The coldest, darkest and most depressing time of the year, winter is most definitely settling in at the moment! Rain, sleet, hail, wind... and that's just the minor elements that we get hit with at this time of year. From November to February the weather is unpredictable and in some cases quite violent.

The most important apart of winter is being able to stay warm and dry to prevent hypothermia. This is usually not a problem living in houses with central heating, but if you are hit by a power cut, you could be days with power, heating or water. Even if the risks are minimal it is a good idea to prepare a winter safety kit for your home.

Warmth

When winter is approaching the first thing that you should do is to make sure that you have plenty of fuel. Make sure oil tanks are full and that there is plenty of wood and coal kept in a dry place near to your house.

When creating a safety kit for your home for the winter months make sure that you stock the following to help keep you warm in the event that your heating is switched off.

*Waterproof matches, lighters and lighter fluid

*Thick blankets, duvets and quilts

*Thick woollen jumpers and padded coats

*Hats, gloves, scarves and spare socks

*Extra heating source - for example portable oil or electric heater, or fireplace

Always make sure that the rooms are well ventilated to prevent suffocation. It is also advisable to have carbon monoxide and smoke alarms fitted to the main electric supply with a battery back-up.

Food and Water

During the winter floods can affect the drinking water supply and the main taps may be cut off. You will normally get a warning, but then people will 'panic-buy'. With this in mind it is a good idea to be stocked in advanced.

*Bottled drinking water

*Energy drinks

*Tins or cans of food - such as beans, sweetcorn, tomatoes and spaghetti

*Dried food - like crackers, raisins, dried fruit, bread and cookies

*Manual can opener

*Pet food - wet meat will also provide a water supply for pets, although they will still need drinking water

*Baby food - formula milk, jarred food and pureed fruit

*Cooking source such as a camping stove

Make sure you keep about a week's supply ready and check it regularly to make sure that none of it has past the use-by date or perished.

Safety

Keeping safe is extremely important as hypothermia is a real risk during the colder months of the year. Within your safety kit you should include:

*First aid kit - bandages, antiseptic cream, alcohol wipes, tweezers, scissors, gauze pads, hand warmer, eye wash, saline solution, CPR mouth piece, emergency survival blanket

*Extra medicines - extra prescription medicines, cough syrup, paracetamol, aspirin, ibuprofen, children's medicines

*Pocket knife

*Flashlight

*Extra batteries

*Other lighting sources - lamps and candles, although battery operated lights are safer than candles and oil lanterns

*Bags of salt and sand - can be used to melt snow and ice, and can also be used to build protection from flooding

*Cell phone charger

*Fire extinguisher

You should also make sure that you have a list of emergency contact telephone numbers such as the fire department, hospital and police.

If you are caught in a situation that calls for the use of an emergency winter home safety kit it is important to remain calm, panicking can cause injuries and frighten young children. If you do have children within your home, pack some games into your safety kit as well to keep them amused. Have a safe winter.

Learn more about this author, Charlotte Howard.
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