend your time more productively

How to spend your time more productively

Its not the end of the world it just looks like it! Snow and Ice seems to have kept a lot of us at home yesterday and today but that doesnt mean that the world stops.  Thanks to the internet and e-mail its still possible to keep in contact and to assess whats happening in your career.

Although  it may be irritating that you have work to do at your desk and cant make it in to be physically present, it can sometimes be benificial from a number of perspectives being at home when you are snowed in.

Primarily from a safety perpective there is little benifit to you or your employer if you attempt to come to work only to end up coming to harm as a result of being stuck in a snowdrift for the majority of the day or being stressed to the point of a nervous break down as you slip and slide your way to work as usual or worse still; find yourself stuck behind an articulated truck which appears to be sliding unstopably towards you and your equally immobile car.

If you are at home and have as most  people do these days, a home office, it may be possible to do quiet a lot of work contacting clients, drafting documents or reviewing plans that are sometimes difficult to achieve at work due to interuptions or staff meetings. When the weather clears it may then be possible to return to work with a clear mind and a fresh approach that may have not have been possible simply due to a lack of opportunity.

After all how many of us have found that a  few hours away from the desk to think can allow you to see the woods for the trees rather than feeling like you are reacting to events rather than driving them?