Easter is coming up very quickly.

Are you planning an Easter egg hunt for your family, church, school, or neighborhood?

Whether your Easter egg hunt is inside or outside, keep the fun going and the kids safe with these safety tips.

Inspect the area for potential hazards.

Pick up any objects that may present a tripping hazard.

For inside egg hunts, be aware of electrical outlets, sharp corners, open windows and stairs.

For outside egg hunts, look for holes and uneven ground that could lead to injury.

    Set boundaries to keep the kids in sight at all times and away from unsafe areas.  This includes places that are too high or near streets and driveways.

    Plan to have adult supervision at all times.

    Hide the eggs in safe areas.

For inside hunts, keep eggs away from electrical outlets, plugs, and light sockets.

For outside hunts, keep eggs away from thick or thorned bushes, areas where pesticides have been sprayed and potential areas for bees and snakes.

    Be cautious of food allergies and choking hazards if filling plastic eggs with candy or toys.

    Be cautious of using real eggs. Make sure to take steps to cook them properly, store them properly, and keep them clean.

---Content used in this post is used with permission and was originally published by Goodville Mutual Casualty Company.

Stop immediately and as close to the accident site as is safely possible.
Do not move your vehicle unless directed by a police officer or if it is in a position to cause another accident. Check everybody involved for injuries. If the accident was more serious than a fender-bender, call 911 immediately. To protect victims from further injury, don’t move them. Cover them with a blanket or jacket and wait for the paramedics to arrive.

Only discuss the accident with the investigating officer. Do not blame anyone, including yourself. The police will tell you what to do next—such as whether you should move the vehicles out of traffic. While you are waiting for the police, exchange insurance information with the other driver if possible.

Information you will need to obtain:

• Name of driver
• Their driver's license number
• Name of their insurance company
• Phone number of company or agent
• Effective dates of their insurance policy
• The driver’s phone number

Other important information to collect at the scene includes:

• Names of all drivers and passengers involved in the accident
• Make, model, color, and license plate number of each vehicle involved
• Names, addresses, and phone numbers of witnesses
• Photos or drawings of the accident scene and damage to each vehicle
• Names and badge numbers of police officers and responding medical teams
• Information on how you can receive a copy of the police report
• If you hit an unattended vehicle, try to find the owner. If you are unable to locate the owner, leave a note with your name and phone number on the car’s windshield.

After the investigating officer has completed a report and you’ve received any necessary medical care, phone your insurance agent, or company claim hotline as soon as possible, even if you weren’t at fault or are far away from home. The sooner your agent receives the information, the sooner your claim will be processed and reviewed.

Throughout the claims process, you must tell the truth about all aspects of the situation, even if the circumstances surrounding the accident are embarrassing or detrimental to you. Insurance fraud is a crime with very serious consequences. 

--Content used in this post is used with permission and was originally published by Penn National Insurance.

Arm your home against ice damming.

An ice dam is a ridge of solid ice that forms at the edge of the roof caused by melting snow that runs down a warm roof surface and freezes when it reaches the cold roof eave edge.

Continually melting roof snow causes water to pool behind the dam. The water works its way under the roof shingles and into the house—running down walls, along ceilings and across floors. A roof full of snow could result in hundreds of gallons of water coming into the house. 

Preventing Ice Dams

If the underside of a roof, typically the attic space, remains nearly as cold as outside, little to no unwanted roof snow melting will occur. To keep a "cold roof," consider the following:

• Add insulation. More insulation on the attic floor keeps the heat where it belongs and out of the attic.

• Install ridge and soffit vents. A ridge vent paired with continuous soffit vents circulates cold air under the entire roof.

• Cap your attic hatch. An unsealed attic hatch or whole-house fan is a large opening for heat to escape. Enclose these with foil-faced foam board insulation and aluminum tape.

• Install sealed recessed lights. Older recessed lights give off excessive heat and cannot be insulated without creating a fire hazard. Replace them with sealed insulation contact (IC) rated fixtures, which can be covered with insulation.

• Seal and insulate ductwork. Seal joints of HVAC ducts and exhaust ducts and wrap with foil faced insulation to prevent heat from escaping.

• Consider an energy assessment. An assessment can pinpoint exactly where you are losing heat in the home. It can save you money and possibly prevent ice damming damages.

Enhance Your Protection During the Building Process

The best protection against ice dam damage is to combine cold roof techniques with the installation of an ice shield under the roof itself. This is a waterproof barrier that is installed under the shingles to protect the inside of the house if ice damming occurs. Water cannot penetrate the waterproof roof membrane, which even provides a seal around nail hole openings.

If Ice Damming Occurs

If an ice dam develops and you do not have a waterproof underlayment, contact a licensed and insured roofer. Ice dams are as hard as concrete, and trying to access the elevated roof edges is difficult. Attempting to remove an ice dam yourself can be dangerous.

If water is coming into your home as a result of an ice dam, contact a licensed and insured roofer to remove the snow from the roof, minimizing additional water coming into the house. Address interior damages with buckets and towels wherever possible.

Source: AIG and Westfield Specialty Brokerage.

7 ways to put a freeze on winter fires

Home fires occur more in the winter than any other season. Half of all home heating fires occur in the months of December, January and February. Here are seven tips that can help prevent a devastating fire at your home this winter:

1. Keep anything that can burn at least three feet from any heat source like fireplaces, wood stoves, radiators or space heaters.

2. Keep portable generators outside, away from windows and as far away as possible from your home.

3. Install and test carbon monoxide alarms at least once a month.

4. Have a qualified professional clean and inspect your chimney and vents every year.

5. Store cooled ashes in a tightly covered metal container and keep it outside at least 10 feet from your home and any nearby buildings.

6. Plug only one heat-producing appliance (such as a space heater) into an electrical outlet at a time.

7. And most importantly, don’t forget to install and maintain working smoke detectors.

Be fire smart as you stay cozy and warm this winter.

Source: National Fire Prevention Association.www.nfpa.org/winter

How to Stop a Grease Fire

Grease Fire Don’ts

• NEVER throw water on a grease fire. It will actually splash and spread the flames, making a fire harder to control.
• NEVER use flour or sugar. Rather than helping smother the fire, these can actually cause a powder explosion and do even more damage.
• Don’t pick up the pan. The risk of spilling grease is too high.
• Avoid touching anything until it’s completely cool.
• Don’t hesitate to call 911 if you can’t handle the situation.
• Never attempt to deal with a fire without first protecting yourself, and if it gets out of control, get everyone out safely rather than continuing to fight it. Remember, the things in your house can be replaced.