Article originally appeared in the Ryerson University Alumni Blog
https://www.ryerson.ca/alumni/news-and-stories/2020/09/keeping-safe-and-healthy/
One of the amazing things about Canada is that we have four seasons and every season bring its own opportunities for renewal and change. Let’s look at a few health and safety tips to keep in mind this fall.
You might feel strange with the upcoming time change. The days are getting shorter and soon we will “fall back” for daylight savings time. The days after the time change has notoriously led to increased car and workplace accidents. The change can affect our sleep patterns, mood, appetite and more according to several articles and studies. In order to combat this change, consider exercising a few days leading up to the change and a few days after if exercise is not already part of your regular routine, get your rest and drink a good amount of water. Of course, these are good things to do any time of the year so if it’s not already part of your routine, use this change in seasons as your catalyst to change your routine.
Your safety is better when you check on the weather. Every season change means a change in weather too and fall is a great time to adjust to the winter months coming ahead. It’s a good thing we don’t just go from summer to winter overnight and we get a few months to readjust. Can you imagine if temperatures went from +25°C to -25°C overnight? Mother nature knew that plants, animals including us humans need time to acclimatize to the change and so she gave us fall. Use fall to prepare your home and car for winter. Start winterizing your home now instead of waiting for the winter weather to arrive. Book your winter tire change appointments now, you have a rough idea when temperatures will drop consistently below 7°C. If you don’t, you can use the Environment Canada website and look at historical weather data for your area. Environment Canada also has a weather app now available called WeatherCan, this app is amazing, providing data straight from Environment Canada, it includes weather alerts and great learning too.
Foodborne illness can suck, so avoid the Potty Luck. Although entertaining might be a little different this year, many people will still find a way to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends. Larger gatherings mean that you might be cooking for more people than usual and you may ask your guests to bring food and sometimes the meal could end up making everyone sick. One simple but effective food safety tip is to keep food hot in a pot or cold and on hold which means keeping food out of the temperature danger zone (4-60°C or 40-140°F) Health Canada has great tips for Holiday Food Safety.
Let’s all behave to prevent a second wave. As the temperature drops there is concern that the colder temperatures brings the usual flu season and may help increase the spread of COVID-19. For everyone’s health and safety, as Peel Public health has been promoting, we all need to continue practicing the core four public health measures to stay 2 metres apart, wash our hands often or use hand sanitizer, wear a non-medical mask and get tested if you think you may have COVID-19. Staying apart, regular hand hygiene and wearing a mask should also help reduce the spread of seasonal flu too. Consider skipping Thanksgiving or having a very small guest list, and celebrate Halloween virtually and rethink handing out candy this year.
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