STATE FIRE ISSUES SAFETY ALERT: SNOW INCREASES CARBON MONOXIDE HAZARD

With winter starting next week, the snow has been hitting the northern part of New York.  Heavy snow fall has closed airports, roads, and has already caused millions in damage.  The southern part of the state has been getting minimal snow, but icy roads have been causing accidents and traffic tie-ups. 

The New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control (OFPC) today issued a Safety Alert advising homeowners and businesses throughout New York State that heavy snowfall and drifting snow may create a new hazard: carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, dangerous gas, commonly known as CO.

State Fire Administrator Floyd A. Madison said that with the recent onslaught of lake-effect snows in western, central and northern portions of New York State, local fire agencies have reported an increase in calls about carbon monoxide detectors going off in homes. Madison said that the reason for these calls is that high snow drifts may be blocking furnace vents and air intakes in some homes, particularly those that have newer high-efficiency furnaces.

“New, high efficiency furnaces vent out the side of a house rather than up through the roof,” Madison said. “This type of venting and air intake must be kept free and clear of snow. If it plugs up, the carbon monoxide would go back into the home. This is why the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control is issuing this warning.”

The State Fire Administrator said that some areas of New York State have received more than three feet of snow in the last week. Many newer high efficiency furnaces have an automatic device that shuts off the furnace when the vents are blocked, but not all of them. First responders say it is important to keep a three-foot area clear around the vent and intake tubes.

The New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control advises all New Yorkers affected by the recent heavy snows to inspect the area around their furnace and hot water heater vents to ensure that snow and ice are not blocking the efficient and safe operation of these fuel burning devices.  Homeowners should keep a three- foot area around the vents clear of snow, shrubs, or other potential obstructions.

If your CO alarm sounds, evacuate all family members to a safe location and call your local fire department, Madison said.

Additional information on carbon monoxide may be found at:

http://www.dos.state.ny.us/fire/COtoolkit.htm

Winter Home Protection Tips

All of that mild weather kind of spoiled us, but winter is hear.  Well technically it isn't yet, but it sure does feel like winter out there.  There are several things that you can do to minimize some of winter's biggest threats to your home. 

Snow Fall
Heavy snow accumulation can pose a threat to your home or business -- both as it builds up and as it melts. The three most important things to do are:

1. Watch for snow accumulation on the leeward (downwind) side of a higher-level roof, where blowing snow will collect. For safe removal that won't endanger you or damage your roof, consult a roofing contractor for a referral.  
2. Remove snow from basement stairwells, window wells and all walls. Melting snow can lead to water damage and moisture intrusion.
3. Keep your attic well ventilated to maintain a temperature close to that of the outdoors to minimize the risk of ice dams forming. A warm attic melts snow on the roof, causing water to run down and refreeze at the roof's edge, where it's much cooler. If ice builds up and blocks water from draining, water is forced under the roof covering and into your attic or down the inside walls of your house.

Melting Snow and Ice

Water intrusion and flood damage from melting snow and ice can threaten homes and businesses, but you can take these steps to help minimize the potential damage.

  

Immediately after the threat of physical danger has passed:

1. Make sure the building is structurally safe to enter or reoccupy.
2. Turn off electrical power. Do not use electricity until it is safe to do so.
3. Ensure that natural gas sources are safely secured.
4. Secure the exterior to prevent further water intrusion. This can include boarding up broken windows, making temporary roof repairs, sealing cracks or tacking down plastic sheeting against open gaps in walls or roofs.

When it's safe to begin cleanup:

1. Disconnect all electronics/electrical equipment and move it to a safe, dry location.
2. Remove as much standing water as possible from inside the building.
3. Begin to remove water-damaged materials immediately.
4. Ventilate the home as best you can with fans and/or dehumidifiers.
5. Contact a water extraction company, if necessary, for assistance.

By taking immediate action, you will reduce the amount of damage and increase the chance of salvaging usable materials. You'll also reduce the amount of rust, rot, mold and mildew that may develop, and lower the likelihood that the water will lead to structural problems.

 

Ice Dams

Ice dams are an accumulation of ice at the lower edge of a sloped roof. When interior heat melts the snow, water can run down and refreeze at the roof's edge, where it's much cooler. If the ice builds up and blocks water from draining off the roof, water is forced under the roof covering and into your attic or down the inside walls of your house.

  

To help reduce the risk of ice dams:

1. Make sure your gutters are clear of leaves and debris.
2. Keep the attic well ventilated so snow doesn't melt and refreeze on the roof's edge.
3. Make sure the attic floor is well insulated to minimize the amount of heat rising through the attic from within the house.  

Frozen/Bursting Pipes
Bursting pipes occur when frozen water causes a pressure buildup between the ice blockage and the closed faucet. Pipes in attics, crawl spaces and outside walls are particularly vulnerable to extreme cold. To keep water in your pipes from freezing:

1.  Fit exposed pipes with insulation sleeves or wrapping to slow heat transfer.
2. Seal cracks and holes in outside walls and foundations near water pipes with caulking.
3. Keep cabinet doors open to allow warm air to circulate around pipes.
4. Keep a slow trickle of water flowing through faucets connected to pipes that run through an unheated or unprotected space.

If you suffer damage from some of these winter hazards, you might be covered under your home, condo, or renters insurance.  To find out, you should contact your current company, or call us at 888-900-2173, and we can review your coverage for you.  Taking the steps to prevent these hazards will not only save you money from having to pay for your deductible or parts of the claims that aren't covered.  They will also save you money on your premiums for years to come. 

Holiday Lighting Safety

The holidays are here, and you might have already put up your lights.  I started on Thanksgiving, and finished decorating the outside of the house this past weekend.  Here are some saftey tips that are good to follow:

• Check lighting strands for broken bulbs, frayed wires, loose connection, or any other signs of wear or damage. Throw away any strands that give you cause for concern.


• Some safety experts recommend replacing light strands every four or five years to ensure that wear and improper storage don't create a hazard.

• Don't place cords under furniture or rugs. Use caution when using nails, tacks or pins to secure strands of lights; don't pierce the wire coverings with such items.

• Keep light strands away from sources of heat or moisture. Cover the tree's water basin to ensure that lights don't come into contact with it.

• Make sure strands of lights don't dangle or lay loosely where young children can grab a hold of them. It could result in the tree toppling over or present a strangulation hazard.

• Even low wattage bulbs can get hot enough to burn small, tender fingers. Keep them out of reach as much as possible.

• Make sure a fully operational smoke detector resides in close proximity to a tree that features holiday lights.

• When decorating outside, use only lights that are approved for outdoor use. Plug all outdoor lights into a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) to avoid the risk of a serious shock.

Have a very Happy Holiday Season!!!

Home Fire Safety for the Holidays

As the holidays approach, homeowners should take time to think about home fire safety. By taking simple measures, home fire safety precautions can prevent the devastation of a house fire. According to claims data from a major auto and home insurance company, reports of fire loss jump during the winter months. January alone accounted for 15 per cent of all fire losses reported in 2009. So make home fire safety a top priority.

Properly planned home fire safety can help prevent the majority of fire losses. This autumn, consider these home fire safety tips:

Home Fire Safety Step #1: Prepare

The first step in home fire safety is to be prepared! The best thing you can do to ensure safer winter months at home is to be proactive about your home's upcoming seasonal needs. A little time spent on home fire safety preparation will ensure that your family stays safe and comfortable this winter.

1. Inspect heaters every autumn to ensure they are in good working condition. If you have a gas heater, inspect the exhaust for carbon build up.

2. Have your chimney inspected and cleaned at least once a year if you have a woodstove or use your fireplace. This is an essential part of home fire safety, because creosote buildup can cause a chimney fire.

3. Install smoke detectors on all floors of your home. Take the time to sit down with your family and prepare a fire plan. It should detail escape routes and include a designated meeting place. This is an indispensable part of home fire safety preparedness.  If you already have smoke detectors, then make sure that you change the batteries every six months.

Home Fire Safety Step #2: Prevent

An essential part of home fire protection is prevention! As you prepare for cooler weather and holiday festivities, make home fire safety part of your yearly routine.

1. Avoid overloading your outlets by using power bars for several small appliances. If you have a gas stove in your kitchen, keep rags, paper or anything that can catch on fire, away from open flames. This is an essential part of home fire safety, because many house fires are due to electrical fires and cooking accidents.

2. Inspect your home for frayed or damaged electrical cords and plugs, as well as fuses that regularly blow. Consider hiring a licensed electrician to inspect your home's electrical system to make sure everything is working properly.

3. Home fire safety is especially vital during the holidays. Christmas tree lights and electrical ornaments should be in working order with no wires showing or fraying. A pine tree that catches on fire can set an entire room ablaze in less than a minute.

4. Careless disposal of fireplace ashes can be a serious threat to any home. Ashes need four days to completely cool. Keep them in a can away from combustible materials until completely cool and then discard them.

Home Fire Safety Step #3: Insure

In addition to taking home fire safety precautions, another way to keep your family safe during the winter season is with high quality home insurance.

Make sure that you know who is insuring your home, and if you have any gaps in coverage.  I am working with a client who recently had a fire, and they are delighted to know that they have the right coverage when the need it.  You want to make sure that you are with a company who will work with you through the claims process, not against you.  You also need a trusted licensed insurance professional to make sure that you have the right level of protection in case you need it. 

It's time to "Fall Back"

You’ve likely heard the saying, “spring forward, fall behind,” as an easy way to remember how to set your clocks when daylight saving time begins and ends. In the spring, we move our clocks ahead one hour and “lose” an hour during the night. In the fall, we move our clocks back one hour to “gain” more time.

On Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010 at 2 a.m. local time, daylight saving time ends in the U.S. Remember to set your clock one hour earlier, and enjoy the extra hour in your day.

The change to daylight saving time allows us to use less energy in lighting our homes and businesses by taking advantage of the longer and later daylight hours. It began in the U.S. during World War I as a way to save energy for war production. During World War II, the government again required states to use daylight saving time. After the war, it was up to each individual community to choose whether or not it would observe daylight saving time until 1966, when Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, which standardized the length of daylight saving time.

In 2005, Congress passed the Energy Policy Act which extended daylight saving time by four weeks, with the hope of saving 10,000 barrels of oil per day by reducing the use of power during daylight hours.

It is also a good time to change the batteries in your smoke detector.  This should be done every six months, so the change in time is a good time to change your batteries.  Have a safe and happy fall.

Construction Industry Fair Play Act creates presumption of employment

As if the Lead Liability Issue hasn't been enough of a challenge for contractors to deal with, now the NY State has a new law changing the rules on Workers Compensation Coverage.  Effective Oct. 26, 2010, there's a major shift in the way New York state officially views workers in the construction trades, due to enactment of “The New York State Construction Industry Fair Play Act.” The law makes it extremely hard to qualify construction workers as independent contractors.


Because the law defines “construction” so broadly (see below), activities other than “new” construction are affected. Also, the new law makes it clear that someone cannot qualify as an independent contractor merely by maintaining a workers' compensation policy, as some may have assumed in the past.

Presumption-of-employment established. This new law (S.5847-F) creates a strong legal presumption that construction workers are employees. This represents quite a paradigm shift in an industry where a large portion of workers traditionally have been treated as independent contractors.

The “presumption” of employment can be overcome, so these workers can be classified as independent contractors—but only if they meet certain very specific criteria. To be treated as independent contractors, they must qualify as a separate business entity (as defined), plus meet certain tests showing true independence from the contractor that hires them.

Willful misclassification of construction workers carries stiff new penalties—and a greater chance of being detected and penalized, due to heightened information sharing among state agencies.

Summary of legal tests. The New York State Department of Labor (DOL) has boiled down the law's somewhat complicated tests into a simpler, more understandable three-part formula. The DOL's explanation for construction workers is a good place to start, in understanding the ramifications of the new law:

“The law says that you are an employee unless:

• you are free from direction and control in performing your job; AND

• you perform work that is not part of the usual work done by the business that hired you; AND

• you have an independently established business.

Your employer cannot consider you to be an independent contractor unless all three of these facts apply to your work.

IT IS AGAINST THE LAW FOR AN EMPLOYER TO MISCLASSIFY EMPLOYEES AS INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS OR PAY EMPLOYEES OFF THE BOOKS.”

Notice requirement. As of the law's effective date (Oct. 26, 2010), contractors are required to post information on its provisions at job sites. The DOL, as required by law, has developed a poster that will fulfill this requirement, as well as a fact sheet. The DOL poster and related information can be viewed here: http://www.labor.ny.gov/sites/legal/laws/construction-industry-fair-play-act.page.

How the law works. First, the law adds some new definitions:

“Construction” is defined very broadly to embrace not just new construction but also repairs, demolition, excavation, etc.

“Contractor ” means any legal entity engaged in construction in New York, including both general contractors and subcontractors. (The law is designed so that independent contractors who qualify as separate business entities automatically are considered “contractors” in their own right. Thus, in turn, these individuals become subject to the law's requirements with respect to any workers they may hire.)

“Employee” (as defined in Workers' Compensation Law) is amended to include any individual performing services in construction for a contractor who does not overcome the presumption of employment.

Here's the “presumption” part: “Any person performing services for a contractor shall be classified as an employee unless the person is a separate business entity OR all of the following criteria are met, in which case the person shall be an independent contractor” [emphasis added]. In other words, the “person” here can be either a natural person or a business entity; and in each case the law applies certain tests before it will consider them an independent contractor.

Test for independent contractors. To be considered an independent contractor, an individual performing services for a contractor, must:

• be free from control and direction in performing the job, both under contract terms and in fact;

• perform services outside the usual course of business of the contractor for which the service is performed; AND

• have an independently established business.

Test of independently established business. To be considered a “separate business entity” from the contractor for which services are performed, the business must meet ALL of the following (for exact language, consult the text of the law):

• be free from direction or control (except as to the desired result);

• not be subject to dissolution upon severance of its relationship with the contractor;

• have a substantial capital investment in the business, beyond ordinary tools, equipment and a personal vehicle;

• own the capital goods, gain the profits and bear the losses;

• make services available to the general public or business community on a continuing basis;

• file federal taxes as an independent business or profession;

• perform services for the contractor under the business entity's name;

• furnish the tools needed to perform the job;

• obtain and pay for any licenses or permits in the business entity's name;

• if necessary, hire its own employees without contractor approval, pay them without reimbursement from the contractor and report its employees' income to the IRS;

• not be represented to others by the contractor as an employee; AND

• have the right to perform similar services for others on whatever basis, and whenever it chooses.

Enforcement. The bill imposes stiff penalties for failing to classify construction workers properly, which extend to certain individuals who are corporate officers or shareholders. Mandatory information sharing among the Workers' Compensation Board, the Labor Department and the Department of Taxation and Finance make it more likely that a contractor coming to the attention of one state agency will be scrutinized by the others. Workers who question their status or become whistleblowers are protected from reprisals.

For more information about how this law may impact your business, give us a call at 516-799-6900.

It's getting cold, time to turn on the Heat!

Had to break down and turn on the heat last night.  I enjoy the colder weather, but the family was complaining that it was too cold. It's a good thing that I had the furnace serviced a few weeks ago.  Unfortunately, many people let their service go because they need to save some money, but that can lead to a major hazard, the oil burner puff back!

What You Need to Know


A puff back can be caused by a malfunction of the combustion chamber inside the oil burner.  Explosions can be caused by the oil vapors which build up inside the oil burnerThis may seem like a harmful and frightening situation. However, if the fumes made by the malfunctioned gas burners revert back to the vents and air ducts in your home, it can cause damage to the home and will lead to poor indoor air quality and can heavily affect the air circulation as well.

Anything that comes into contact with the fumes will be covered in petroleum based particles and soot when that malfunction happens. There is a misconception that puff backs basically mean that dust is being blown back. However, the proper definition is that it is a release of oil-based particles that can do much more damage compared to dust.

When it comes to puff backs, there are primarily two ways they can spread: either they spread rapidly or they can spread gradually. Often times, puff backs appear as dark circles on your ceilings, walls and furniture. This makes it hard to notice there is actually an on-going problem happening. You might even think that they are just dirty finger prints. It may seem like only dirt or dust but when you try removing it you will realize that it is actually oil-based and cannot be removed easily.

On the other hand, there are also times when puff backs are extremely rapid. In just a short span of time, this may cause severe damage to your property and your house as well. When this happens, you will notice that everything will start to get covered by soot and you should take the necessary precautions since a potential explosion can occur.

How to Handle Puff Back Situations

Keep in mind that you need to act quickly so that you can minimize the damage if you notice any sort of puff back. When it comes to restorations in terms of what has been damaged by puff back residue and soot, the best thing to do is to hire a restoration service professional. However, if you don’t have the means to hire a professional restoration service, there are still a few ways you can handle the situation yourself. Always remember to wear a protective mask and the right disposable clothing so you can prevent direct contact with the toxic soot.

Checking the furnace and the oil burner is the very first thing you should inspect. Testing should be your priority since this may very well be the primary source of the problem. It is highly recommended that you seek the help of a professional technician. Eliminating the source of the problem before treating its effects should be one of the first things you should do. The malfunctioning oil burner is the main source of the problem.

If you have a gas leak inside your house, it can lead to higher levels of carbon dioxide that can be extremely hazardous to your family’s health. This situation may also be considered as a puff back. The carbon dioxide levels must be tested if you are experiencing dizziness or nausea when you are inside your house.

Installing carbon dioxide monitors is advisable so that the carbon dioxide levels can be tested frequently. When you notice carbon dioxide levels increasing slowly, this is a clear indicator of a gradual puff back and this need to be addressed until it worsens. Make sure you take the initiative and inspect if there are any problems with your oil burners or if there are any gas leaks when you start seeing that the levels of carbon dioxide in your house are rising.

Puff Back Restoration Services

Professional puff back restorations offer various services, including specialized vacuuming services. Since ordinary vacuums cannot clean puff backs, professional services use a heavy duty vacuum to remove the soot from the surface and store it instead of allowing it blow out into the air. Another service would be structural cleaning, which restores your house to its original state if the whole house or parts of it is affected by puff backs. The extreme options would be demolition or a complete shut down if the majority of the property is affected.

Upholstered furniture and carpets are prone to soot since it is an oil-based material. Hence, this will make it difficult to remove on your carpets and upholstered furniture. Restoration services should be able to remove the soot using their specialized methods. Moreover, since a smoky odor may be emitted by puff backs as well, puff back restoration services apply odor removal processes to eliminate the odor from the affected areas. If a puff back adheres to your clothes, the best thing to do would be to ask restoration services to wash and dry clean them so they can be restored to their original state. Even if you think you can wash the clothes on your own, you may not have the cleaning agents and the necessary appliances to clean the clothes well.

Preventive Tips on How to Deal with Puff Backs

When it comes to puff backs, the best thing to do is to implement preventive measures. To be able to make sure that you won’t fall victim to puff backs, it is highly advisable to make routine checks on your oil burners and furnace. Acting immediately by getting in touch with a restoration service as soon as possible to minimize the extent of the damage is another important thing to do if you find yourself in a dire puff back situation.

Some home insurance policies protect you from the puff backs, so the cost of the cleanup should be covered.  But it is better to avoid the situation by taking the time to have a routine check of your heating system every year.  Call us now to see if you have this valuable coverage.