Safety Tip of the Week – Frostbite

Deep frostbite can cause fluid-filled blisters

Low temperatures, humidity, and wind velocity are all contributing factors to overexposure from the cold. Usually the victim is unaware of frostbite until someone else observes the pale, glossy skin. Frostbite results when crystals form, either superficially or deeply in the fluids and soft tissues of the skin. Frostbite is the freezing of a specific body parts such as fingers, toes, the nose or earlobes.

Frostbite is a cold-related emergency that may quickly become life or limb threatening. Frostbite can be more severe when the area is thawed and then refrozen.

Dress for the weather and your outside work will be more comfortable. But remember it is sometimes difficult for you to recognize the symptoms of frostbite in yourself. Make sure you and your companions keep a close watch on each other for the warning signs, which include:

• Skin color going from red (flushed) to white to grayish-yellow;
• Pain felt early then subsiding completely;
• Affected parts feeling cold and numb; and
• Blisters appearing.

TEN FINGERS…TEN TOES…IF YOU’RE NOT SAFE…WHO KNOWS!!