Sam Crudgington

Last year, the ‘cold snap’ in the UK ushered a spike in heart attacks and strokes. Around 2/5 of the extra deaths recorded in winter are because of heart attacks in the days following a cold snap. This is predominantly a result of colder weather making viral infections, like flu, spread more easily which can cause serious complications for older people.

Winter Facts

  • Cold weather could trigger heart attacks
  • Heart attacks are more common in winter
  • The heart must work harder to pump blood around the body when its cold

With the above in mind, and winter now in full swing, it is a good idea to consider attending a Basic Life Support course, or refresher course if you have attended one before.

With winter comes the dreaded weather! When ice covers pathways and driveways, pedestrians are at risk of falling. Some falls just result in an embarrassing moment, a lot of laughs, maybe a photo or two and a few bruises the next day – but some can be really serious. Would you know how to help a friend if they fell and injured themselves? BLS course teach you what to do in the event of incidents like these.life support skills training courses health & safety Total Safe UK fire Safety services south east

How about hypothermia? Would you know what to do if one of your loved ones slipped into hypothermia? Children, the elderly and people with low body fat percentages are at particular risk of this. Sometimes with this, the person’s breathing either stops or seems very shallow or slow and CPR may be needed. This is also covered in all BLS courses and is such a vital life skill to have.

Winter can be a great season for outdoor sports and for the kids all wanting to rush outside to build a snowman or two, but it is important to be aware and informed of any potential dangers. This is the perfect time of year to brush up on your first aid skills for those upcoming potential cold-weather injuries!