Last week’s snow reminded us that winter is on its way, with all its attendant possibilities. However, it is not all fun: winter also brings potential health and safety risks, most of which can be easily avoided by taking a few simple precautions. Every year, seasonal influenza – the flu – takes its toll, but the seasonal flu vaccine can protect you and those around you. If you work on the CERN site, you can be vaccinated at CERN’s Medical Service. Just bring along your sealed dose of vaccine – no need for a prescription. Moreover, the flu virus is not the only one waiting to get us in the winter, so the Medical Service publishes a guide to the simple things we can do to avoid infection as the temperature drops.

The winter months also see an increase in road accidents due to shorter days and icy roads and footpaths. Make sure your car is equipped for winter weather conditions, make sure you wear appropriate clothing and allow more time for journeys. On dark winter nights, it is especially important to make sure you can be seen. Research shows that when we are wearing dark clothes on a dark evening, even with street lighting, drivers see us only when they are just 25 metres away. That is not enough for them to stop safely from a speed of 50km/h. Wearing light-coloured clothing increases this distance to 40 metres. But only if we are wearing something reflective can the driver see us in time to stop safely.

To help inform you of these risks, we will be running a short campaign on the importance of being visible in the dark, and will shortly be distributing reflectors outside CERN’s three main restaurants at lunchtime. Keep an eye on the Bulletin for the exact dates. Reflectors are proven lifesavers – make sure you get yours!

So, keep warm, keep healthy, keep safe… and enjoy the snow!

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Useful information:

• Advice on avoiding the flu from CERN’s Medical Service
• Road safety advice (in German, French and Italian)
• Winter safety guide (in English)
• Swiss Made Visible campaign (in German, French and Italian)
• Guide to safety in the mountains in winter (available in many languages)