Preventing dryer-related home fires

Every year, thousands of home fires across the country are the cause of thousands of deaths and injuries and billions of dollars worth of damage to homes. What many people don't know is that dryers in residential homes are a major cause of fires, as many dryers are not properly maintained. According to the National Fire Protection Association, dryers are the cause of roughly 17,000 home fires, 15 deaths, 360 injuries, and $200 million worth of damage every year. Of those 17,000 fires, about 30% were a result of a failure to clean the dryer. There are several simple steps you can do to ensure that your dryer is properly functioning, which is a crucial step in avoiding dryer-related home fires. Not only will proper maintenance of your dryer prevent home fires, it can also decrease your gas or electric bill, and increase the life of your dryer.

What causes dryer fires?

The root cause of most dryer fires is lint. Lint buildup poses two problems: lint buildup causes the dryer to work overtime, which can cause overheating of the dryer. Second, lint is highly flammable. Overheating combined with highly flammable lint are a perfect recipe for starting a fire.

What can you do to prevent dryer-related fires?

1. Have your dryer installed and periodically serviced by a professional. Once a year, or if you notice that it is taking longer for your clothes to dry, arrange to have your vent system thoroughly cleaned.

2. If installing a new dryer, or constructing a new home, arrange to have a direct vent system to the outside, using rigid venting. Flexible venting and long vent lines are more likely to sag or compromise air flow.

3. Ensure that the air exhaust vent pipe is cleared and that the vent flap is working properly.

4. Clear your lint tray every time before using the dryer.

5. Never dry items that have come in contact with flammable material, such as cooking oil, gasoline, paint thinner, and alcohol, regardless if that item has been washed or not.

6. If using a gas dryer, arrange to have your dryer periodically inspected in order to check for faulty gas lines.

7. Keep the dryer area clear of things that can burn.

Practicing these preventative measures can help save your family and home from injury and damage. If you need to report a claim, call our office at 508-540-2400.

Accident Forgiveness

With the introduction of managed competition in Massachusetts, auto insurers Plymouth Rock and Arbella have been able to introduce accident forgiveness to Massachusetts drivers. The exact details of accident forgiveness vary between insurance companies, but the basic concept is universal: drivers, for an extra fee (or sometimes for free for customers that have been loyal to a company), have the option of opting in to accident forgiveness, which insures that a customer's rates will not increase if they are found at fault for an accident. Generally, this only applies to the first at-fault accident during a given term.

Plymouth Rock

With Plymouth Rock's accident forgiveness, a driver with a 99 merit rating can opt in for free if that driver's policy has been in effect for at least four years prior to the renewal policy date. New policyholders can pay a fee to opt in to accident forgiveness. Accident forgiveness only applies to the first accident surcharge per policy. It remains in effect for the length of the surcharge, but subsequent accidents are subject to surcharge. It only applies while a driver is insured with Plymouth Rock; the loss is still reported to the Merit Rating Board and is subject to surcharge by another carrier. It does not apply to accidents incurred by inexperience operators.

Arbella

Like Plymouth Rock, Arbella's accident forgiveness is only available to experienced operators with a 99 merit rating. Arbella's accident forgiveness is a flat fee of $45 a year, which entitles the policyholder to waive surcharges as a result of an at-fault accident. Accident forgiveness only applies to the first accident during the policy term; subsequent accidents are subject to surcharges. If a policyholder uses their accident forgiveness endorsement, that policyholder must continue to pay the $45 yearly fee until the policyholder's surcharge points go away.

Call us at 508-540-2400 to learn more, or to enroll for accident forgiveness.

Dangers of Texting While Driving

As technology becomes a more routine part of most people's lives, it brings with it positive and negative effects, including distractions like texting, which inhibit our attention to tasks when we mix the two. While many people like to pin text-happy teens as the culprits of accidents as a result of texting while driving, it's important to know that an adult is at just as great of a risk of being distracted while texting and driving as a teen is. A University of Utah study found that drivers talking on the phone, hands free or not, had the same reaction time as someone with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 - the legal limit for driving. If talking on the phone while driving inhibits a driver's reactions times that much, then just imagine what texting while driving does.

Recent legislation across the country is aiming to tackle this safety issue. Not only is texting and driving dangerous to both you and others, it's also now illegal in many states. On September 30, 2010, the Massachusetts Safe Driving Law went into effect, which bans texting while driving, as well as improper use of a mobile phone while driving. While infractions of the Safe Driving Law are more harsh for junior operators, they can still result in consequences for adult drivers, such as fines, insurance surcharges, and license suspensions, depending on the severity and frequency of infractions.

Still not convinced? Take Arbella's distraction learning challenge and see for yourself how much distractions can inhibit your reactions.

Avoiding "slip and fall" claims

The Center for Disease Control estimates that in the year 2000, slip and fall incidents resulted in injuries totaling $19 billion for adults 65 and older, and this number is expected to rise to $55 billion by 2020. In addition, the average health care cost for an adult 72 years and older suffering from a slip and fall related injury is $19, 440. Costs may include anything from hospital and nursing care, doctors and professional services, rehabilitation, prescription drugs, and changes made to the home to accommodate an injured adult.

On July 26, 2010, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court struck down the "natural accumulation" rule, which previously allowed property owners to claim that they were not liable for injuries resulting from natural accumulation of snow and ice. Juries will no longer have to decide whether or not a slip and fall accident was a result of natural accumulation. Instead, they will have to decide if the property owner acted reasonably in maintaining the property premises. Determining what is reasonable will depend on “…the amount of foot traffic to be anticipated on the property, the magnitude of the risk reasonably feared, and the burden and expense of snow and ice removal.”

With this change in ruling, it is important to keep in mind ways to keep your property safe and ways in which you can avoid slip and fall claims. Here are some tips:

1. Promptly remove snow and ice when it accumulates, and use slip resistant mats in heavy traffic areas.

2. Stay up-to-date with the weather and be prepared to remove snow and ice when inclement weather is expected.

3. Make sure your property has effective drainage in areas like walkways, stairs, and other heavy traffic areas.

4. Use caution signs to alert patrons of high risk areas.

5. Place sand or salt dispensers near areas of high traffic.

6. Perform regular maintenance of parking, walkways, and all other facilities, so as to ensure that your property is not defective.

7. Regularly maintain snow and ice removal equipment to ensure that it is functioning properly.

8. Ensure that you have adequate lighting in areas where foot traffic is anticipated.

9. Safely clear your roof of snow if your roof nears its load capacity.

10. If contracting out a third party for snow removal, ensure that you structure contracts with appropriate indemnity and hold harmless agreements to minimize exposure to loss due to the contractor's employees or actions. Remember to obtain a copy of the contractor's certificate of insurance to ensure that the contractor has adequate coverage in case of a claim.

Don't let a slip and fall claim hurt your business operations. Call us to ensure that you are adequately covered. Should you need to report a claim, check our website or call at 508-540-2400.

Preventing Frozen Pipe Bursts

We might not live in the coldest part of the country, but given the seasonal changes in temperature, Massachusetts residents should be aware of the hazards of frozen pipe bursts, but more importantly, ways in which homeowners can prevent them.

Why do pipes burst?

While a pipe can freeze at any temperature below freezing, pipes tend to freeze when the temperature is at or lower than 20°F. You should be aware of the potential for a pipe to freeze at all times during the winter months, but especially during periods when the temperature drops to 20°F or lower. Pipes that are prone to freezing are those that are outdoors, in low heated areas, exposed to cold air, or which lack insulation. Risky locations include an outside wall, under a sink on an outside wall, or an unheated crawlspace. Once a pipe in a risky location freezes, the pipe rarely bursts in the location of the freeze. Instead, water pressure builds up downstream from the freeze, eventually causing the pipe to burst.

Preventing frozen pipe bursts

One of the best methods for prevention of frozen pipe bursts is to keep pipes well protected, insulated, and heated. If you're building a new home, ensure that you avoid placing pipes in places that are more likely to be exposed to freezing temperatures. In both old and new homes, ensure that exposed pipes are properly insulated. In addition, make sure to insulate and seal any cracks or holes which might expose a pipe to the elements. If you're worried about a short-term pipe freeze, overnight for example, leave a faucet slightly trickling. This won't necessarily prevent a freeze, but should a pipe freeze, it may help alleviate pressure and avoid a pipe burst. If you're going away on vacation, turn the water off in your home and clear all the pipes by letting the water run for several minutes after you have turned the water off. If you have outdoor pipes, for garden hoses, unplug any garden hoses during the off-season, turn off the outside water pipes, and then clear the water out of those outside pipes by allowing the water to run for several minutes.

Freeze alarms and IP thermostats

Another way to avoid frozen pipe bursts is to invest in a freeze alarm or IP thermostat. Freeze alarms and IP thermostats work through an internet connection to alert a homeowner of when their home drops below a certain temperature. Some of the most basic ones will simply call a phone number with an automated message, alerting the owner of the drop in temperature. More advance ones can be remotely controlled, even through a computer or iPhone. IP thermostats can help you save on your homeowner's insurance, and they are ideal for people with multiple homes, allowing them to monitor their home temperature when they're not there.

What if I suspect a frozen pipe?

If water stops flowing or is slower than normal, you may have a frozen pipe. If this is the case, it is essential that you unfreeze the pipe to avoid a burst. To find the frozen pipe, first turn the faucet on where you suspect the frozen pipe is connected to, and allow it to trickle, if possible. Then, follow the pipe that connects to the faucet. Often times a frozen pipe will have frost or ice built up around the outside of the pipe. Remember, likely areas for a frozen pipe include an unheated crawlspace, pipes under outside sinks, and pipes in outside walls. If you find the frozen part of the pipe, there are several ways to heat the pipe. One of the best and most common ways is to use a hair drier on the affected area. You can also use a heat lamp, a portable heater, or electrical pipe heat tape. Avoid using any kind of open flame, as this is a cause of home fires. Remember, when you're de-thawing the area, make sure to thaw from the faucet towards the frozen area, as this will allow thawed water to drip out of the faucet, alleviating pressure.

If you need to report a claim, you can check our website, or call us at (508)-540-2400.

Tips for driving in the snow

The winter season is upon us, and weather forecasts predict snow for tonight and the coming weekend. When driving with impaired road conditions, remember to drive safely, and keep in mind the most basic safety tip is don't drive in snowy conditions. Wait for snow plows to clear and sand the roads before driving. If you absolutely need to drive in snowy conditions, keep in mind some of these tips.

1. Remember, all-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive vehicles are still at risk of losing traction in the snow. Don't let modern technology give you a false sense of security, as it's still critical to keep in mind basic driving tips, regardless of what kind of vehicle you are driving in.

2. Give yourself at least three times more space for braking than what you normally would.

3. For best visibility, keep your windshield and lights clear and clean. If you're scraping snow off your car, make sure to scrap the snow off your lights, as well as your windows and windshield.

4. Use low gears for better traction.

5. Remember, bridges are exposed to air both above and below; they're not insulated by the soil like traditional roads, so bridges and overpasses freeze quicker than regular roads.

6. If you have anti-lock brakes, stomp on the brakes. You might hear a pulsing or grinding sound, this is normal. If you have standard brakes, use threshold braking: brake up to the point before your tires lose traction. If you do lose traction with standard brakes, ease off the brakes until you regain traction.

7. Steer gently. Remember, turning quickly while in icy conditions increases the likelihood that your front tires will lose traction.

8. If you get stuck, don't spin your tires, as this will only dig your car in deeper. Instead, try clearing the snow from the tires, or placing sand, gravel, kitty litter, or some form of traction under the path of the tires, or try rocking the car.

In the coming winter months, remember to drive safely! If you do need to report a claim, check our report a claim section on our website, or call us at 508-540-2400.