Avocados
Seemingly benign avocados contain a toxic component called persin, which can damage heart, lung and other tissue in many animals. It’s extremely toxic to dogs, cats and many other animals.

Beer
Think it’s funny to give Fido a sip of your beer? Think again. Alcoholic beverages can cause the same damage to an animal’s liver and brain as they cause in humans. But considering that your pet is likely much smaller than you are, the effect can be deadly. Even a small amount of alcohol may cause vomiting and damage the liver and brain, especially in small pets.

Nuts
Every nut can present a choking hazard, but walnuts and macadamia nuts are downright toxic. Within 12 hours of eating macadamia nuts especially, pets may start to develop symptoms such as an inability to stand or walk, vomiting, elevated body temperature, weakness and an elevated heart rate.

Chocolate
Nuts are toxic, but combine them with chocolate, and it may mean a death sentence for your pet. Chocolate contains theobromine, which can kill your pet if eaten in large quantities (especially dark and unsweetened baking chocolates). Even letting your pet lick the bowl for the chocolate cake you’re making can cause a dog or cat’s heart to beat irregularly. And though many people know of the threat—and wouldn’t purposely give their pet chocolate in the first place—it’s something that people might leave on a counter or tabletop.

Artificial sweeteners
The common artificial sweetener Xylitol is another product you’re not likely to be feeding your pet, but if they get hold of it—in the form of candy, chewable vitamins or sugarless gum—it can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar, seizures and death. As little as 3 grams (about five pieces of sugarless gum) can kill a 65-pound dog.

Grapes and raisins
Although the minimum lethal dosage isn’t known, grapes and raisins can be toxic to dogs. Because the symptoms—including vomiting, diarrhea and kidney failure—can be so aggressive, the National Animal Poison Control Center advocates immediate treatment to get them out of your pet’s system. Inducing vomiting, stomach pumping or intravenous fluid therapy may be needed based on the results of blood tests.

Onions
Your table scraps, like a little spaghetti sauce here or a little hamburger meat there, can seem like no big deal, but if they contain onions, they are. Onions cause hemolytic anemia, which means that red blood cells break down, leaving your pet short on oxygen. Onion poisoning can occur at once, or over repeated meals of small quantities.

Medicine
Just like you would for a curious child, hide medicines from your pets. The most common cause of pet poisoning is from animals ingesting human medicine—either because they got into an open bottle, or because unthinking pet owners gave an over-the-counter drug like acetaminophen or ibuprofen to a pet with an ache. But these active ingredients can cause gastric ulcers, liver damage, kidney failure and death.

Although there are a number of surprising foods responsible pet owners should avoid, there are some table scraps that you can hand out (although you should consult your veterinarian). Generally safe items include lean meats (without bones); vegetables such as zucchini, carrot sticks and green beans; fruit such as bananas and apple slices; baked potatoes; bread (but no bread dough, which can expand and cause gastrointestinal pain); and cooked rice and pasta.

Come spring, it will be one year since Ed O’Donnell was told he had a genetic kidney disease. His kidney – the only one remaining since he had the other removed because of cancer – was failing, doctors said, and he needed a transplant.

One year that his wife, Joyce O’Donnell, has spent mentioning to friends at church, at the grocery store, that her husband needs help.

One year of searching – hoping – that a match would come through. That someone would be able to donate a kidney to help Ed O’Donnell.

And at first, there was a lot of response. A lot of people, especially in the Summer and Fall, were applying to be considered a match for Ed O’Donnell. People were interested and wanted to help.

But lately, it’s been quiet. Doctors have told the Hanover couple that for the past month or so they haven’t received an application.

Maybe it was because of the holidays, Joyce O’Donnell said. People get busy and caught up in their own lives.

But the O’Donnells’ want to let people know that he is still searching for a donor. There had been rumors, they said, that he had found one. That he was getting a new kidney.

That’s not true, Joyce O’Donnell said. Ed O’Donnell, the owner of Weber Insurance Agency, still needs a new kidney. And they haven’t given up hope that someone will come through. Someone will be a match.

“I go to bed at night, and it’s the only thing I can think of,” Joyce O’Donnell said.

As months tick away, the disease has taken over more and more of Ed O’Donnell’s life. Now, he takes 25 pills a day. The visits to the hospitals have increased. And he’s tired more often, worn-out.

Like on Christmas day when he was up early to see the grandchildren open presents and then spent the rest of the day in bed.

And if he doesn’t find a donor by Spring, he’ll start dialysis – an option that the family wants to avoid because it’ll take a toll on his body.

They’ve come close to finding a match. In November, there was a blood-type match. And the woman interested went through the process, step-by-step, to see if she was also a match to give a kidney. It was the closest they have been to finding a kidney donor.

But it all unraveled. There was no kidney.

Getting the word out has been done mostly through word of mouth. A website, getakidney.com, was created to let people know, along with Facebook and Twitter pages. Joyce O’Donnell has spent hours sending emails to everyone she knows, including old classmates from Carlisle High School. And she’s considering contacting local churches to ask them to include Ed O’Donnell’s story in the church bulletins.

“This is something we can’t fix on our own,” Joyce O’Donnell said. “We need help.”

A year ago, the O’Donnell family didn’t think they would be here.

When Ed O’Donnell was first told he had a genetic kidney disease, the couple didn’t think they would still be looking for a donor at this time. He was placed on a national waiting list, where it’ll be seven years until he can receive a kidney. They thought it would be quicker to find a donor by asking around.

They didn’t think it would take this long to find a match, to find someone who would and could donate a kidney.

It has. But they haven’t given up hope.

“It’s going to get better,” Joyce O’Donnell said. “I keep thinking that it will get better.”

TO HELP

For more information on how to help Ed O’Donnell, visit getakidney.com. Those interested in checking if they would be eligible to be a donor for Ed can pick up an application at Weber Insurance Agency, 55 Wetzel Drive, Hanover or call (717)637-1247.

Farm Safety Tips:

• Always wear seat belts while operating or riding tractors, trucks and other farm equipment
• Have a fire extinguisher nearby
• When leaving a tractor unattended, put it into “park”, set the brake and remove the key
• Install a ROPS (rollover protective structure) on older tractors to prevent rollovers (see our previous post — Do You Have ROPS in Place to Protect You)
• Do not bypass the start safety features on your tractors
• Keep guards and shields in place
• Do not put young kids on farm equipment
• Ensure all headlights, flashing warning lights and turn signals are in good working order
• Have a Slow Moving Vehicle (SMV) emblem on your equipment
• Make sure all farm employees (including family members old enough to operate equipment) have proper training (this includes seasonal help)
• Wear proper safety equipment (goggles, ear plugs, gloves, hard hat, etc.)

Resources:

• Ag equipment visibility fact sheet: http://ohioline.osu.edu/aex-fact/pdf/AEX_598_08.pdf.
• Fun and good tips for kids: http://www.deere.com/wps/dcom/en_US/corporate/our_company/fans_visitors/kids/kids.page
• Ohio State University Extension’s Ohio Ag Manager Newsletter: http://ohioagmanager.osu.edu/.

Share your farm safety tips in the comments below. We’d love to hear what precautions you’ve implemented to ensure a safe experience on your farm.

Stacey Bruce is a member of the Marketing Communications team at Westfield Insurance.

Spring is here and we are already seeing many of the summer-only vehicles and motorcycles on the road. Which led us to spring (pun definitely intended) in to action with some tips for both your daily commuter car as well as that car that has been sitting in the garage all winter with the cover on it. Here are our tips:

Tires & Tire Pressure
Tires are the most important safety item on your car. They are what connects you and the car to the ground and what you will ask 100% from in an emergency situation (whether it be braking, turning or accelerating). By nature, tires lose air over time, which is why that hot rod that sat in the garage all winter probably has four flats on it. There is the old handyman’s tale of winter air and summer air for your tires and there is some truth to it due to ambient temperature. On average, for every 10 degrees of change in ambient temperature, your tires will change one PSI. So that all-season tire at 30 PSI on an 80˚ day has 26 PSI during a 40˚ winter day. In that case, it’s potentially underinflated, which means you run the risk of pulling the tire off of the rim in an emergency lane change situation. Make sure your tires have the manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure and check the pressure at least once a month (those of you that are getting the sports car out to come to lap the track will want to put more air in the tire than the manufacturer recommends). Likewise, check the tire and tread depth on a regular basis to make sure the tire is not worn out or bald. Bald or worn out tires are more prone to hydroplaning in wet conditions which can cause a loss of control.

Pre-Flight Check
All pilots are taught to do a pre-flight check before takeoff. Most drivers don’t do a similar check prior to starting thier ride. When’s the last time you looked at the right side of your car and the right side tires? Now that you’re not in a rush to get out of the cold and into the car, it’s a good time to start a habit of performing a walkaround of your car before driving. Besides checking for flat tires, loose bumpers, lens covers or body panels, you can see if there are any small animals underneath or in a position where you might back over them.

Spares and Such
Much like it is recommended for winter driving to have blankets, flashlights and so on in your car, the same is true for the spring and summer. If you have an emergency kit, maybe go through it and discard anything old or expired and replace it with new items. The same goes for flares. Make sure the spare tire is not so old that it is cracked and low on air. Make sure the jack and lug wrench are in the car and secured, instead of in your garage.

Tune-Ups
Most modern cars tell you when you need to have it serviced, but as they say ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’ Routine tune-ups and service will cost you less in the long run and will extend the life of your vehicle and your wallet. With gas prices rising daily, you will want to get every MPG you can.

Maximizing MPG
One of the key things we teach about driving on the street or the racetrack is using your eyes correctly. To maximize your fuel mileage, try to look far ahead, even around the cars in front of you. Speeding up and then braking and then speeding up and then braking, while in rush hour traffic hurts your fuel mileage as much as full throttle acceleration to merge on to the highway. If you can go with the flow of traffic, by just modulating on and off the gas and not braking you will drastically reduce your fuel mileage. Ever wonder why the truck drivers leave such a big gap in front of them in rush hour traffic?

So how can you avoid these statistics and be safe and secure in your tractor?  How can you be assured that neither you nor your workers will succumb to a tractor accident?

ROPS is here to help!   ROPS stands for Rollover Protective Structure.  ROPS is a rebate program that will provide up to 70% of the cost to purchase and install the protective equipment that prevents tractor rollovers.   ROPS are designed to limit tractor roll by 90 degrees.  If a tractor does roll, it will not roll on its side.  The combination of seat belts and ROPS is 99% effective in preventing rollover deaths.

The Westfield Insurance Foundation is a proud supporter of this program and recently donated $15,000 to the Pennsylvania State University for Rollover Protective Structures Retrofit Program for Pennsylvania Farmers (PA ROPS).

If you’d like more information on ROPS in PA, please visit this website:

http://ropsr4u.com/pa/overview/or call the ROPS hotline:  1-877-ROPS-R4U or 1-877-767-7748

Stacey Bruce is a region leader for the small/speciality segment of Westfield’s Agribusiness Division  based out of Westfield Center, Ohio, the corporate headquarters of Westfield Insurance.

• Have regular eye and medical exams. Near and distance vision is needed to drive safely.
• Aging eyes become more sensitive to bright light and glare, so limit nighttime driving and try to avoid looking directly into headlights of approaching vehicles.
• Avoid stressful driving situations such as rush hour travel, driving at night or driving in bad weather. Plan trips for daytime hours after 9 a.m. and before 5 p.m. to avoid rush hour traffic. Plan ahead. Know your route and try to stay on familiar roads.
• Avoid travelling in bad weather, if at all possible.
• Avoid taking medications before driving. Many medications, prescription and over-the-counter, cause drowsiness and can affect safe driving.
• Make sure your driver’s seat and mirrors are properly adjusted prior to beginning a trip.
• Maintain a safe speed and look ahead. Controlling your speed and looking down the road for possible hazards allow you to make adjustments before encountering a problem.
• Always keep a safe distance from the vehicle ahead of you. A four-second gap between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you is recommended.
• When driving long distances, especially in winter, call ahead for weather and road condition updates.

Warning signs a older driver and the older driver’s family should look for in terms of when it may be time to either limit driving or stop driving altogether:

• Feeling uncomfortable, nervous or fearful when driving;
• Unexplained dents and scrapes on the car, fences, mailboxes, garage doors, etc.;
• Frequent “close calls” (i.e. almost crashing);
• Getting lost;
• Slowed response to unexpected situations;
• You are easily distracted or have a hard time concentrating while driving;
• Difficulty staying in the lane of traffic;
• Trouble paying attention to signals, road signs and pavement markings;
• Trouble judging gaps in traffic at intersections or highway entrance/exit ramps;
• Medical conditions or medications which may be affecting abilities to handle a car safely; and
• Frequent traffic tickets or “warnings” by traffic or law enforcement officers in the last two years.

Older Driver Self-Assessment

Some organizations offer self-assessment tools for older drivers, including this one from AAA.

Mature Driver Improvement Course

Three organizations offer PennDOT-approved Basic and Refresher Mature Driver Improvement courses at various locations throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. All approved courses address the specific safety needs of the older driver by helping the older driver understand how aging affects driving abilities and providing insight about driving on today’s roadways. There are no written or practical driving tests. The course fees are moderate, but vary with each organization.

In addition, under Pennsylvania law, drivers 55 and older are eligible to receive a 5 percent discount on their vehicle insurance by completing the Basic Mature Driver Improvement Course. In order to maintain the discount, individuals would have to take the Refresher Mature Driver Improvement Course every three years. Individuals should check with their insurance carrier for specifics of their program.

Contact the following organizations to check fees and availability:

• AAA – Check local offices for availability
• AARP – Call 1-888-227-7669
• Seniors for Safe Driving – Call 1-800-559-4880

Alternative Transportation

Older Pennsylvanians are eligible for the Free Transit Program for Older Persons, where available, and the Shared Ride Program. For more information, visit the Seniors and Persons with Disabilities section on PACommutes.com. You may also see whether your county has these services on the website´s Service Map.

Here are some questions to help you determine if you are an aggressive driver:

• Do you speed excessively?
• Do you tailgate slower vehicles?
• Do you race to beat red lights or run stop signs?
• Do you weave in and out of traffic?
• Do you pass illegally on the right?
• Do you fail to yield the right of way to oncoming vehicles?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be an aggressive driver and are putting yourself, your passengers and other people on the road with you at increased risk of a crash.

Aggressive Driving Education and Enforcement Project

To deter aggressive drivers and make Pennsylvania´s highways safer for all who use them, PennDOT partners with Pennsylvania State and local police departments to conduct aggressive driving enforcement. Since the project was launched in 2006, more than 580 roadways have been targeted with additional enforcement and education.

Tips for what to do when you encounter aggressive drivers

If you encounter an aggressive driver, PennDOT offers these tips for what to do.

• Get out of their way and don’t challenge them.
• Stay relaxed, avoid eye contact and ignore rude gestures.
• Don’t block the passing lane if you are driving slower than most of the traffic.

While many people associate aggressive driving with road rage, they are two different behaviors. Road rage, which is a criminal offense, is often the result of aggressive driving behavior that escalates into an assault with a vehicle or other dangerous weapon.

When you are tired, you react slower, your judgment and your vision are impaired and you have problems understanding and remembering things.

Driving while fatigued has similar effects as driving under the influence of alcohol. Being awake for 18 hours impairs your driving about as much as a blood alcohol level of .05 percent. Being awake for 24 consecutive hours impairs your driving as much as having a blood-alcohol level of .10 percent.

If you are tired enough, you will fall asleep and never even know it. Sleeping behind the wheel for even a few seconds is enough to kill you. Teens who sleep less than eight hours a night are at increased risk for vehicle crashes. The best thing to do if you begin to feel tired while driving is to stop driving.

The National Sleep Foundation offers these tips to combat drowsy driving:

• Get adequate sleep—most adults need 7-9 hours to maintain proper alertness during the day.
• Schedule proper breaks—about every 100 miles or 2 hours during long trips.
• Arrange for a travel companion—someone to talk with and share the driving.
• Avoid alcohol and sedating medications—check your labels or ask your doctor.

Rural Road Safety

Rural roads abound in Pennsylvania offering motorists breathtaking scenery and sites steeped in rich history and tradition. In many areas across the commonwealth, it is not unusual to find yourself sharing the road with farm equipment and horse-drawn vehicles. While familiar fixtures on many roadways, these vehicles may also bring with them unfamiliar hazards. Additionally, many rural roads offer less room to maneuver, loose gravel or grassy berms, and an array of sharp dips and unexpected turns. When combined with the presence of slow-moving vehicles , these hazards offer motorists their share of driving challenges.

Tips for Sharing the Road with Slow-Moving Vehicles:

• Vehicles designed to travel 25 mph or less and horse-drawn vehicles are required by law to display a florescent orange triangle surrounded by red bands. When you see this symbol on the rear of any vehicle, slow down immediately and maintain a safe following distance.
• Do not pass a slow-moving vehicle if:
• You cannot see clearly in front of you and the vehicle you intend to pass;
• There are curves or hills in the road ahead;
• You are in a designated “No Passing Zone” or;
• You are within 100 feet of any intersection, railroad crossing, bridge, elevated structure or tunnel.
• Do not assume that a vehicle operator who pulls the vehicle to the right side of the road is turning right or letting you pass. The vehicle operator may be swinging wide to execute a left-hand turn.
• Operators of farm vehicles usually are in a better position to see oncoming traffic, they are usually willing to signal drivers when it is safe to pass, provided they know there is a vehicle behind them. Use your vehicle´s horn to let the farmer know you are there.
• When approaching a horse-drawn vehicle, give them plenty of room when following or passing, use your low beams and NEVER use your horn as it may spook the horses.
• Watch closure time (pictured above) while on rural roads. Closure time is the time a driver has to recognize and respond to a slow-moving vehicle. Farm vehicles usually travel less than 25 mph, while horse-drawn vehicles range in speeds between 5 and 8 mph. Be alert and prepared to stop.
• Watch the sides of the road for mail boxes, bridges or road signs, which may cause a farm or horse-drawn vehicle operator to maneuver to the center of the road or cross the center line into the approaching lane of traffic to avoid these obstacles.
• Be especially watchful of farm vehicles in the spring and fall during planting and harvesting times.
• Farm and horse-drawn vehicles have the same right to use public roads as other motor vehicles.

April 18, 2012

The number of cyber attacks and data breaches has increased significantly in recent years, and public entities are not exempt. These “cyber events” include the theft or release of personally identifiable information such as Social Security numbers from a computer system, the transmission of malware from a computer to a third party or a “denial of service” attack that results in the inability to use computers or websites.

These incidents can have a considerable financial impact on a public entity, including the cost of lawsuits, crisis management and notification of the affected parties. They can also lead to a public relations nightmare.

But despite these facts, some public entities continue to believe they are not truly susceptible to a cyber event. Why?

Read related: “Corporate Identity Theft.”

Here are some of the more common misconceptions held by public entities concerning  their vulnerability:

1.“Public entities are not a target for cyber attacks.” Actually, public entities are a perfect target for cyber attacks considering the amount of confidential information in their possession. There is probably no other type of organization, other than a bank or financial institution, that stores more personally identifiable information. It’s not uncommon for a public entity to have an individual’s Social Security number, income statements, bank account numbers, driver’s license number and even credit card information. In addition, public entities typically have confidential personal medical and health information for all of their employees.

2.“We have the latest technology and software available to protect our electronic information and systems.” The growing number of cyber attacks (more than 500 million records breached since 2005) at both large and small organizations–even those with the most sophisticated software protection–demonstrates that no organization can be sure they are not susceptible. One of the most common causes of privacy information breaches today is not hacking, but human error. When confidential information is stored outside the network system on laptops, smartphones or other electric storage devices, it can be compromised when the device is lost or stolen.

3.“Even if our network is breached, we are covered under our general liability or other insurance policies.” General liability insurance commonly provides coverage for “bodily injury” and “property damage.”  Property damage typically means physical injury to tangible property, including the resulting loss of use of that property. However, electronic data is not tangible property and is not covered. In addition, property insurance, crime insurance and professional errors and omissions insurance do not typically provide coverage for cyber liability and notification requirement expenses.

Read related: “FBI Says Cyber Risk to Surpass Terror Risk.”

4. “Cyber liability notification requirements only apply to commercial businesses.” Currently, in addition to federal regulations, more than 45 states have enacted legislation to protect consumer privacy. These state and federal requirements apply to for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, including public entities. Both state and federal agencies may investigate and take action against any organization that is negligent in the handling of confidential personal information.

5. “If we had a data breach, we could handle the notification requirements ourselves.” Most public entities would have difficulty complying with state and federal notification requirements in the event of a data breach. It is also common for goodwill purposes to provide credit monitoring services and identity theft education and assistance for the affected party. Most public entities would not have the expertise and staff to provide these types of additional goodwill services for the affected party.

So how can public entities protect themselves?

First, assess the exposure. Start with a comprehensive review of the public entity’s entire computer system and safeguards, with an internal review by a dedicated individual or team, or by an independent firm specializing in computer system security evaluation. In either case, every aspect of the computer system should be analyzed to determine any weaknesses or areas of susceptibility that need to be addressed.

Once the evaluation is complete, all improvements to secure the computer system should be undertaken as soon as possible. This may include improvements and formalization of internal safety procedures, as well as the purchase of new or additional hardware and/or software to safeguard the computer system and integrity of the confidential information.

Second, every public entity should consider pubchasing crisis management/notification expense coverage and cyber liability coverage. For first-party crisis management/notification expense coverage, the product and services available vary from carrier to carrier, but coverage for a public entity should include:

• A computer forensic analysis to determine the cause and extent of the privacy breach
• A crisis management review and advice from an approved independent crisis management or legal firm
• Expenses associated with notifying affected parties to maintain goodwill or comply with any notification requirements imposed by law
• Call center services for credit monitoring as well as identity theft education and assistance for affected individuals.

Third-party cyber liability coverage is typically provided to protect the public entity for the following:

• Liability arising out of the unauthorized access of confidential information from the public entity’s computer system or the accidental release of confidential information from its computer system
• Liability arising out of the transmission of malware from the public entity’s computer system to a third party.

This combination of crisis management and cyber liability coverage can help protect a public entity’s image and assets in the event of a cyber attack.

By Caterina Pontoriero, PropertyCasualty360.com

April 12, 2012

Anyone who has tied the knot recently knows that the cost of weddings is sky-high. According to The Wedding Report, the total average wedding spending for 2011 was $25,631. That’s a lot of money to invest into an event where so much can go wrong, from flowers not being delivered and DJs not showing up to sickness and catastrophic weather-related events causing cancellations.

Travelers—which offers wedding insurance to cover items such as lost deposits, perishable materials, unavoidable cancellation, lost or damaged photographs, damaged gifts, host liability and more—recently analyzed its wedding insurance claims from 2011 and revealed the top claims.

Unavoidable cancellations: 4%

Sometimes a wedding cancellation is unavoidable—take, for example, the infamous “Runaway Bride” from a few years back. A case of wedding jitters caused Jennifer Wilbanks to disappear four days before her wedding, which was to be a “lavish” affair attended by approximately 600 guests. Cancelling the venue, catering and flowers alone can cost well into thousands of dollars in deposits and lost business.

Military deployment: 5%

Military deployment cannot be delayed for a wedding. However, a wedding can be delayed—or even canceled—for military deployment.

Attire: 8%

“We had a bride who purchased her dress and the bridal shop went out of business before she was able to pick it up,” says Griffin. “Since she had wedding insurance, she was able to get a dress of like kind and quality without ruining her wedding budget.”

Weather: 10%

Weather can have an adverse effect on weddings: rain can put a damper on an outdoor wedding, a snowstorm can cause icy conditions and make a venue inaccessible and hurricanes and tornadoes can create catastrophic  damage in an area.

Vandalism/Theft: 13%

Guest made a getaway with your gifts? Wedding theft and vandalism made up 13 percent of wedding insurance claims filed to Travelers in 2011. Coverage can help compensate for those irreplaceable items that are ruined or go missing on your big day.

Sickness/Injury/Mishaps: 19%

According to Travelers, 19 percent of claims were related to key family members such as parents or grandparents being unable to attend a wedding at the last minute due to sickness, untimely death and travel delays.

Vendor/Venue: 31%

The most common vendor- and venue-related problems include flowers and photos not being delivered, DJs not showing up and the facility or vendor going out of business.

“One of our customers booked a venue that flooded and they were unable to have their reception at the location,” says Gary Griffin, of Travelers. “Because the wedding insurance was purchased more than 14 days prior to the event, the coverage helped them recover lost deposits from the flooded location and extra expenses from booking a new facility at the last minute.”