From http://www.grandparents.com
“Grandparents.com Editors’ Choice
When I was 19, I took my future husband’s 3-year-old son, Tony, shopping at JCPenney. But when we got to the escalators, Tony froze. He would not get on. I stepped on to show him how easy it was, and then encouraged him to follow me. I was halfway down before I realized he was not coming. I yelled to him to wait for me to come back to get him. But running around to the other escalator, I lost sight of him. When I came back, he was gone. I dropped the decorations it had taken two hours to find, and started yelling for him in a panic. Then, as I was telling a lady at the jewelry counter to call the police, along came Tony with a security guard. He is 27 now and still teases me about the time I lost him in the mall. — PJ Goetz, Tampa With Kids“
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From http://edieunderthenet.blogspot.com
“You should examine the possibility of a visitor insurance before embarking on a vacation. In case illnesses and accidents come up, you are assured of reduced costs with your visitor insurance. You can have a cash less settlement option with some visitor insurance, where you do not have to pay up front yourself but can have the doctor or hospital bill and the insurance does the payment.
It is not every insurance that is medically-related, a superb feature is the trip cancellation insurance. If you are unable to make your trip due to unforeseen circumstances, this type of visitor insurance will secure you. A great deal of flights are non-refundable if you cancel, and with trip cancellation insurance you are rest assured that in case of some event your flight fare does not go up in smoke.
All visitor insurances start from basic to comprehensive; what counts are component services and maximum coverage amounts. When traveling in the United States or Europe, hospital bills or doctor visits can get very expensive from illness, accident or injury. The age of the traveler should be taken into consideration as well, since the elderly are more likely to become ill, and children are more prone to accidents.
You can purchase visitor insurance from the country your visiting or your native country. There are many suppliers who would working intermediaries between you and the insurance firms, to offer the ideal coverage for great rates. Usually trip cancellation insurance is purchased separately from your medical visitor insurance but you can as well get packages to cover the two.
A number of visitor insurance policies permit you to visit any medical centre, while other have member networks. There is a initial amount of money to be paid by you before the visitor insurance pays the rest of the costs. It called a deductible. You have to read through properly and understand your package details.
Though age could make a difference in the price of your policy, there is no medical test required in order to be able to purchase visitor insurance. Some questions on the policies do require you to tell if you have some preexisting condition to your health they should be aware of. You can buy insurance for visiting relatives and have it take effect the day of their arrival.
There is no doubt that buying visitor insurance or trip cancellation insurance could be a very wise investment to keep you holiday happy and debt free. You should be very prepared when taking a journey, since accidents and illness do occur.”
Travelling this month? Are you properly covered? Call on us!
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FROM: Safety Compliance Institute, Ken Hillger & Associates
Surveys show substance abuse remains one of the most serious issues facing U.S. businesses, with more than 6 million active alcoholics employed and a price tag of $276 billion a year. More than 70 percent of all current illicit drug users aged 18 and older are employed.
With such a dangerous and widespread problem, it’s important to recognize substance abuse on the job before it leads to an accident.
Warning Signs
Here are some early warning signs that can alert your supervisors to the possibility of substance abuse on the job:
1. An otherwise inexplicable fall-off of work efficiency in terms of volume, accuracy, or promptness is often an early warning sign of substance abuse problems.
2. So is frequent tardiness—often explained with increasingly elaborate, but hard to check, excuses.
3. Excessive use of sick days is also a common warning sign of substance abuse. These absences often occur on a Friday or a Monday.
4. Some employees with drug or alcohol problems may come to you and ask to use vacation time—right away.
5. Another indication that you might be dealing with an employee substance abuse problem is an increased involvement in accidents and near misses and/or an increase in the employee’s error rate.
6. Yet another hint of the problem may be heavy use of breath sweeteners. Alcoholics, particularly those who drink during the working day, are heavy users of various sorts of breath mints to kill the smell of alcohol.
7. Other early warning signs of substance abuse problems may involve physical and mental characteristics or changes, such as mood swings, decline in grooming, staggering, dozing off on the job, etc.
Supervisors should be aware that one or two of these signs alone does not necessarily indicate an alcohol or drug problem, but a combination of several signs indicates it is time to speak with the employee about the possibility of a substance abuse problem.
For all your business matters, count on Scurich!
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From http://www.cracked.com
When you think of Thanksgiving, you always picture the eating part, not the preparation. So when you’re going over the dishes situation you think, “OK, I have eight people coming over, so I’m going to need eight plates, eight forks and I have a dozen glasses if you count the collectible Shrek glasses I got from McDonald’s eight years ago …” Nope. The cooking and serving parts of the meal mean you’re off by about 50 percent.
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From http://www.epa.gov/
ALERT: Generator exhaust is toxic. Always put generators outside well away from doors, windows, and vents. Never use a generator inside homes, garages, crawlspaces, sheds, or similar areas. Carbon monoxide (CO) is deadly, can build up quickly, and linger for hours.
Report suspected spills, contamination or possible violations.
- To report oil,chemical, or hazardous substance releases or spills, call the National Response Center 800-424-8802.
- Report a suspected environmental violation on EPA’s reporting page.
Flooding
- Limit contact with flood water. Flood water may have high levels of raw sewage or other hazardous substances. Early symptoms from exposure to contaminated flood water may include upset stomach, intestinal problems, headache and other flu-like discomfort. Anyone experiencing these and any other problems should immediately seek medical attention.
- What do I do about water from household wells after a flood? Do not turn on the pump due to danger of electric shock. Do not drink or wash with water from the flooded well until it is tested and safe to use. Read more.
- What do I do with my home septic system after a flood? Do not use the sewage system until water in the soil absorption field is lower than the water level around the house. If you have a home-based or small business and your septic system has received chemicals, take extra precautions to prevent contact with water or inhaling fumes. Proper clean-up depends on the kinds of chemicals in the wastewater. Read more
- For water and wastewater facilities: Suggested post-hurricane activities to help facilities recover.
Mold
- Mold cleanup: Mold can cause serious health problems. The key to mold control is moisture control. After the flood, remove standing water and dry indoor areas. Remove and discard anything that has been wet for more than 24-48 hours.
- Basic mold hazards
- Cleaning up mold, what to wear
- Mold cleanup in schools and commercial buildings. Information for building managers, custodians, and others who are responsible for commercial building and school maintenance.
- More about mold from Centers for Disease Control
Please let us know how we can help!
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From http://www.epa.gov
“Prepare for a hurricane
Make any preparations that can minimize injury and property damage. Households, utilities, and businesses should plan for disaster before hurricane season starts, or make any possible preparations when a hurricane is predicted.
Drinking water and food:
- Make a kit of supplies. Keep at least a 3-day water supply per person -and don’t forget pets. What you can do to protect your household well.
- Prepare food supplies for an emergency. Get a fridge thermometer to be sure of safe storage temperatures if you lose electricity. Freeze extra containers of water ahead of time. Use ice chests in case power is out for more than four hours.
Water and wastewater systems
- Suggested pre-hurricane activities to help facilities prepare.
- Water resiliency planning tools for communities.
Planning for disaster debris:
Damage from a hurricane depends on the size, extent, and other factors. Damage debris can include destroyed structures, hazardous waste, green waste, or personal property.
Chemical or fertilizer storage:
Properly designed or modified storage facilities enhance worker safety and minimize the risk contamination.
Summary of regulatory requirements related to shutdown operations – For complex industrial processes, shutdown operations require special care beyond normal operations. Facility owners and operators are required to minimize chemical releases during process shutdown operations; and if reportable releases occur, they must be reported immediately upon constructive knowledge of occurrence. ”
Please all us if you need more information on your insurance options.
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