00;00;12;21 - 00;00;18;11Emily Home. Welcome, everybody, to the news room. It is just Emily here today. 00;00;18;13 - 00;00;19;20Emily So we are going to do. 00;00;19;20 - 00;00;22;24Emily A solo episode of The Emily. 00;00;22;24 - 00;00;24;07Emily Show here. 00;00;24;10 - 00;00;29;27Emily So, you know, I want to do a quick episode about something that is just on my mind. 00;00;29;27 - 00;00;40;08Emily Because we are experiencing it right now. At the time of me recording this, it is currently, below zero outside. So we are. 00;00;40;12 - 00;00;41;25Emily Fully in the throes of. 00;00;41;25 - 00;00;44;25Emily Cold winter weather. And I did. 00;00;44;26 - 00;00;47;09Emily Take a look, at the Farmer's Almanac. 00;00;47;09 - 00;00;54;13Emily So that is still something that I like to refer to. You can thank my dad for that, I guess. But Farmer's. 00;00;54;13 - 00;00;58;15Emily Almanac is predicting that the rest of this winter will be cold and. 00;00;58;15 - 00;01;01;10Emily Wet. So, you know. 00;01;01;10 - 00;01;03;24Emily What makes me nervous? Because that doesn't always mean. 00;01;03;24 - 00;01;05;07Emily Snow, but. 00;01;05;10 - 00;01;18;29Emily You know, knowing it's going to be cold. And of course, I know a lot of us live in Minnesota. You know, not all of our listeners do, but a lot of you do. Of course, that's where Brad and I live is here in Minnesota. So, you know, we think, we know. 00;01;18;29 - 00;01;21;13Emily A lot about winter and we're prepared for cold weather. 00;01;21;13 - 00;01;25;04Emily But I always think that we can be a little more informed. 00;01;25;04 - 00;01;27;05Emily Right, a little more ready. 00;01;27;07 - 00;01;36;06Emily And I think that because we live in it and we know it gets cold every year, we maybe, get a little too comfortable. 00;01;36;06 - 00;01;42;13Emily Or relaxed with the very real risks that are associated with winter weather and with. 00;01;42;13 - 00;01;44;18Emily Specifically the cold. 00;01;44;23 - 00;01;45;18Emily Right? 00;01;45;20 - 00;01;55;00Emily So when we work in the cold, we need to keep in mind, similar to working in summer, right? We talk about getting heat stress, not not just cattle. 00;01;55;00 - 00;01;57;02Emily I'm talking about people now. Right. 00;01;57;04 - 00;02;06;04Emily So people can get heat stress, heat stroke. Similarly, we can get cold stress. Right. And so that's things like hypothermia and other. 00;02;06;04 - 00;02;08;00Emily Conditions that we can get. 00;02;08;03 - 00;02;10;11Emily And so it is really important to. 00;02;10;11 - 00;02;12;09Emily Remember that cold. 00;02;12;09 - 00;02;23;00Emily Stress can happen. And kind of similar to in cattle. It happens in conditions where it may be cold but also very windy and also wet. 00;02;23;02 - 00;02;23;27Emily Right. So just. 00;02;23;27 - 00;02;27;25Emily Like we think about our cattle having their thick winter coats and being. 00;02;27;25 - 00;02;29;06Emily Kept dry and out of the. 00;02;29;06 - 00;02;33;28Emily Wind, we need to think about the same things for for us and for the other. 00;02;33;28 - 00;02;37;28Emily People working on our farm. Right. So, so. 00;02;37;28 - 00;02;46;03Emily Just briefly on cold stress, if you're wondering, well, what does that look like? What does that mean? A lot of the symptoms are actually similar. 00;02;46;03 - 00;02;47;26Emily To heat stress. Right. 00;02;47;26 - 00;02;50;03Emily So this can be things. 00;02;50;05 - 00;02;50;18Emily Like. 00;02;50;18 - 00;03;14;05Emily Slowed Paulson breathing, confusion, you know, being fatigued, of course, some cold stress. Specific symptoms also include uncontrollable shivering, a loss of coordination of muscles, blue skin, dilated pupils. So these are the things to kind of look out for, for. 00;03;14;05 - 00;03;18;22Emily Cold stress in particular. You know, I also talked about, if it's. 00;03;18;22 - 00;03;24;01Emily Windy or wet. So that is where we see things like frostbite. So skin that may be. 00;03;24;01 - 00;03;27;04Emily Exposed and wet and then has wind. 00;03;27;04 - 00;03;29;16Emily On it, it can take 5 or 10. 00;03;29;16 - 00;03;33;13Emily Minutes or less, for frostbite to develop. 00;03;33;15 - 00;03;41;29Emily So, you know, also, of course, if we get really wet or somehow drenched, and can get dry fast enough again, hypothermia. 00;03;42;02 - 00;03;43;20Emily Could be an issue there as well. 00;03;43;20 - 00;03;49;14Emily So, you know, lots of stuff that can happen from cold. And so it's just important to be. 00;03;49;20 - 00;03;51;25Emily Mindful when working in the cold. And I. 00;03;51;25 - 00;03;57;15Emily Would say, you know, as, as Minnesotans or Midwesterners, I think one of the first things we think about. 00;03;57;15 - 00;04;00;16Emily Is clothing, at least for me. Right. You may be. 00;04;00;16 - 00;04;03;24Emily Familiar with one of my favorite Minnesota or maybe. 00;04;03;24 - 00;04;05;16Emily Midwest adages, which is. 00;04;05;21 - 00;04;06;28Emily There's no such thing as bad. 00;04;06;28 - 00;04;07;19Emily Weather. 00;04;07;21 - 00;04;08;11Emily Just bad. 00;04;08;11 - 00;04;09;17Emily Clothing. 00;04;09;20 - 00;04;10;21Emily And I'm a pretty firm. 00;04;10;21 - 00;04;12;27Emily Believer in that, right? I. 00;04;12;27 - 00;04;17;03Emily Like the cold weather. And I think that, you know, we can be out in the cold. 00;04;17;03 - 00;04;19;13Emily As long as we are dressed properly for it. 00;04;19;16 - 00;04;30;03Emily So we have talked about some of this previously, way back in episode 151. So if you want to learn more or just hear more discussion about cold weather stuff, you can check. 00;04;30;03 - 00;04;31;17Emily Out that episode. 00;04;31;20 - 00;04;34;10Emily But in that episode I talked a little bit about. 00;04;34;10 - 00;04;35;03Emily Layers. 00;04;35;09 - 00;04;36;12Emily And I just want to. 00;04;36;12 - 00;04;40;06Emily Reiterate some of that and expand on it a little bit. 00;04;40;09 - 00;04;42;20Emily Shout out to you the Upper Midwest. 00;04;42;20 - 00;04;43;16Emily Egg Safety and Health. 00;04;43;16 - 00;04;45;15Emily Center. They actually put out some. 00;04;45;15 - 00;04;47;24Emily Really great resources, on. 00;04;48;01 - 00;04;49;02Emily Dressing for winter. 00;04;49;02 - 00;04;54;07Emily Success. So we will make sure that we get this article linked in the show notes. 00;04;54;09 - 00;05;07;25Emily And so a key thing with the layers and, and kind of a fun fact, I guess, the first layer you put against your skin should not be cotton. So you really want the layer against your skin. 00;05;07;25 - 00;05;10;03Emily To be a fabric that is moisture. 00;05;10;03 - 00;05;30;27Emily Wicking, that can pull moisture and sweat away from your skin. Because yes, even if you are cold or it is cold, if you're wearing enough layers and moving your body, your body will still get warm and will produce some sweat. And so. Right. Cotton will just soak up that moisture and hold it against your skin, whereas something synthetic or sweat wicking. 00;05;31;02 - 00;05;32;18Emily You know, wool. 00;05;32;18 - 00;05;35;25Emily Is another good example of that can help pull some of. 00;05;35;25 - 00;05;38;25Emily That moisture away and thus keep you warmer. 00;05;39;01 - 00;05;48;11Emily So again, first layer should not be cotton, should be something synthetic or wool. And then, you know, adding more moisture on. 00;05;48;11 - 00;05;52;25Emily Or layers over the top of that. Right. So write. 00;05;52;25 - 00;05;54;05Emily Something lightweight. 00;05;54;12 - 00;06;05;05Emily And then get heavier and heavier as you continue to go. So a light fleece jacket and then you put on the big wool sweater and then you'll put on your big jacket, 00;06;05;07 - 00;06;10;25Emily You know, those layers again it's really about insulating and you're keeping your body warm. Right? Your body holds. 00;06;10;25 - 00;06;17;27Emily All the important stuff, your organs and all of that. So we want to keep that, up to temp. Right. 00;06;17;29 - 00;06;22;26Emily And then of course, outside of just the clothing, there's also the accessories. 00;06;22;26 - 00;06;26;27Emily Right. So we know a lot of heat can escape through the top of our heads. 00;06;26;29 - 00;06;29;27Emily So wearing a hat, I usually like to do a hat and. 00;06;29;27 - 00;06;31;08Emily Then a hooded sweatshirt. 00;06;31;08 - 00;06;32;18Emily And put the hood over. 00;06;32;21 - 00;06;44;02Emily And then I also put the hood of my jacket up once I have that on too. So that's three layers, you know, just over the top of my head to help, keep that heat contained. 00;06;44;04 - 00;06;46;19Emily Also, you know, again, I mentioned frostbite. 00;06;47;01 - 00;06;54;02Emily Or when it's really windy, you know, you may be susceptible to Winburn, so that's something that I get. 00;06;54;04 - 00;07;02;00Emily You know, if you see me in the winter, you'll see I have very kind of red, irritated looking cheeks. And that's Winburn. And that's a sign that I. 00;07;02;00 - 00;07;03;01Emily Didn't have my face. 00;07;03;01 - 00;07;04;15Emily Properly covered. So if you. 00;07;04;15 - 00;07;05;24Emily See me and you see that. 00;07;05;26 - 00;07;10;11Emily You have my permission to call me out. So wearing, you know, a scarf, a. 00;07;10;11 - 00;07;15;29Emily Gator, a buff, something over your face, I am definitely one of those people that if it is. 00;07;15;29 - 00;07;22;04Emily Below zero and I am outside, you will see my eyes. And that's about it. The rest of me is covered. 00;07;22;04 - 00;07;25;21Emily So just knowing, you know, have those layers also. 00;07;26;08 - 00;07;27;05Emily Mittens. 00;07;27;12 - 00;07;29;17Emily Are good, you know, mittens. 00;07;29;17 - 00;07;32;22Emily Or gloves? Mittens do keep your hands warmer. 00;07;32;23 - 00;07;35;10Emily That that is, you know, a. 00;07;35;10 - 00;07;40;02Emily Fact. But of course, we know in in a farming situation. 00;07;40;05 - 00;07;45;19Emily Gloves are usually a little more practical for detail to work. Right. You know, but if. 00;07;45;19 - 00;07;49;24Emily You can try to wear, you know, a glove, then, then wear a mitten over. 00;07;49;24 - 00;07;49;28Emily It. 00;07;49;28 - 00;07;58;05Emily So when you aren't needing, your hands to do that really detailed, specific work, your hands are staying warm, and then you can pop the mittens off. 00;07;58;05 - 00;08;14;25Emily Still have gloves on, do your task, and then have the the mittens back on. I know for me, if my fingers are cold, I, you know, my hands get stiff. You know, when when. Not so awesome thing about aging. You get stiff when it gets cold. Right. 00;08;14;25 - 00;08;18;10Emily And so, you know, keeping those warm. And then lastly, your. 00;08;18;10 - 00;08;24;24Emily Feet right along with your hands. If my feet are cold, I can't focus on anything else. So, that is. 00;08;24;24 - 00;08;25;24Emily Again, you may want. 00;08;25;24 - 00;08;27;16Emily To do a layer so within. 00;08;27;16 - 00;08;30;09Emily Synthetic moisture wicking sock and then a. 00;08;30;09 - 00;08;33;19Emily Thicker wool sock over the top, again will. 00;08;33;22 - 00;08;37;03Emily Keep that moisture away from the skin but also keep you insulated. 00;08;37;03 - 00;08;38;01Emily And warm. 00;08;38;04 - 00;08;39;09Emily So again thank. 00;08;39;09 - 00;08;45;26Emily You. You mash for those outstanding, dressing for success, tips in winter weather. 00;08;45;29 - 00;08;48;27Emily And I think that's something that we sometimes overlook. 00;08;48;27 - 00;08;54;07Emily Right. We just know, oh I need layers. And so we just put on layer on layer on layer. 00;08;54;09 - 00;08;55;27Emily But be mindful of the fabric. 00;08;55;27 - 00;09;00;29Emily You're using as well because that will make a difference. All right. 00;09;01;01 - 00;09;07;07Emily So we talked a little bit, you know, about clothing about signs of cold stress. Just a few other things I want. 00;09;07;07 - 00;09;09;17Emily To wrap up with here. 00;09;09;19 - 00;09;10;13Emily Are just thinking. 00;09;10;13 - 00;09;12;19Emily About working in the cold, you know, and, and. 00;09;12;19 - 00;09;15;08Emily Recently, Bradley and I. 00;09;15;11 - 00;09;23;18Emily We were talking about barn fire prevention, and we talked about things like space heaters. Right. Heating elements. And. 00;09;23;18 - 00;09;35;03Emily I know in cold weather, again, those can be really tempting to use. And so I encourage you to think about, you know, if you do need to have, you know, an indoor heated area. 00;09;35;03 - 00;09;37;27Emily For yourself or employees, you know. 00;09;37;27 - 00;09;44;00Emily Having that, having some protocols or safety parameters in place. I will also say now, a lot of the. 00;09;44;00 - 00;09;44;25Emily New models. 00;09;44;25 - 00;09;47;19Emily Space heaters, you can get will turn. 00;09;47;19 - 00;09;51;18Emily Off automatically after either a set amount of time or they'll. 00;09;51;18 - 00;09;53;05Emily Have temperature sensors in them. 00;09;53;05 - 00;09;54;28Emily So just like, you know, our home. 00;09;55;03 - 00;09;56;20Emily Thermostats, they can sense. 00;09;56;20 - 00;09;59;00Emily Once, they've reached a certain temp and then. 00;09;59;00 - 00;10;03;02Emily They'll turn off. So if you are going to use equipment like that, can. 00;10;03;04 - 00;10;03;18Emily You know. 00;10;03;18 - 00;10;04;18Emily Making those proper. 00;10;04;18 - 00;10;06;29Emily Safety considerations for them. 00;10;07;02 - 00;10;09;04Emily But also other considerations when working. 00;10;09;04 - 00;10;11;06Emily In the cold, you know, 00;10;11;08 - 00;10;22;16Emily Normally outdoor tasks. Right. Is it something that has to get done or is it something that could be moved inside? Right. Fixing something? Of course, some jobs are outside and need. 00;10;22;16 - 00;10;23;14Emily To be outside. 00;10;23;20 - 00;10;24;28Emily So also thinking. 00;10;24;28 - 00;10;30;15Emily About, you know, if you have three outdoor tasks to complete each day. 00;10;30;22 - 00;10;32;06Emily Maybe instead of doing. 00;10;32;06 - 00;10;38;27Emily All three of them in a row, if it's really cold, you do an outdoor task and then go in and warm up, right? 00;10;38;27 - 00;10;40;01Emily Give your skin a break. 00;10;40;01 - 00;10;41;23Emily From that cold exposure. 00;10;41;26 - 00;10;43;19Emily Do another job and then you can. 00;10;43;19 - 00;10;44;25Emily Go back out. Right. 00;10;44;25 - 00;10;55;29Emily So just again, kind of common sense, being mindful and just trusting your intuition and how you're feeling. You know, if if you're so cold that that's all you can focus on, it's probably time. 00;10;55;29 - 00;11;00;02Emily To go in and and warm up and take a break. You know. 00;11;00;02 - 00;11;01;16Emily Also thinking about. 00;11;01;23 - 00;11;07;12Emily The time of day of tasks, right? We know it's typically warmer kind of at midday. 00;11;07;12 - 00;11;10;29Emily And that's true even in the winter. And warmer might not be. 00;11;10;29 - 00;11;21;28Emily The best word to use. Right. I'm thinking of yesterday. I think it was negative four when I woke up. And then, around noon when I went to walk the dog because it would be, quote unquote warmer. 00;11;22;01 - 00;11;25;18Emily You know, it was up to 11 degrees, but still more pleasant. 00;11;25;18 - 00;11;26;16Emily The negative for. 00;11;26;24 - 00;11;38;18Emily So if you're also doing outdoor tasks, thinking about, you know, trying to do it at the best time of day when it is going to be warmest, or if the sun is out that day, you know, the sun being in the sky. 00;11;38;20 - 00;11;42;17Emily Also makes a difference in in warmth and how we feel. 00;11;42;19 - 00;11;49;29Emily So those types of considerations, and then lastly, you know, just thinking about things. 00;11;49;29 - 00;11;54;16Emily Like ice, right, slips, trips and falls and, and what do. 00;11;54;16 - 00;11;55;29Emily Workers or what do you. 00;11;55;29 - 00;11;58;20Emily Need to stay safe that way. Right. Do you have enough. 00;11;58;20 - 00;12;00;23Emily Sidewalk salt available? 00;12;00;25 - 00;12;02;28Emily Do do people need, you know, the. 00;12;02;28 - 00;12;08;29Emily Cleats, the spikes for their boots? You know, what is the plan to prevent those. 00;12;09;01 - 00;12;09;17Emily You know. 00;12;09;17 - 00;12;19;18Emily Just again, kind of these common sense things. But I wanted to give you a reminder. You know, working in the cold is a necessary part of the job, but it does present some dangers. 00;12;19;18 - 00;12;24;07Emily So we do want to make sure that we are doing it safely. 00;12;24;09 - 00;12;28;08Emily So I am going to wrap this solo episode there. 00;12;28;08 - 00;12;29;25Emily So if you are. 00;12;29;25 - 00;12;36;16Emily Interested in learning more, specifically from UMass, you can find them online UMass. 00;12;36;19 - 00;12;40;28Emily A h dot UMD view. 00;12;41;01 - 00;12;45;05Emily You can also find, cold weather and safety information. 00;12;45;08 - 00;12;50;20Emily On the extension website, extension dot and edu slash farm safety. 00;12;50;22 - 00;12;53;16Emily If you have questions, comments or scathing rebuttals about. 00;12;53;16 - 00;12;59;12Emily Today's episode, you can email those to the newsroom at Umkc. Edu. 00;12;59;15 - 00;13;08;06Emily I hope you stay warm out there and we will catch you all next week. Bye. Boom! Crushed it.