{"id":2560,"date":"2023-02-01T15:33:38","date_gmt":"2023-02-01T15:33:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quincymutual.com\/blog\/?p=2560"},"modified":"2023-11-07T16:01:43","modified_gmt":"2023-11-07T16:01:43","slug":"winter-safety-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quincymutual.com\/blog\/winter-safety-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Winter Safety Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2562\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2562\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2562\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quincymutual.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/2-300x300.png\" alt=\"2\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quincymutual.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/2-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.quincymutual.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/2-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.quincymutual.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/2-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/www.quincymutual.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/2-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.quincymutual.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/2-100x100.png 100w, https:\/\/www.quincymutual.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/2.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-2562\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">2<\/p><\/div>\n<p>We\u2019re officially in one of the most dreaded winter weather months \u2014 February. Historically, this month is infamous for heavy storms, frozen roadways, and the risk of dangerous conditions. In the coming days we know it is likely that temperatures will drop drastically. As you prepare for the cold, brush up on these safety tips.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Staying Warm and Avoiding Frostbite<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Dress warmly in several layers of clothing\u2014wear boots, gloves, or mittens and a hat when going outside.<\/li>\n<li>Limit time outside for infants as they lose heat quickly.<\/li>\n<li>Make sure to protect your pets and ensure they are not exposed to extreme temperatures.<\/li>\n<li>Use the \u201cbuddy system\u201d to monitor your physical reaction to the cold if you are going to be outdoors for an extended period of time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Preparing your home<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Sealing any drafts if the first step to keeping the inside of your home warm and the cold weather out. Doors and windows can leak heat 24\/7, but weather-stripping will give you an added layer of protection.<\/li>\n<li>Ensure all windows, storm windows and doors are closed; add insulation to prevent drafts.<\/li>\n<li>Maintain consistent temperature in the home greater than 65 degrees.<\/li>\n<li>Open cabinets and doors under sinks or where plumbing exists.<\/li>\n<li>Turn off water to outside faucets and spickets, and open valves to let them drain. Allow hot and cold faucets in kitchen and bath to drip or single control faucet in the middle. Know the location of your water shut off valve for your home. If a pipe freeze does occur, call a plumber, and keep the faucet open when thawing to allow water to flow. If a plumber is not available, gradually warm the pipe to restore flow.<\/li>\n<li>Make sure your fireplace, chimney, and furnace are all working properly in order to keep your home safe while heating it.<\/li>\n<li>Close your fireplace flue when you are not using it.<\/li>\n<li>Check current oil level, order fuel if necessary.<\/li>\n<li>Insulate exposed pipes (both hot and cold), especially under house, with foam insulation.<\/li>\n<li>Clean your gutters to avoid ice forming in them. Keep a roof rake on hand and clear excessive snow from the roof to prevent ice dams and avoid collapse if excessive amounts of snow fall.<\/li>\n<li>Reverse your ceiling fans to help distribute heat through the house.<\/li>\n<li>If a generator is used as backup, confirm it is operational and fuel is secured and stored properly.<\/li>\n<li>Check on your elderly neighbors.<\/li>\n<li>Check on any secondary or rental exposures to utilize the same loss prevention techniques as noted above.<\/li>\n<li>Have some important essentials in your home as a Winter Preparedness Kit in the case that you may need them:\n<ul>\n<li>Flashlights and batteries<\/li>\n<li>Battery operated radio<\/li>\n<li>Bottled water<\/li>\n<li>Medications and first aid kit<\/li>\n<li>Blankets, warm clothes, and heating alternatives<\/li>\n<li>Non-perishable foods.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Preparing your vehicle<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If you can, fill up your gas tank.<\/li>\n<li>Make sure you have the proper tires for icy conditions.<\/li>\n<li>Having some important essentials in your car as well is also key:\n<ul>\n<li>Jumper Cables<\/li>\n<li>Flashlight<\/li>\n<li>First Aid Kit<\/li>\n<li>Shovel<\/li>\n<li>Ice Scraper<\/li>\n<li>Warm Clothes<\/li>\n<li>Hand Warmers<\/li>\n<li>Blankets<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Preparing your business<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Freezing temperatures could force businesses to close down for several days. Investing in generators can help to ensure businesses will have constant power.<\/li>\n<li>The ability to make arrangements to allow employees to work from home can help keep businesses operating if commuting becomes unsafe. If your employees still have to drive, remind them to take additional caution due to the winter weather. Drive slowly, give extra time to stop and change direction, bridges can be icy when other road surfaces are not, do not use cruise control during slippery conditions.<\/li>\n<li>It is always helpful to ensure that there is adequate business coverage, including loss of business income, to help in the case of these events.<\/li>\n<li>Here are some additional important things to note on winter preparation for your business:\n<ul>\n<li>Ensure the thermostat is set to at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit in all areas to keep pipes from freezing.<\/li>\n<li>Turn off water to outside faucets and spickets, and open valves to let them drain. Allow hot and cold faucets in kitchen and bath to drip or single control faucet in the middle. Know the location of your water shut off valve for your home. If a pipe freeze does occur, call a plumber, and keep the faucet open when thawing to allow water to flow. If a plumber is not available, gradually warm the pipe to restore flow.<\/li>\n<li>Open cabinets and doors under sinks or where plumbing exists.<\/li>\n<li>Review winter storm contingencies and have alternative power options like generators.<\/li>\n<li>Set expectation with employees and keep them informed.<\/li>\n<li>If you are a landlord, you may want to send the information regarding preparing your home to tenants to keep them and the property safe as well.<\/li>\n<li>Follow weather updates.<\/li>\n<li>Add ice melt to sidewalks and periodically clear them to keep up with snow accumulation.<\/li>\n<li>Add non-slip mats and fans for water removal by building entrances.<\/li>\n<li>Hire a snow\/ice removal service.<\/li>\n<li>Repair any defects in sidewalks and walkways.<\/li>\n<li>Inspect building insulation.<\/li>\n<li>Add new tires to the business auto fleet.<\/li>\n<li>Stay up to date on vehicle maintenance.<\/li>\n<li>Maintain the roof of your building.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; We\u2019re officially in one of the most dreaded winter weather months \u2014 February. Historically, this month is infamous for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2561,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[859],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\r\n<title>Winter Safety Guide - Quincy Mutual Group<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quincymutual.com\/blog\/winter-safety-guide\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Winter Safety Guide - Quincy Mutual Group\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"&nbsp; We\u2019re officially in one of the most dreaded winter weather months \u2014 February. 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