During the winter months, some students may spend more time in their residences to avoid winter complications such as frostbite or falling on a patch of ice. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, however, staying inside can also create problems by increasing the risk of fires due to the misuse of space heaters and fireplaces. In either case, there are several ways to curb the cold and prevent winter health hazards.
Sophomore voice performance major Stephanie M. Shelton learned her lesson the hard way when it came to frostbite. When walking to class at her former university in Wisconsin, the harsh winter conditions affected her ears.
"The worst day was negative 17 degrees with a negative 40 windchill," she said.
Now the sophomore voice performance major not only braves the cold with a brightly colored hat, scarf and pair of gloves, but also layers with a sweatshirt and thick winter coat.
"For voice performance majors, your body is your instrument so we have to take special precautions," Shelton said.
While Shelton considered frostbite to be an issue at Lawrence University, Kent Bullis, medical director of the Amelia T. Wood Health Center, said he doesn't consider frostbite to be a problem at Ball State. However, he said it can be avoided as long as students comply to some basic winter guidelines.
Dressing the part
Bullis said the biggest problem in regards to students revolves around not dressing properly. He said some students do not prepare for unexpected situations, like waiting longer than usual for a ride, and are not dressed appropriately for the weather. Another reason he thinks students are at risk involves their fashion, he said.
"They want to look nice by not wearing a coat," he said. "Or they wear open-toe heels and walk in the snow. They could have frostbite and they wouldn't even know."
Bullis said frostbite can be recognized by pain and color changes in the affected areas, which usually are present on ears, toes and fingers. The affected areas would also appear very white, but serious frostbite cases are not common.
"It is rare for us to see serious frostbite where the tissue turns black," he said. "The only time you would see it is if someone is assaulted and left in the snow or is intoxicated and is laying in the snow."
Taking Time
Bullis also recommends not hurrying by setting enough time aside to reach destinations. Wearing proper shoes when walking and clearing off car windshields properly can help to avoid slipping on a patch of ice or getting into a car accident.
Safety Indoors
Alternative uses for heating residences also become more common during winter months, said David Miller, Chief Inspector for the Muncie Fire Department. Space heater and furnace fires can occur with misuse, but Miller doesn't think it is a common problem in Muncie, especially if it is only used as a supplemental source of heat.
"We really have been fortunate in Muncie this year — at this point," he said.
Junior finance major Robert Vaught said he's never had a problem with his space heater and said it shouldn't cause problems as long as "you keep your papers away from it."
Vaught also turns off the space heater when he leaves the room and plugs the cord directly into the wall instead of using a power cord.
Miller agrees with these two safety measures. He also suggests following the manufacturers' directions thoroughly, keeping the space heater three feet away from surrounding objects and purchasing a heater that turns off automatically in case it is tipped over.
Miller also suggests changing the filters in furnaces and using a chimney sweep for fireplaces. The older filters in furnaces as well as the buildup of soot in fireplaces can cause fires. If a fireplace that has not been cleaned is in use, the heat travels up and can catch the residue on fire. This result, called a flue fire, can travel behind walls.
"Remember when using supplemental heating," Miller said. "It takes more than just flipping the furnace on."
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