Sedgwick’s thought leaders regularly provide insight on various industry topics and issues that may impact our clients. This quarter, we look back at several timely blog posts from our property claims experts on fire prevention, safety and weather-related topics.
October is fire prevention month
October is fire prevention month and this year the theme is: Don’t wait – Check the date! Replace smoke alarms every 10 years. The National Fire Protection Association estimates that nearly two-thirds of deaths from home fires occur in properties without working smoke detectors.1 Click here to read the full article.
Staying afloat with boating safety
According to 2015 U.S. Coast Guard statistics, May through September is the peak period for recreational boating accidents. Florida, Minnesota, Michigan, and California lead the nation in the number of registered boats while Florida regularly leads the nation in damage claims of over $2000—far outpacing California at a distant second. Click here to read the full article.
Lightning may strike once
July and August are the most dangerous months for lightning strikes in the United States. According to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.), lightning strikes caused $739 million in homeowner insurance losses in 2014, up 9.7 percent from 2013. Florida had more homeowner insurance claims for lightning losses in 2014 than any other state, followed by Georgia and Texas. Click here to read the full article.
Active hurricane season predicted: Don’t fail to prepare
$1.9 billon. That is the estimated dollar amount the recent historic floods in Houston Texas will cost to return life and business back to normal according to the Houston Business Journal. Now almost every major weather service is reporting that, due to weather-related pattern shifts such as La Niña, the 2016 hurricane season may be more active than any over the past three years. Experts at AccuWeather warn that those living along the Atlantic coast should be vigilant, as tropical storms Bonnie and Colin have already appeared early in the Atlantic hurricane season, which typically spans from June through November. Historically, seasons which have tropical storm activity during the months of May, June and July have a higher likelihood of becoming normal or above-normal throughout the season. Click here to read the full article.
Automatic sprinklers and the fire protection engineer
Fire and flooding are ever-present dangers for most facilities. An incident involving high-value equipment or stock is often a large financial loss for any business, large or small. The thought of process interruption or stock loss causes great stress to facility managers and staff and can interrupt business/production. A significant loss might involve not only high values, but might result in the permanent loss of a facility. Click here to read the full article.
Preventing fires in fireplaces and chimneys
It seems that just the other day I was enjoying beautiful summer days with my family, but alas, I find myself preparing for another New England winter. For me, that means both preparing my own home for the unpredictable climate as well as preparing for the uptick in fires related to fireplaces, chimneys, and wood-burning appliances. This article is intended to help explain what you can do in your own home to keep your family safe as well some basic steps in approaching claims related to these types of fire losses. Click here to read the full article.