This article is from page 13 of the 2010-01-12 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 13 JPG
EMERGENCY services in Clare are warning people to remain vigilant in this inclement weather even as the thaw begins in some areas.
Clare’s local authorities, including the Civil Defence and Fire and Res- cue Services, are working with other public service authorities such as the Department of the Environment, the Gardai and the Health Services Ex- ecutive to ensure a co-ordinated ap-
proach for dealing with the various TSS CeSe
Last night, the HSE predicted more risks to the public from slips and falls on icy footpaths in the days ahead.
Hospitals across the country are reporting a significant upsurge in the numbers of cases of fractures dur- ing this spell of severe weather while emergency medicine consultants are reporting that a high percentage of these fractures are complex, requir- ing surgery.
The minimum increases in the number of people presenting with fractures in the last week are in the order of 30 per cent with a large number of hospitals experiencing a year-on-year increase for the period of 70 per cent or more.
Exact figures for Ennis and Lim- erick hospitals were unavailable last payee ole
Meanwhile, the HSE 1s advising the public to wear well-fitted shoes with non-slip soles if they have to go
out but try to limit walking during the current cold weather. Boots with rubber soles and solid ankle support that are preferably waterproof are es- sential to preventing slips and falls on the ice. Clear the ice from your footpath and around your house and assist less capable neighbours in do- ing the same. If you have a fall, even a minor one, make sure you visit your doctor for a check-up.
Meanwhile, gardai in Clare say that while there were no major accidents
related to the ice and snow, there were several minor accidents across the county over the weekend.
‘There were a number of accidents around the county. The advice is to slow down and treat the roads with caution. Roads may look well on the surface, but there may be black ice and hidden icy patches. Drive within your experiences and capabilities,” said the head of the Clare Garda Di- vision Traffic Corps, Inspector John Grate