“GFCI” is a ground fault circuit interrupter. A ground fault circuit interrrupter is an inexpensive electrical device that, if installed in household branch circuits, could prevent over two-thirds of the approximately 300 electrocutions still occurring each year in and around the home. Installation of the device could also prevent thousands of burn and electric shock injuries each year.

Have you ever experienced an electric shock? If you did, the shock probably happened because your hand or some other part of your body came in contact with a source of electric current and your body provided a path for the electrical current to go to the ground, so that Read more…

While many factors influence tropical cyclone behavior, surface water temperature is certainly among the most important.

Ocean heat content and water vapor have both risen over the past several decades, resulting in higher ocean surface temperatures & warmer air temperatures.

The net result, according to recent studies examining the duration and maximum wind speeds of each tropical cyclone that formed over the last 30 years, is that their destructive power has increased around 70% in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

The findings also suggest that the percentage of hurricanes classified as Category 4 or 5 has increased over the same period.

While 1992’s Andrew was the final of only three Category 5 hurricanes to make landfall Read more…

CPSC created its playground safety guidelines as a detailed working blueprint to help local communities, schools, day care centers, corporations, and other groups build safe playgrounds. This Handbook includes technical safety guidelines for designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining public playgrounds. To highlight some of the most important safety issues for parents and community groups, we’ve developed a “Public Playground Safety Checklist,” which can be found on the inside back cover.

Playgrounds are a fundamental part of the childhood experience. They should be safe havens for children. All of us have memories of playing on playgrounds in our neighborhood park and at recess in the schoolyard.

Unfortunately, more than 200,000 children are treated in U.S. Read more…

How to safely put out a fire on the stove

Kitchen fires can be devastating to the house and structure and even WORSE to the person that is cooking. This well done video by the Fire Protection Testing Lab gives some excellent advise on what to do if a pan of oil catches fire on the stove.

In the interest of Safety and to help avoid accidents we have posted this video here as part of our public education series. Feel free to bookmark this page and to share it with others.

Downed utility lines, power company blackouts, heavy snow falls or summer storms can all lead to power outages. For a temporary solution, many people turn to a portable electric generator. Many homeowners are unaware that the improper use of a portable generator can be risky. Keep safety precautions in mind when using this appliance.
Safety Tips

www.nfpa.org/education

Generators should be operated in well ventilated locations outdoors away from all doors, windows and vent openings.
The generator should be placed so that exhaust fumes cannot enter the home through windows, doors or other building openings.
Install carbon monoxide (CO) alarms in your home. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for proper placement and mounting height. Should CO Read more…