Leaves falling in the autumn pose a serious danger if you’re not careful. Click here to read about how to stay safe from something that seems so silly
What do you think of when you think of fall? Pumpkin patches, cozy sweaters, and apple cider may come to mind, but the most iconic, most tell-tale symbol of fall is the leaves. What was once green turns red, orange, yellow or brown and falls to the ground. This process is no doubt beautiful, but it can pose some serious danger to you and your family. So, without further ado, let’s check out some easy-to-implement fall safety practices!
Leaf Safety
Reduced Visibility
Is autumn referred to as fall because the leaves fall from trees? Or because humans fall in the leaves? The entrance of fall calls for cooler temperatures, shorter days, and falling leaves. And while these factors are great by themselves, mixing them together is an accident waiting to happen! Shorter days and leaves covering the ground lead to reduced visibility.
When you’re exercising or working outside, be careful of walking on sidewalks, steps, and raised surfaces like porches or decks. Additionally, make sure all the exterior lights of your home are working and that you always keep a light source on you when you go outside later in the day. Yes, we all still have that child-like impulse to jump in those leaf piles, but be strong and avoid them– they are the perfect hiding spot for potholes or missed steps.
Slippery Leaves
The perfect partner in crime to reduced visibility is slippery leaves. Autumn can be quite rainy at times, and the leaves that blanket the ground can get slippery! To avoid slipping and tripping all over the place, we recommend wearing shoes with plenty of traction when out and about.
We get it– everyone likes to leave home in fashion and look their best, but nothing is more fashionable than safety (wink wink). Be sure to leave home in shoes with some grip on the bottom. The more lines and grooves in the bottom of your shoes, the more grip they should have!
Finally, for all the parents and guardians out there,make sure your children practice leaf safety as well! We all were kids once and remember how tempting it is to run through piles of leaves on the lawn when playing outside. Many of us can also remember taking quite the tumble when doing so. Because leaves hold water after rain, it’s easy to slip on a wet patch of leaves and fall to the ground. Let’s help today’s generation of kids avoid the same fate!
Be sure to tell your kiddos to be careful when they are running or playing outside and let them know to avoid spots with large amounts of leaf cover.
Protect Your Lungs
As stated above, playing in the leaves is a staple of fall. (Unfortunately) raking them up is too. If you’re someone who likes to shred leaves after raking them, you should consider wearing a respirator. Shredding produces a lot of dust, and while you may think leaf dust is harmless, it can cause serious damage to your lungs. Luckily, you don’t have to spend your hard-earned money on a respirator. You can easily DIY it– all you need is an old t-shirt and scissors. Try it out and keep your lungs clear!
Instructions:
- Lay out the old shirt flat on a flat surface.
Cut out a space at the bottom that is the width of your hand with the fingers spread out. - Make one cut to free the ends.
- Put the two ends together and fold the longest piece in half to make the following cuts.
- Measure out three more handspans.
- Cut out the center, leaving a space on the upper and lower edges.
- Grab two of the ties and pull the mask across the bridge of your nose and tie them around the back of your neck.
- Grab the last two ties and tie them up on top of your head. Make sure the lower part of the mask covers the chin.
Gutter Safety
While there are many leaves falling to the ground during autumn, there’s an excess of leaves falling into your gutter as well. You may not think that leaves can cause damage to your home, but you’d be wrong. The gutters that line your roof can easily become congested with leaves during the fall, and that can lead to damage to your roof and foundational damage. Gutters are meant to divert water away from your home, and leaves clogging gutters prevent them from doing this.
Cleaning gutters is important, but it’s even more important to make sure you do it safely. When cleaning the gutters of your home, make sure you have a good, sturdy, and extendable ladder. Your ladder should always be placed on a sturdy surface. Make sure it isn’t set on landscaping rocks because those can shift dangerously beneath the ladder and cause it to topple over. You can use a ladder stabilizer for safety and to help prevent damage to your gutters. Also, it’s a great idea to have a helper in case you drop something or need a hand with the ladder. Finally, if you don’t have the proper tools to clean gutters, don’t worry! A child’s sandbox shovel or kitchen spatula work just as well.
Fall Back on HealthCARE Express
Here at HealthCARE Express, it’s our goal to provide you with all the tools and information you need to keep you and your family safe and healthy. However, we understand that life happens fast and accidents can happen– and when they do, we’ll be here! We have over 17 different locations in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, each equipped with professionals who can assist you with COVID services, occupational medicine, imaging and X-Rays, immunizations and vaccines, hormone therapy, and more. Visit our website to find an urgent care location closest to you, and give us a call! We can’t wait to hear from you.
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