Coping with the Weather

If you do not learn to work with the weather, it can either make or break your day. Some weather conditions can also be dangerous for you. Here are some safety precautions that you should always observe:

1. The sun’s rays can hurt your skin, especially those from ten o’clock in the morning to four o’clock in the afternoon. If you have to do outdoor work, do this early in the morning or later in the afternoon. You may also work under the shade of a tree or other structure.
2. When you have to stay under the sun, wear protective clothing such as long-sleeved shirts and long pants. You may also use wide-brimmed hats to keep the back of your neck covered.
3. Before stepping outdoors, apply sunblock. This is a cream or lotion applied to skin to help protect it from the sun’s strong rays.
4. If sunglasses are available, wear them to protect your eyes from the sun’s glare. You may use an umbrella to provide you with some shade outdoors.
5. During very hot days, drink more water and other fluids throughout the day.
6. During stormy weather, turn off and unplug electrical machines and gadgets.
7. If you are caught outdoors during a storm, never stand under or near a tree. When lightning strikes anything such as a tree, it produces so much heat that could cause death to those it hits directly.
8. Never stay near an open window, especially near an electric outlet. The electric current may travel through the outside walls of the building and on to you.
9. During stormy weather, avoid standing near an electrical appliance or using a landline phone. If lightning were to hit the antenna of the appliance or phone, the current could travel to the appliance or phone through its antenna.
10. Avoid staying in high places or near light poles, communication towers, metal bleachers, metal fences, golf carts, or open water during a storm.