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Safety & Maintenance Tips

Oct 21
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Cooking Safely in the Kitchen

Cooking Safely in the Kitchen

By Safety & Maintenance Tips

Fire prevention is on our minds this month as October is Fire Prevention Month.  According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), based on 2010-2014 annual averages, unattended cooking is the leading factor in home cooking fires.  The USFA offers the following ways you can prevent cooking fires in your home:

  • Stand by your pan:  If you leave the kitchen, turn the burner off.
  • Watch what you are cooking:  Fires start when the heat is too high.  If you see any smoke or the grease starts to boil, turn the burner off.
  • Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove:  In doing so, no one can bump them or pull handles over the stove top.
  • Keep a pan lid or baking sheet nearby:  Use it to cover the pan if it catches on fire.  This action will put out the fire.
  • Wear short sleeves or roll your sleeves up.

We hope you stay safe in the kitchen and prevent a devastating cooking fire.  

Oct 04
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October is Crime Prevention Month

October is Crime Prevention Month

By Safety & Maintenance Tips

October is Crime Prevention Month and in this blog post we will discuss ways to secure your home and deter theft.  

  • Use an alarm system.  Not only is it a deterrent to thieves, but many systems alert local law enforcement in the event of a break-in.  
  • Install motion sensors.  These lights can deter thieves because they will not want to be seen.  
  • Keep a clean yard.  Overgrown bushes and trees can be perfect hiding spots for thieves.  
  • Change your locks.  Have you recently moved into a new home?  Change the locks on all exterior doors.  
  • Keep doors and windows locked.  This simple task can make it more difficult for intruders to break-in to your home.  
  • Don’t advertise an absence.  If you are going out of town, don’t publicize it on your social media accounts.  Ask a neighbor to pick up any mail or newspapers in your driveway. Lastly, adding timers to lights can be helpful to make it appear you are home in the evenings.  

If you do have a theft, know that you have protection to recover you from the loss with your homeowners insurance.  Have a question about your policy? Contact your agent today!

Source:  https://www.propertycasualty360.com/2019/10/02/crime-prevention-month-home-security-tips/

 

Sep 23
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5 Ways to Reduce Fire Hazards

5 Ways to Reduce Fire Hazards

By Safety & Maintenance Tips

Home fires can happen at any time of year.  Here are five ways to reduce fire hazards in your home:

  1. When cooking on the stove, stay in the kitchen.  Do not leave the kitchen or if you do leave the kitchen, turn off the stove.  According to the NFPA, unattended cooking was the leading cause of cooking fires and casualties.  
  2. Clean your outdoor grill.  According to the NFPA, the grill had not been cleaned in roughly one-quarter of the fires.  
  3. Replace frayed wires, untangle electrical cords and never plug a power strip into another power strip.  
  4. Heating season will be coming this fall.  Remember the three foot rule when you use space heaters — keep combustible objects at least 3 feet away from them.  
  5. Clean your chimney.  According to the NFPA, the leading factor contributing to home heating fires (27%) was failure to clean, principally from solid-fueled heating equipment, primarily chimneys.  

We wish each of our readers a safe, fire-free fall.  For more ways to reduce fire hazards in your home, go this NFPA website:  https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Top-fire-causes

Sep 05
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National Preparedness Month

National Preparedness Month

By Safety & Maintenance Tips

September is National Preparedness Month.  FEMA and the Ready.gov website share not only this year’s theme “Prepared, Not Scared”, but several tips on how to be prepared for a disaster.  In this blog post, we are going to focus on a few items related to homes our readers may find helpful:

  • Most homeowners’ and renter’s insurance does not cover flood damage.  You can learn more about flood insurance at www.floodsmart.gov.  Talk to your agent about your home insurance or renter’s insurance policy and see if flood insurance is something you should purchase to protect your home and contents in case of flood.
  • Prepare now for a disaster by snapping photos of important documents and personal belongings.  Having a home inventory can help immensely in filing a claim.
  • Review your fire escape plan with everyone in your home and have a fire drill in your home at least twice a year.  
  • Have an emergency kit in case there is a power outage.  Have enough food, water and medications for at least 72 hours.  You can view a list of items for your kit at www.ready.gov/kit.
  • Check-in with neighbors to see how you can help each other before or after a storm.  And don’t forget elderly friends and pets.

For more information on National Preparedness Month, go to https://www.ready.gov/september.  Have a safe fall!

Aug 19
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Summer Grilling Tips

Summer Grilling Tips

By Safety & Maintenance Tips

Grilling season is in full swing!  Whether you grill veggies, chicken, pork, or beef, grilling safety tips are a must this time of year.  Here are a few tips to remain safe while grilling:

  • Both charcoal and propane grills use open flames and are a source of intense heat.  Keep your grill a safe distance away from your home, canopies or brush you may have around the patio and driveway.
  • If you are using a propane grill, keep the propane tank closed when not in use.  Make sure that any old tanks are traded in for a newer tank with a better seal.
  • If you are using a charcoal grill, do not overuse the lighter fluid. It’s also important to make sure that you are grilling over a concrete slab or use an ashtray to make sure that any hot coals that fall through the vent don’t start a fire on a wood deck or grass lawn.
  • Let your grill cool down prior to putting a cover over it or putting it back in your garage or shed.  A grill that is put away too soon can cause a fire if it is placed against something flammable for a long period of time.

Enjoy the rest of summer grilling season and be safe.