^{A monthly Safety and Wellness Newsletter brought to you by The Town of Wellesley Employee Safety & Wellness Committee}

February Wellness Activity

It's not too late to sign up! CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE CHALLENGE PORTAL & WEBINARS  

If you are new to the website, click Create your Wellness Concepts account at the bottom of page.

Are You or a Family Member Struggling?

Help is available. Please reach out. Click here for 2 robust programs we offer to our employees: Employee Assistance Programs

Winter Driving Tips              

_{Submitted by Michael Carmody} 

Dozens of road safety organizations offer helpful suggestions to drive safely in cold temperatures and with ice and snow-covered roads. All agree that preparation before driving and extra caution while driving are key strategies for avoiding collisions or getting stuck on the roads.

Here are some of the top tips for when you’re ready to get on the road.

Stay home. Ask yourself, “Is this trip necessary right now?” If the roads are covered with ice or snow, wait until they’re plowed and salted before driving.

Gas up your vehicle before a snowstorm to avoid running out if you’re stuck for hours in bumper-to-bumper traffic. 

Take it slow. On a snow-packed road, you should reduce your speed to no faster than half of the speed limit. So if the speed limit it 60 mph, you should drive only 30 mph.

Accelerate slowly, Brake slowly. If the wheels start spinning, use less throttle or let the vehicle roll at idle before accelerating. Look ahead for red lights and stopped traffic and ease off the gas rather than use the brakes to slow down.

Be on the lookout for black ice. Pavement that appears wet may be icy if the road surface is below freezing temperature.

If you must drive up a hill - try to get a little inertia going before starting up. Don’t stop once you start driving uphill. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed and proceed downhill slowly.

Give the plow some room. Trucks with plows have wide blind spots and poor peripheral vision for the driver. If you’re driving on a multi-lane roadway, don’t drive next to a snowplow or snow could be thrown up onto your windshield.

If you get stuck in the snow:

• Stay with your vehicle: Your vehicle provides temporary shelter and makes it easier for rescuers to locate you. Do not try to walk in a severe storm. It is easy to lose sight of your vehicle in blowing snow and become lost.
• Clear the Exhaust Pipe: Make sure the exhaust pipe is not clogged with snow, ice or mud. A blocked exhaust pipe can cause deadly carbon monoxide gas to leak into the passenger compartment of the vehicle while the engine is running.
• Stay Warm: Use whatever is available to insulate your body from the cold. This could include floor mats, newspapers or paper maps. Pre-pack blankets and heavy clothing to use in case of an emergency.
• Conserve Fuel: If possible, only run the engine and heater long enough to remove the chill. This will help to conserve fuel.

See these websites for more driving tips:

Kelly Blue Book https://www.kbb.com/car-news/20-tips-for-safe-winter-driving/

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/14536-winter_driving_tips_2019-2020_111519_v1a_tag.pdf

American Automobile Association (AAA) https://exchange.aaa.com/safety/driving-advice/winter-driving-tips/

We Want You!

If you are interested in joining the Town of Wellesley Safety & Wellness Committee, we'd like to hear from you! We meet virtually on the second Tuesday of each month for one hour. There is usually another 30 minutes  or so of work to do outside of the meeting, depending on the upcoming activities.  If you are enthusiastic and committed, you'd be perfect! Please reach out to Jen Glover, jglover@wellesleyma.gov, 781-489-4282.

Living Well at Home - Free virtual wellness classes & webinars

_{Submitted by Jen Glover, Workers Comp/Leave Coordinator}

These well-being programs are here for you when you need them the most. Whether you are looking to shake it up, stretch it out, or get centered, we’ve got you covered with Zumba®, yoga, guided mindfulness, and wellness sessions, which are available to everyone. All classes are free and easy to access via Zoom. CLICK HERE

Share the LOVE on February 14 - National Donor Day! 

Submitted by Cay Meagher, Select Board Office

• National Donor Day aims to raise awareness of the life-saving benefits of five different types of donation – organs, tissues, marrow, platelets, and blood. 
• Organ Donation: on average 20 people die each day waiting for a transplant, just one organ donor can save as many as eight lives.
• Tissue & eye Donation: one donor can help restore sight to two people and heal  the lives or more than 75 people.
• Bone Marrow Donation: of the patients in need of a bone marrow transplant, 70% of them do not have a matching donor in their family.
• Platelet Donation: Platelets are essential to those fighting and surviving cancers, chronic diseases and traumatic injuries; every 30 seconds there is someone in need of platelets. 
• Blood Donation: Approximately every two seconds there is someone in need of a blood transfusion which translates to over 41,000 daily donations.

         So, you feel like being a hero? Here’s what you can do!

• Register to be a deceased organ, eye and tissue donor in the National Donate Life Registry https://www.donatelife.net/national-donate-life-registry/ or at RegisterMe.org; or with the RMV. Your registration is a legal document of gift; however you can update your information and/or specify more detailed donation preferences at any time at registerMe.org 
• For blood please check out the American Red Cross for local blood donation events: https://www.redcrossblood.org/ 
• For bone marrow donations, contact Be the Match https://bethematch.org/transplant-basics/how-marrow-donation-works/

Upcoming Trainings

Webinars from All One Health, one of our Employee Assistance Programs  https://allonehealth.com/webinars/ 

February 8 - Minimizing Worry to Maximize Your Life

February 16 - Creating a Respectful Workplace

You can also check out past webinars on a myriad of topics.

Click to see MIIA Training Calendar

Did you know that you have access to recorded trainings on a variety of topics through MIIA? If you don't already have a login, you can register here using your Wellesley email: https://www.emiia.org/join

 MIIA's New E-learning Center provides quality training to meet annual requirements and tracks compliance for organization members at no cost to you. Train anytime, anywhere with our vast online library that includes more than 3,000 diverse courses and videos. For instructions on how to register, click here.

Do you have an event or training that you would like to make available to all employees? Please contact Jen Glover jglover@wellesleyma.gov

Monthly Action Item

SAVE THE DATE! The Town of Wellesley Safety & Wellness Committee is excited to host a FREE Employee Safety & Wellness Fair on Thursday April 13, from 1 - 4 pm. It will take place in the Warren Building Gym, 90 Washington St. There will be lots of freebies, benefits open enrollment info, demos, chair massages, and amazing RAFFLE PRIZES! You won't want to miss it. Please mark your calendar and bring your coworkers!