Holiday Office Decor

The beginning of December is an exciting time since it marks the beginning of the holiday season! Before you know it you get a break from school or work, get to see your family, eat great food, exchange gifts and the holiday fun continues until New Years!

Some offices enjoy decorating and even throwing parties for their employees. This is a great way to spread some holiday cheer. Although these are happy occasions it is important to be mindful of potential safety hazards. 

When decorating your work-space, keep some of the fire safety tips in mind:

• Do not use any decoration that has an open flame
• Don't place staples or nails through strings of lights
• Don't connect too many strands of lights together
• If decorating outside of the office, be sure to use lights for exterior use
• Turn off all illuminated items when the office is closed (put someone in charge of this task to avoid confusion)
• Before beginning to decorate, verify that all of your fire safety equipment is in proper working order (this includes smoke detectors and fire extinguishers)
• Think carefully before using extension cords to connect lights or other decorations
• Avoid placing trees, gifts, or freestanding decorations in heavily trafficked areas where people might run into or trip over them 
• Make sure your decor does not compromise people’s ability to exit the workplace in case of an  emergency
• Don't place decorative items in exit corridors, in front of exit signage, or on fire safety equipment including sprinkler head

And remember to keep all relevant OSHA regulations in mind when planning your office and party decor! By following a few simple safety tips, it's easy to enjoy festive holiday decorations and events at work without having to deal with injuries or property damage. 

Trick-or-Treat!

So you've already put together a great, visible costume for your young trick-or-treaters right? If not you can find some tips on how to make Halloween costumes more noticeable to motorists in my last post.  

Now that your costumes are safe to go out in, it’s important to make sure your kids are practicing safe trick-or-treating. Educate children on which houses to go to, proper street-crossing techniques, etc. so they have an
                                                      enjoyable and safe Halloween!

Click here for a Halloween safety game and read on for more tips.

• Always make sure an adult is supervising the trick-or-treaters.
• Older children traveling without a parent should travel in a group and have a pre-planned safe route and a curfew.
• Explain to children the difference between tricks and vandalism.
• Only go to houses with the outside lights on.
• Remind children to never enter a stranger's home.
• Tell your children that all of the candy needs to be inspected before they taste any. 
• Remind children to walk on sidewalks, cross only at corners, and to stay away from parked cars.
• Remove hazards from your own yard, steps, and porch.
• Place jack-o-lanterns and candles where they cannot be knocked over or reached by children.
• Use electric candles for a similar effect with less risk.
• Carry a flashlight and use it.

Have a happy Halloween! Don't eat too much candy = )

Halloween Costumes

Halloween is just sixteen days away! Maybe less depending on when you’re reading this post…

I just love this time of year! Scary movies, carving pumpkins, a plethora of candy, and the list goes on and on. My absolute favorite part about Halloween is the costumes though. Young trick-or-treaters look absolutely adorable and there are a few cute pet costumes too. As much as this is a holiday for children I’d say some adults enjoy it quite a bit. Aside from actors, clowns, and other children entertainers how many people can really dress up as anything                                                     they want without being frowned upon?

Whether you’re putting together a costume for an infant, teen, or adult it’s important to make sure the outfit is functional and safe to trick-or-treat in. Keep some of the following tips in mind when designing your costumes this year. If you've already planned your Halloween look it’s never too late to make a few modifications!

COSTUME TIPS:

• Costumes should be bright and light enough to be clearly visible to motorists.
• Add reflective tape to costumes as a precaution.*
• Make sure costumes are short enough to prevent tripping and snagging on decorations.
• Try to purchase/make costumes that are fire resistant. 
• Make sure your child can see out of their mask.
  Masks should be properly fitted to prevent slipping over their eyes.

*Reflective tape can be found at most locations that sell Duct tape.

Happy designing! If you've created a safe costume this Halloween or in past years feel free to share a photo below or on the USC's Facebook page!

The Importance of Being Neutral

Fun fact: The first six months after getting a license are the most dangerous
               times for any driver.

I can definitely attest to that statement. I have been a licensed driver for five years now and the only accident I have ever been in was within four months of passing the test. Not all car crashes can be prevented but mine could have been easily avoided. Being a new driver, I overlooked a simple step that would have saved me some money and embarrassment.

Here’s the story:

My high school had a one mile driveway that connected to the main road. At this time I drove a car that lacked cup holders and while going around the one curve my breakfast shake fell under my feet. I was extremely anxious because I was afraid the can would get stuck under my brake pedal and put me in a dangerous situation so, when the light turned red, I reached under the steering column to pick it up. While I was bending down my foot came off of the brake and I felt the car start to creep forward. I slammed on the brake pedal and almost immediately collided into the vehicle in front of me. I was still under the steering wheel so I had no idea if I had been hit or hit someone else. Apparently when I tried to brake I slammed on the gas instead! The light had turned green which put some distance between me and the car in front of me so I had reached a decent speed before the collision which dented both of our bumpers.

How could I have avoided this accident you ask? All I had to do was shift my car into neutral or park. After the accident, several of my friends had shared their own stories about their foot coming off of the brakes when they reached for something. Although we all had great driving instructors there was still a lot we needed to learn that only experience could teach us.

So learn from my mistake and hopefully you won’t repeat it. Tell all of the new drivers you know how important it is to put your car in park or neutral when reaching for something                                  in the vehicle. 

Sharing the Road with School Buses

Now that summer is winding up and many children are heading back to school I’ve noticed a lot more buses on the road. In fact, they seem to follow me around, which is no surprise considering over 480,000 busses operate daily nationwide carrying 26 million elementary school and secondary school students.

Since we are now sharing the road with so many of these oversized vehicles, it is important to understand how to drive properly when around them.

When the stop sign extends:

•  On a divided highway with a barrier or unpaved road separating the lanes, you may continue to drive if you are going in the opposite direction.
• On a two-lane road all vehicles are required to stop.
• On a multi-lane road, all vehicles must stop if a paved lane separates the lanes going in different directions.

Bus lights work like traffic lights:

• If the overhead lights flash yellow, be prepared to stop.
• If the overhead lights flash red, stop.
• When the hazard or warning lights are flashing, proceed with caution.

Whether or not you have to stop when the school bus stops, I recommend you always slow down and constantly examine your surroundings. Children can be unpredictable and dart out of nowhere and decreasing your speed is an easy way to increase your reaction time.

Following these extremely simple steps can make a huge difference in the number of children injured yearly. In 2011 there were 22 fatalities, 350-475 broken bones or worse, and 8,500-12,000 minor injuries like scrapes and bruises.

FYI: If potentially saving a child’s life is not enough motivation to stop when a school bus does, you should also know that if caught you can be fined, imprisoned, face a felony charge, and receive five points on your license.

Reducing Your Blind Spot

Some people are graced with height while others, like my mother, are what I like to call “vertically challenged”. At a whopping four feet and ten and a quarter inches (you can’t leave off that quarter inch!) Mommy faces a few daily challenges that don’t always include her inability to reach things on high shelves.

If you wear glasses or contact lenses you may already be aware that the information can be found on your driver’s license. Well my mother’s first license said that she had to sit on a phone book or pillow while driving. Seriously, she could have received an additional fine if she was ever pulled over and not using something to elevate herself!

Okay, okay, I know this post is silly but I have a good point to make, I promise!

I don’t understand the physics behind it but due to her height, or lack thereof, my mother has a larger blind spot when using her side mirrors. To alleviate this issue she has a simple trick, leaning forward.

 

I’m sure everyone has had their fair share of near-misses when trying to change lanes where the honk of a car horn alerts us that there had been a vehicle beside us the whole time. Hey, they don’t call it a blind spot for nothing! Well, once my mother was in the car with me during such an occasion and filled me in on her trick so I gave it a try. Mothers are always right so naturally this time was no different. My visibility increased astronomically as I moved forward slightly and glanced at my side mirror. To this day I do that every time I change lanes and can honestly say those near-misses are nearly gone.

I hope you found this post both educational and entertaining. Stay-tuned for some more personal safety stories! And please feel free to share some of your own tips in the comment section below.

Labor Day Weekend

As mentioned two months ago in my 4th of Julypost, the holidays are some of the deadliest days for traffic-related fatalities. According to the Florida Safety Council rates of DUI-related deaths rise dramatically over Labor Day Weekend which is why authorities will step up their DUI enforcement this weekend. 

This morning I happened to catch a commercial I have seen in the past. It was part of the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign and I realized that I see this commercial at very specific times during the year. Well now I know why! 43% of Labor Day deaths involve alcohol compared to the 32% during the rest of the year.  Numbers don’t always make the impact they should so click here for some great infographics!

One campaign slogan I am particularly fond of is “the last day of summer shouldn’t mean the end of your life.” Okay, if you’re a child going back to school sometimes it may feel that way but the point is there is no reason to risk your well-being because you are celebrating.

Here are some tips to enjoy a safe Labor Day weekend:

• If you choose to drink, never drive. Stay where you are or have a designated driver. You not only put yourself at risk but you are also endangering everyone on the road around you.
•  Wear your seatbelt. You can’t control what is happening in the vehicles around you but you can make sure you are being cautious in your own.
•  Be aware of drunk drivers. Learn how to spot a drunk driver on the MADD website.

I hope you have a fun holiday weekend!