Lacking blog inspiration this morning I decided to share an old article from the CDC on Halloween Safety. There are lots of good tips and safety advice in the brief article.

TRICK or TREAT?

	Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible.
	Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.
	Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.
	Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them. Limit the amount of treats you eat.
	Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and others see you.
	Always test make-up in a small area first. Remove it before bedtime to prevent skin and eye irritation.
	Look both ways before crossing the street. Use established crosswalks wherever possible.
	Lower your risk for serious eye injury by not wearing decorative contact lenses.
	Only walk on sidewalks or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe.
	Wear well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips, and falls.
	Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats unless you know the cook well.
	Enter homes only if you’re with a trusted adult. Otherwise, stay outside.
	Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes.

John Deere announced two recalls today concerning certain lawn tractor models. One of the recalls relates to the blade brakes in which the brake can fail and allow the blades to take longer to spin to a stop – posing a laceration hazard.

The other recallis also on certain lawn tractor models in which the hardware holding the brake housing onto the transmission can fail and cause a loss of lawn tractor brakes.

Thankfully neither defect has lead to a personal injury. Hopefully we are helping to spread the word to prevent anyone from being injured.

www.harrellandharrell.com

Well, summer has come and gone for another year – ALMOST!! We still have Labor Day weekend to survive and part of me really does mean survive. Not only surviving entertaining our kids’ insatiable needs for non-stop action but surviving the roads and waterways of North Florida this weekend. Lots of people will be making that last trip to the beach, last venture in the boat either fishing, skiing, sunning or sailing, quick vacation down to see Mickey and friends or whatever else they can sneak in before we officially close the book on summer. Our family will be doing the same scheduled in between the other obligatory functions like horse show and swim practice.

It all adds up for lots of potential fun and fellowship with friends and family. Don’t forget to keep safety in the forefront of your mind. Safety for yourself, family friends and others. Slow down, look twice, be patient, don’t drink and drive – all those terms come to mind!

Enjoy your weekend, be safe and here’s to another fun filled summer in the books. Best part about summer ending – football starts!!

www.harrellandharrell.com

This is a re-announcement of a voluntary recall by  the US CPSC and McLaren USA, Inc. These strollers were recalled in November of 2009 because the hinge in the stroller had caused 15 separate personal injury incidents, 12 of which involved fingertip amputation. Since the recall there have been 37 additional incidents involving the dangerous hinge on this faulty product.

Over one million of these strollers were produced. The recall involves all McLaren single and double umbrella strollers.

If you or your child were seriously injured by this defective product or any other defective product, please contact us.

www.harrellandharrell.com

Stumbled across this page provided by Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. School will be out soon and more young drivers will be out on the road for summer fun. Gas prices may slow that down a bit but not completely. Please share these tips with your kids and help keep us all safer on Florida’s roads and highways by reducing car accidents and personal injury. I imagine all these tips will work for us grown ups also.

www.harrellandharrell.com

Even if you haven’t been outside yet today, you probably have realized that winter cold has arrived in earnest. With temperatures expected to fall quickly below freezing shortly after sunset and bottom out in the teens possibly, everyone’s desire for warmth will be priority number one.

For those of you that supplement  your heat in your home with portable electric heaters, please be careful in their use.

Here’s some info from the CPSC on the setup and use of portable heaters thst should help in the prevention of injury or wrongful death.

Portable Electric Heaters

The Commission estimates that half the deaths and one-third of the injuries resulting from electric heater fires occurred at night when family members were asleep and the heater unattended. The Commission is also concerned about the use of power or extension cords which can be too small to supply the amount of current required by the typical portable electric heater.

You should be able to respond “yes” to the following safety statements.

Recommendations:

• Operate heater away from combustible materials. Do not place heaters where towels or the like could fall on the appliance and trigger a fire.
• Avoid using extension cords unless absolutely necessary. If you must use an extension cord with your electric heater, make sure it is marked with a power rating at least as high as that of the heater itself. Keep the cord stretched out. Do not permit the cord to become buried under carpeting or rugs. Do not place anything on top of the cord.
• Never place heaters on cabinets, tables, furniture or the like. Never use heaters to dry wearing apparel or shoes.

Stay warm tonight and stay safe. Don’t forget to check on neighbors, pets and plants.

www.harrellandharrell.com

Usually March brings us cool mornings and warm afternoons but this is ridiculous. Looks like the cold pattern may break towards the weekend. Hopefully, it will warm up enough for me to get my Ski Nautique out from under all that I have piled on it in the last 5 months and see if it still runs like a top.

A good couple days of cleaning, preventive maintenance and prep work go a long way towards enjoying a safe accident-free spring and summer boating season. As I finished typing that sentence, Mr Sunshine appeared! Now we’re talking.

I have been around boats all my life and have owned my current one for over 20 years now so I know it pretty well but I never hesitate to make sure everything is functioning properly and all my safety equipment is right where I left it.  Do you know what safety equipment is required on your boat? When is the last time you actually put your hands on your life jackets or tested your fire extinguisher? Have your kids outgrown last year’s stuff? Mine have. I’m still trying to get rid of the infant jackets from 3 0r 4 years ago. You wouldn’t leave the dock without your lunch, drinks, rods and reels, bait etc….but how many times have you thought.. it’s such a nice day why do I need my radio, my anchor. You get my drift! If you have been boating enough you should clearly understand how quickly that nice day can change.

Get in touch with the local Coast Guard Auxiliary or Power Squadron for a Vessel Safety Check or visit the US Coast Guard Boating Safety Division site for lots more information concerning safe and enjoyable boating.

Hope to see you out on the Jacksonville waterways soon!

www.harrellandharrell.com

Having worked in the personal injury  field for close to 15 years, I wind up paying much more attention to potential hazards whether it be driving in Jacksonville traffic, going out to eat at a local restaurant or just doing some shopping. I have heard about every type of accidental injury story you can think of – some are much more believable than others. People need to be reminded of the need for taking that extra few seconds to make sure what they are about to do won’t result in an accident.

I ran across this Reuters news story this morning which reports that Florida is the most dangerous state for pedestrians. Guess what – Jacksonville and it’s many surrounding communities are ranked in the top four in the state.

I know I don’t want to be one of those accident statistics and assume neither do you. Obviously everyone needs to always look out for themselves but let’s not forget to look out for others. If you see a dangerous situation develop, be proactive by slowing down and warning others of the potential hazard. Next time it might be you trying to cross the street.

How many times have you told a business owner of a spill on the floor, straightened that rug at the entrance of your local grocery store, or picked up an item that fell on the floor? If you do it more often, so will others.

Enjoy the holidays and be careful!

Harrell and Harrell, PA