Consider the gift of safety for people on your shopping list this winter. Here are a few gift ideas for keeping people safe as we head into the year 2020.
Photo credit: iStock.com/1BSG
In this post, here are a few gift ideas related to safety topics I’ve covered.
Protection from cold weather
Help people ward off the cold this winter by giving them hats, socks, gloves, and other warm gifts.
Protection from cold weather is especially important for those who work outside during the winter season. From 2013 to 2018, 68 workers in B.C. were injured as a result of cold exposure. Read more about employers’ responsibilities to create a cold exposure plan in my post Are you still prepared for sub-zero temperatures?.
Here are some other gift ideas to help people stay safe when the weather gets cold:
- Snow shovels, scrapers, or brushes
- Roadside emergency kit to keep in the car
- Carbon monoxide detectors
Gear for keeping safe outdoors
Non-slip footwear is essential during an icy cold snap. It’s also useful in spring when it’s raining and snow and ice are melting. See my 2018 post for more about Avoiding slips and falls when it’s icy or wet out.
Here are some other gift ideas to help people stay safe while outdoors:
- Ice picks for canes and crutches
- Cleated soles to attach to shoes
- High-visibility clothing or reflective patches for backpacks
- LED lights to attach to bicycles
- Whistles or personal safety alarms to alert others (as suggested by the Vancouver Police Department)
Hearing protection and other safety gift ideas
People need to guard their hearing at work, at concerts, or anywhere else the volume level is as loud as or louder than an average blender. There are lots of options to choose from when it comes to hearing protection — many of which look nice and feel comfortable. For example, I wrote about some cool high-fidelity hearing protection for servers in bars, restaurants, and other loud establishments.
Besides hearing protection, here are some other gift ideas to help family and friends stay safe throughout the year:
- First aid kits or courses, to assist people or pets (yes, there are pet-specific ones!)
- UVA/UVB reflective umbrellas
- Water or leak detectors for under the sink and next to hot water tanks
- Safety kits for earthquakes and other emergencies (for more information, see How to Build a Household Emergency Kit and Grab-and-Go Bag from PreparedBC)
Do you have any more ideas for gifts to keep people safe? Have you ever received such a gift? Please let me know in the comments below. Happy holidays (if you’re celebrating)!
