It’s going to get very cold in the next few days, so while hospitals prepare for the likely influx of emergencies, INEM has launched a checklist of tips to keep people safe – concentrating on the very young and the elderly as the most at risk.
INEM stresses the need to stay warm, take care with heaters or open fires – making sure flammable objects are kept away from both.
Malfunctioning heaters can release toxic fumes, so INEM encourages everyone to check these before using.
Advice involves watching people for tremors, exhaustion, restless hands, memory loss and drowsiness as they are some of the main symptoms of hypothermia in adults, while children tend to become listless and can develop red and cold skin.
With a wave of polar air descending on the continent as of tomorrow, weather reports warn temperatures could drop below zero in some mountain areas of the north and centre.
