Electrical Safety Tips for Homeowners

Electrical Safety Tips for HomeownersWhen it comes to the damage done by electrical fires every year, the numbers are staggering.

Each year, U.S. fire departments respond to an estimated 25,900 home electrical fires. These fires cause an estimated 280 deaths, 1,125 injuries, and $1.1 billion in property loss.

In fact, homeowners lose more money every year as a result of electrical fires than nonelectrical fires, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. You can even lose your entire home – or worse – because of a bad electrical fire.

Read more

5 Security Tips for New Homeowners

5 Security Tips for New HomeownersYou’ve just moved into your dream home and you can’t believe how much work you have to do. There’s unpacking, rearranging furniture, putting up curtains, cleaning, grocery shopping – the list is endless.

It can be so overwhelming that you might forget all about ensuring your family and your new home are safe and secure. Burglars are paying attention and they’re well aware how distracted new homeowners can be right after move-in day.

Here are five tips to keep the burglars at bay and your home and your loved ones safe and sound.

Read more

6 Tips for a Safe and Fun Family Road Trip

5 Tips for a Safe and Fun Family Road TripYou and your family have been mapping out your route for months. Now you’ve packed your suitcases, set your home security alarm, and you’re ready to hit the open road.

Before you and your family set off, here are six tips to ensure you and your family have a safe and fun-filled trip. Read more

Why You Should Think Like a Burglar

Why You Should Think Like a BurglarWhen you’ve decided to set up your new home security system, you’ll also need to take the time to actually think like a burglar. In other words, if you were a burglar, where would you target and why? The mentality of a burglar is one of exploitation and knowing where to target at the right time.

We recently published an article about the mindset of a thief from a business security perspective, and wanted to switch gears and focus on home security. Taking the time to protect your home cannot be underestimated; it is your most prized possession and placing it in this type of jeopardy is not worth the risk.

Read more

Safeguarding your Home for Summer Vacation

Safeguarding your Home for Summer VacationSummer vacation is here, kids nationwide have been looking forward to the opportunity to kick back, relax, and enjoy some quality time at home. Many families will be leaving their homes to vacation and enjoy their summer vacation abroad. Unfortunately, vacationing can present some home security risks – making it extremely important to conduct a few checks before locking up your home. Read more

Home Alone Summer Safety Tips for Kids

Home Alone Summer Safety Tips for KidsBefore you know it, school will be out for the summer and you’ll be trying to figure out if your child is old enough to stay home alone during the day while you’re at work or out running errands.

Many states, including Massachusetts, don’t have laws on the books indicating at what age a child is old enough to stay home alone. However, the Washington, D.C.-based Safe Kids Worldwide says that developmentally, children are typically ready to be home alone around the age of 12 or 13.

Despite your child’s age, only you can determine if he or she is ready to stay home alone this summer.
Read more

How to Prevent Accidental Poisoning at Home

How to Prevent Accidental Poisoning at Home

Approximately 90% of poisonings occur in the home and more than half of them involve children under 5. Those staggering statistics come courtesy of the Regional Center for Poison Control and Prevention Serving Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Exposure to poison can take the form of inhalation, ingestion, absorption through the skin, or injection (as in an insect sting), according to the center. Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is also a real danger. Although cases of CO poisoning increase during the cold weather, it is still the most common cause of poisoning deaths in the United States.

Read more

6 Spring Cleaning Tips to Make Your Home Safer and Healthier

6 Spring Cleaning Tips to Make Your Home Safer and HealthierAfter a cold and snowy – OK, very snowy – New England winter, spring is the perfect time to roll up your sleeves and give your home a top-to-bottom cleaning to get it ready for summer entertaining. In addition to spiffing up your house, there are some things you can do during your spring cleaning to make your house healthier while promoting home safety.

Here are six spring cleaning tips to get you started, courtesy of MedicineNet:

Read more

Tips to Protect Your Home From Lightning

Tips to Protect Your Home From a Lightning FireLightning strikes are not as uncommon as many people think and can create severe fire hazards during storms.

Last summer, a lightning strike caused a two-alarm fire in Kingston, Mass. Three other homes were also hit by lightning during the same severe storm, but they did not catch fire. Luckily, there were no reported injuries.

In September, a barn in Williamsburg, Mass. also caught fire after it was hit by lightning. No one was inside the barn and no one was injured.

Earlier this year, chimneys on a home in Danvers, Mass. and a residence in Framingham, Mass. were also hit by lightning during an unusual lightning storm.

We want to offer you some tips from Safety Insurance in Boston to help you protect your home and your family during a lightning storm:

Read more

4 Ways to Save Money on Your Homeowner’s Insurance

4 Ways to Save Money on Your Homeowner’s InsuranceIf you’re like the rest of us, you’re looking to save money any way you can. You make sacrifices like eating out less, cutting back on vacations, and buying fewer clothes. However, there’s another way to save money – by taking advantage of the discounts your insurer offers on your homeowner’s insurance.

Here are four way ways to lower the costs of your premium, courtesy of the Insurance Information Institute.

Read more