Even though it’s only July and we still have 2-3 months before the flu season gets cracking, drug companies and government agencies have been hard at work preparing the vaccines. Some manufacturers are even distributing the vaccines early in an attempt to avoid crippling shortages later in the season.
2011’s flu shots will provide the standard cocktail of protection spreading across a wide range of influenza A and B, which includes the infamous H1N1 strain, known to the pandemic-frightened 2009 world as “Swine Flu.”
(People I know actually made t-shirts that proudly stated ‘I survived the Swine ‘09’).
A quick medical lesson: the premise behind vaccination is that by exposing yourself to a small, innocuous sample of a virus, your body builds antibodies that quickly tackle the small infection. These antibodies are then already in the bloodstream when the bigger, badder version of the flu hits, and your immune system can fight it off without you getting sick.
While vaccination is commonly regarded as the most significant advance in medical history, the immunity for flu shots only lasts long enough to get you through flu season.
That means that if you were vaccinated last year, you should make an effort to be vaccinated again. The CDC recommends the vaccine for anyone six months or older. Different versions of the vaccine have been developed for different age groups.
Here are some things you can do to stay healthy for the 2011 flu season:
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Wash your hands often, especially before each meal. If you don’t have access to soap and water, use alcohol based hand sanitizer.
Avoid touching your mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth) while out in public areas.
Get a yearly flu vaccine – this is especially important or the very young and the elderly, who are at risk for more severe flu complications.
Popular culture has largely portrayed a lightning strike as an event akin to winning the lottery or another extremely improbable occurrence. However, better data collection efforts over the last decade have shown lightning’s danger to be underrated at best.
To put the statistics in perspective: according to the Lightning Protection Institute (LPI), lightning strikes thousands of people each year, injuring a few more than 1,000. Have you ever been afraid to go swimming after watching ‘Jaws’? Well the probability of being struck by lightning is approximately 30 times more likely than being attacked by a shark. You should be watching the sky, not the water around you!
I personally know two people who have been struck by lightning; one lived, one did not. While this is entirely anecdotal evidence, it does beg a question as to why lightning is generally not taken seriously as a threat. My personal theory is that it’s a combination of the misconception that lightning strikes are extremely rare and the commonness with which we encounter lightning.
Lightning can also be very damaging to property; according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.), there were 213,000 lightning related claims last year. These losses include damage to expensive electronics and structural fires. The I.I.I. further estimates that the average lightning claim to be $4,846… around the price of a cup of coffee at Starbucks (haha).
But in all seriousness, lightning is not a phenomenon to be taken lightly –no pun intended- and a good way to practice good lightning safety is to understand the myths surrounding lightning as well as related safety procedures.
Lightning Myths:
Lightning never strikes the same place twice. Wrong. Lightning often strikes the same place twice, especially if that place is tall, metallic, and isolated. While we’ll forgive you for using the expression in casual conversation, don’t believe it to be true.
You are safe from lightning if you can see the sky. Wrong again. Lightning often strikes outside the area of a thunderstorm or rainstorm, sometimes several miles away. Just because the storm is not overhead does not mean you are safe.
Lightning rods attract lightning. Wrong. Lightning rods provide a safe place to ground the electricity should lightning
Lightning Warning Signs:
If you are caught in a storm, pay attention to how you feel. If your skin beings to tingle, you hair stands on end, you smell an acrid odor in the air, or you get a metallic taste in your mouth, you might be about to experience a lightning strike. Get low to the ground and follow the steps below.
What to do and not to do (Compiled from the I.I.I, LPI, & Essortment):
Stay away from bodies of water, such as lakes and swimming pools – even indoor swimming pools.
Stay clear of isolated trees, flagpoles, telephone poles, hills, and rooftops. Get out into an open field or road.
Of course NEVER touch metal objects such as wire fences, golf clubs, aluminum baseball bats, bicycles, during a lightning storm.
If you are caught out doors during a thunderstorm, crouch down and keep your head as low as possible and only let your feet touch the ground – rock forward on your toes if possible to get as much of your feet off the ground. Do not touch the ground with your hands to balance yourself.
NEVER lie down on the ground – you want as much of you off the ground as possible. The electrical current from a nearby lightning strike can travel toward you along wet ground.
Even indoors you must use common sense. Always stay away from electrical appliances, metal pipes, get off the phone, stay out of the shower and bathtub and do not use any wired appliance.
If you are caught outside with a small child, hold the child on your lap up off the ground as you crouch around them.
Realize that lightning is a powerful force of nature and it demands that you develop a healthy respect and fear of it. Stay indoors during lightning storms!
If someone has been struck by lightning, provide first-aid immediately. It is perfectly safe to touch someone who has been struck by lightning—you will not get an electrical shock. Call 911 immediately and begin CPR or use a defibrillator if available.
Invest in a lightning protection system for your home and or business. A building with a properly installed lightning protection system is a smart investment as it provides proven protection for your family, home and values. It is an important safety investment in areas prone to lightning.
As a swimmer and a lifeguard, I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time in and around pools. While a great source of summer fun, deep water fun demands the respect of those who participate. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are 7.4 million swimming pools and 5 million hot tubs used for recreation in America. Unfortunately, there are generally over 3,400 related drownings each year, with 20% of the victims under 14 years of age. Here are some steps you can take to keep your family safe around pools.
ABC Pool Safety is a great resource for simple steps you can take to avoid pool accidents. Here’s what they say, in a nutshell:
Pool accidents can be prevented with three steps:
A – Adult supervision:
Adult supervision is the single most important aspect of safe pool use. Make sure there is a supervising adult at ALL TIMES. This means removing kids from a pool in the event of a telephone call or use of the restroom. Furthermore, in a large party or group, always have one adult designated to watching kids in the pool. Drowning often happens without sound or commotion, and if no adult is actively watching, it can go unnoticed.
B – Barriers:
Barriers that keep children away from the pool when not in use are essential (especially for small children). There are a variety of affordable products available for this function. Make sure that any furniture or structures that children could use to climb over the barriers are kept INSIDE the fence.
C – Classes:
This step refers to CPR classes for parents should a crisis arise, and swimming lessons for children so that they are comfortable and able to swim in the pool. Never assume that floaties or inflatable toys are adequate substitutes for life-vests or similar safety devices.
Contacting town or municipality officials- every town or area has a specific set of guidelines as to what constitutes a ‘pool’ or ‘spa’. Contact the appropriate officials to make sure that your pool or spa meets the safety guidelines. If an accident does occur, this will help when dealing with your insurance provider.
Alert your insurance agent- If you purchase a pool, give your insurance agent a call. Pools increase your liability risk, and most providers have minimum standards of coverage required for pools and water recreation. Make sure everything is copacetic isurance-wise before taking the plunge.
Keep small children away from filters or pool cleaners; the suction from these devices are much more dangerous to small children than to an adult.
Never keep electronic devices such as radios near pools or on pool surfaces. DON’T BE THESE GUYS!
Limit alcohol use/consumption aroud pools. According to the CDC, a large portion of adolescent and adult poolside accidents occur as a result of alcohol.
Be safe, and have fun! Look to Gordon Insurance for your MA insurance needs and please use us as an informational resource; our business is your safety and peace of mind.
Many people feel that we now live in a litiginous society. We hear about lawsuits being filed for injuries resulting from seemingly minor auto accidents or slip and fall injuries at residences. With this trend in filing lawsuits, we strongly recommend that our insureds consider purchasing an excess liability, or umbrella, policy to protect their assets. These would include any homes or properties owned, vehicles, boats, retirement income, etc. Coverage can be purchased starting at $1M in coverage for a relatively low premium and can often be endorsed onto the existing homeowner policy.
One might think that only well-established people would need this coverage but we have learned that even the young who may not yet own any property or have older vehicles of insignificant value should also consider this coverage. In the event of an at fault auto accident which may have caused injuries to others, a law suit may be filed against the young operator with no assets and a judgment may be assessed to garnish future wages for many years. A $1M umbrella would certainly help in such a situation as not only would the settlement amount be paid for under the umbrella but also the defense costs are built into this coverage.
It is extremely important that one protects the assets that could be made available to someone who has been successful in obtaining a judgment against you.
Another factor to consider in protecting yourself is not only to purchase this excess liability coverage but also to try to eliminate the potential risks for injury. When driving an auto, avoid alcohol, cell phone usage, and other distractions while observing the rules of the road and maintaining safe speed limits. At residences, paths should be kept clear of ice and snow in the winter and smoke & carbon monoxide detectors should be maintained in proper working order. Power tools, weapons, and alcohol should be kept under lock and key and toys and gardening tools should not be left where visitors could trip or fall. If there is a swimming pool or pets, verify that you are complying with town ordinance requirements for the pool’s fencing and gates as well as pet restraints.
It is not our intent to alarm anyone but rather to educate people by making them aware of their ability to keep themselves and their assets protected.
For additional information on other insurance coverages or to read some of our other informative blogs, please visit our website at www.agordon.com.
With spring right around the corner and outdoor activities on the rise, it is important that homeowners be aware of the potential for backyard accidents to occur. Keeping in mind the millions of people that are injured annually in household mishaps, below is a list of recommendations pertaining to equipment utilized daily by all of us. Keep these tips in mind when enjoying the warmer weather:
Ladders: Whether cleaning the gutters or doing some painting touch-ups, make sure the ladder base is not too close to the supporting object; the ladder’s stability will be compromised. Most ladder injuries occur from overreaching or standing on a rung that’s too high, so if it’s out of reach, reposition the ladder and try again.
Grills: Although it seems unlikely that anything unpleasant could come from a device that gives us hot dogs, remember that a grill is a fire hazard that should be kept at least 3 feet from the house. Smokey the Bear, a fire and woodland damage consultant for A. G. Gordon, would also suggest that you NEVER leave your grill unattended.
Lawn Mowers: Before you begin the time-honored battle of nature vs. machine known to most as “mowing the lawn”, take a walk around your yard and clear any debris. Lawn ornaments deep in the recesses of unkempt grass are a lot less cute when they are ejected from a lawnmower at dangerous speeds. Some other good practices include: shutting the lawnmower off when reaching down anywhere near the ground and keeping children away while mowing.
Playground Sets: Monitor children at all times. Make sure equipment is not too high for their ages. The rule of thumb: no higher than 6 feet for ages under 5, 8 feet for school age children.
Trampolines: Do not let the trampoline become overcrowded. Trampolines have weight limits, and any activity where one has to avoid the flying bodies of others is generally a hazardous environment for kids. Somersaults and tricks should be discouraged, especially with other children on the trampoline.
Pools: If you have a gate, make sure it’s locked when the pool isn’t in use. NEVER let young kids go in the pool unattended.
Pets (not equipment, but still important): Watch out for dangers from the pesticides and fertilizers used in yards and gardens as well as being poisoned by eating certain plants, such as oleander, azaleas, and lilies.
Now that we’re beyond the stress of holiday preparations, shopping, and the flurry of social activities and obligations, it may be the perfect time to welcome in 2011 with an evaluation of the demands on our everyday life.
Carl Honore is the author of “In Praise of Slowness” which describes our culture’s addiction to “more—better—faster”. His response to this is “Be here now.” He indicates that Americans with full-time jobs and children under 18 years of age are particularly stressed. Long hours at work are shortchanging families. One way to change this lifestyle is to add balance. Cutting down on outside activities or time spent in front of the TV may provide more time that can be spent with the children.
Key to de-stressing is slowing down and enjoying the minutiae of life, thus improving the quality of our existence. Discovering activities such as meditation, gardening, bird watching, reading, etc also helps one to slow down and celebrate the small moments. These can provide calmness, peace and quiet to your life.
The quality of life should be most important to us all and we should enjoy each and every day as well as celebrate all the relationships we share with others.
Donna M. Bellavance Andrew G. Gordon, Inc.
Insurance & Risk Management
Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr’s
office, the check-out girl at the market, and everyone you run across. Put your
car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or
someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your
car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until
either you turn it off or the car battery dies. This tip came from a
neighborhood watch Coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and
you start to put your keys away, Think of this: It’s a security alarm system
that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It
will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking
until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the
key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage.. If your car
alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the
burglar/rapist won’t stick around..
After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to
see who’s out there and the criminal won’t want that. And
remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The
alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should really be
shared with everyone; it could save a life or prevent a sexual abuse crime.
For more relevant insurance information and practical tips, visit the A. G. Gordon, Inc. website.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is one of the most lethal gases to encounter. It’s particularly dangerous because it’s everywhere, and extremely hard to detect. This “silent killer” is both odorless and colorless, and in high levels can kill in less than 5 minutes. It bonds with hemoglobin in the blood to form carboxyglobin, which prevents oxygen from reaching the brain. CO is produced whenever any fuel such as gas, oil, kerosene, wood, or charcoal is burned. If appliances that burn fuel are maintained and used properly, the amount of CO produced is usually not hazardous. However, if appliances are not working properly or are used incorrectly, dangerous levels of CO can result. Hundreds of people die accidentally every year from CO poisoning caused by malfunctioning or improperly used fuel-burning appliances. Even more die from CO produced by idling cars. Fetuses, infants, elderly people, and people with anemia or with a history of heart or respiratory disease can be especially susceptible. Be safe.
Preventionis the Key to Avoiding Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
DO have your fuel-burning appliances — including oil and gas furnaces, gas water heaters, gas ranges and ovens, gas dryers, gas or kerosene space heaters, fireplaces, and wood stoves — inspected by a trained professional at the beginning of every heating season. Make certain that the flues and chimneys are connected, in good condition, and not blocked.
DO choose appliances that vent their fumes to the outside whenever possible, have them properly installed, and maintain them according to manufacturers’ instructions.
DO read and follow all of the instructions that accompany any fuel-burning device. If you cannot avoid using an unvented gas or kerosene space heater, carefully follow the cautions that come with the device. Use the proper fuel and keep doors to the rest of the house open. Crack a window to ensure enough air for ventilation and proper fuel-burning.
Note: Propane is also colorless and odorless, which is why propane companies add a sulfur compound to the formula to make the gas smell bad.
DON’T idle the car in a garage — even if the garage door to the outside is open. Fumes can build up very quickly in the garage and living area of your home.
DON’T use a gas oven to heat your home, even for a short time.
DON’T ever use a charcoal grill indoors — even in a fireplace.
DON’T sleep in any room with an unvented gas or kerosene space heater.
DON’T use any gasoline-powered engines (mowers, weed trimmers, snow blowers, chain saws, small engines or generators) in enclosed spaces.
DON’T ignore symptoms, particularly if more than one person is feeling them. You could lose consciousness and die if you do nothing.*List courtesy of www.epa.gov *
A Few Words About CO Detectors:
Carbon Monoxide Detectors are widely available in stores and you may want to consider buying one as a back-up — BUT NOT AS A REPLACEMENT for proper use and maintenance of your fuel-burning appliances. However, it is important for you to know that the technology of CO detectors is still developing, that there are several types on the market, and that they are not generally considered to be as reliable as the smoke detectors found in homes today. Some CO detectors have been laboratory-tested, and their performance varied. Some performed well, others failed to alarm even at very high CO levels, and still others alarmed even at very low levels that don’t pose any immediate health risk. And unlike a smoke detector, where you can easily confirm the cause of the alarm, CO is invisible and odorless, so it’s harder to tell if an alarm is false or a real emergency.
For twenty three million students nationwide, the school day beings and ends with a trip on the school bus. The greatest risk is not riding the bus, but approaching or leaving the bus. Before children go back to school or start school for the first time, it is essential that adults and children know traffic safety rules.
Drivers:
When backing out of a driveway or leaving a garage, watch out for children walking or bicycling to school.
When driving in neighborhoods with school zones, watch out for young people who may be thinking about getting to school, but may not be thinking of getting there safely.
Slow. Down. Watch for children walking in the street, especially if there are no sidewalks in the neighborhood.
Slow. Down. Watch for children playing or congregating near bus stops.
Be alert. Children arriving late for the bus may dart into the street with or without looking out for traffic.
Learn and obey the school bus laws in your state. Learn the “Flashing signal light system” that school bus drivers use to alert motorists of pending actions:
Yellow flashing lights indicate that the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. Motorists should slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles.
Red Flashing Lights and extended stop arms indicate that the bus has stopped, and that children are getting on or off. Motorists must stop their cars and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop sign is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving before they can start driving again.
Children:
Get to the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive. When the bus approaches, stand at least three giant steps (6 feet) away from the curb, and line up away from the street.
Wait until the bus stops, the door opens, and the driver says that it’s ok before stepping onto the bus.
If you have to cross the street in front of the bus, walk on the sidewalk or along the side of the road to a point at least five saint steps (10 feet) ahead of the bus before you cross. Be sure that the bus driver can see you, and you can see the bus driver.
Use the handrails to avoid falls. When exiting the bus, be careful that clothing with drawstrings and book bags with straps don’t get caught in the handrails or doors.
Never walk behind the bus.
Walk at least three giant steps away from the side of the bus.
If you drop something near the bus, tell the bus driver. Never try to pick it up because the driver may not be able to see you.
Parents:
Teach children to follow these common sense practices to make school bus transportation safer.
As you may have read from previous posts, I’m about to enter my senior year of high school, something that I am both excited and apprehensive about. On one hand, I can already tell from this summer that senior year is going to be a ton of fun and/or a rip-roaring good time. However, I also realize that the lengthy college application process and AP exams will temper the fun with an experience similar to belly-flopping into a swimming pool of Jell-o (painful). The college application process in particular will do wonders in helping me achieve spiritual and physical separation from my money and free time. But that’s all in the near future. Right now it’s the end of summer, and the respite from the world of sleep deprivation and #2 pencils has been a welcome change.
So if life’s so peachy, why the title? Well, I’d like to talk about something close to home that occurred recently. About a week ago, three teens crashed an SUV into a utility pole a few miles from where I live. The driver lost control of the car, which rolled over after impact, ejecting one of the three passengers. The driver was trapped in the car, but otherwise fine; the front seat passenger was ejected from the car, but miraculously suffered only minor abrasions; the passenger in the backseat suffered serious injury and was moved to intensive care, where he is now recovering. The driver of the car is currently facing OUI charges.
This is just one accident in a string of OUI incidents to occur in the town where I live, one involving a death of a passenger about a year ago. What made this one personal for me was that I go to school with the kids in the car. They’re in my graduating class; I sat next to one in Latin, and I played baseball in 8th grade with the passenger who was injured. It’s heartwarming to see the response and support my peers have given to the injured passenger and his family, and I think that closeness says more about our town than the accident did. There will always be mistakes in everyone’s life, but the ability of a community to support one another through them is always more important.
Risky behavior is a dilemma that no amount of police money or lack of personal insurance will solve. In the past week I have heard everything from sympathy to outright condemnation of the accident. For me though, the incident is a lesson in mortality and fragility. As a teen, you think that you are invincible, that nothing can go wrong, and in the comfortable surroundings of a small town you’ve spent years in, that isn’t a hard notion to conceive. But the fact is that we are all mortal, we are all fragile, and tragedies strike when we forget that.
Andrew G. Gordon, Inc. is dedicated to providing financial security to businesses and families throughout Massachusetts. We provide all lines of insurance. Incorporated in 1966, the agency has been in business as an ongoing insurance agency for over 150 years, and has been owned and operated by the same family for over 50 years. Stability, reliability, and competence are the cornerstones of our success.
Our greatest strength is the depth of our employees' experience and professionalism. Our full time employees' average and median number of years in the insurance business exceeds 15 years. Since every customer's needs are unique, our staff works to find the most economical solutions for each customer's needs - - efficiently, professionally, and with a focus on keeping it simple for you.
