All posts by jjmiller

Tips for Preventing Heat-Related Illness

Stay Cool

  • Wear Appropriate Clothing: Choose lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.
  • Stay Cool Indoors: Stay in an air-conditioned place as much as possible.
  • Schedule Outdoor Activities Carefully: Try to limit your outdoor activity to when it’s coolest, like morning and evening hours.
  • Pace Yourself: Cut down on exercise during the heat. If you’re not accustomed to working or exercising in a hot environment, start slowly and pick up the pace gradually.
  • Wear Sunscreen: Sunburn affects your body’s ability to cool down and can make you dehydrated.
  • Do Not Leave Children or Pets in Cars: Cars can quickly heat up to dangerous temperatures, even with a window cracked open.

Stay Hydrated

  • Drink Plenty of Fluids: Drink more fluids, regardless of how active you are. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.
  • Replace Salt and Minerals: Heavy sweating removes salt and minerals from the body that need to be replaced. A sports drink can replace the salt and minerals you lose in sweat.
  • Keep Your Pets Hydrated: Provide plenty of fresh water for your pets, and leave the water in a shady area.

Stay Informed

  • Check for Updates: Check your local news for extreme heat alerts and safety tips and to learn about any cooling shelters in your area.
  • Know the Signs: Learn the signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses and how to treat them.
  • Monitor Those at High Risk: Although anyone at any time can suffer from heat-related illness, some people are at greater risk than others: infants and young children, people over 65 years of age, people who overexert during work or exercise, and people physically ill–especially with heart disease or high blood pressure.

More information on heat-related tips, symptom, and frequently asked questions can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/index.html.

June 1-7 is CPR and AED Awareness Week

June 1-7 is National CPR and AED Awareness Week. The Office of Emergency Management and Safety encourages all NOVA faculty, staff, and students to please take 90 seconds and watch the above video to learn the lifesaving skills of Hands-Only CPR.

Did you know that 70 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen in homes? Statistically speaking, if you are called on to give CPR in an emergency, you will most likely be trying to save the life of someone you love: a co-worker, a spouse, a parent, a child, or a friend.

In just 90 seconds, you can learn the two simple steps to Hands-Only CPR. Please watch the video above so you can be prepared during a cardiac emergency.

Tornado Weather Alert Definitions

On Friday, April 19th Virginia experienced 11 tornadoes–including one in Northern Virginia’s Reston area! Many of us were at home when this all occurred.  We were inundated with news coverage and tornado alerts from the National Weather Service, but what actually do these weather alerts mean?

When these weather alerts are issued, it is important to know the definitions because they should trigger different actions you take. You may need to plan ahead and take precautions,  or you may even need to take immediate life-saving action. The infographic above highlights the differences between a tornado watch and warning. Please take a moment to review these definitions so you are better prepared.

 

*Important Video* – Close Before You Doze

People 40 years ago once had an average of 17 minutes to escape a burning home after the activation of a smoke alarm. Today, that time has dropped to 3 minutes or less due to materials used in furnishings, homes incorporating more open layouts, and lightweight construction materials—all contributing to fires spreading much quicker.

One thing you can do to protect yourself is to close your bedroom door before you fall asleep. The important 5-minute video below demonstrates how a closed bedroom door can potentially save your life during a house fire.

In the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Firefighter Safety Research Institute (FSRI) video above, their research reveals closed bedroom doors dramatically decrease heat and CO levels versus open doors during house fires, providing trapped occupants more time to react and escape if they can do so safely.

When a fire ignites, there’s no time to act. If you would like to learn more about closing your bedroom door at night, please visit https://closeyourdoor.org/.