Informative articles on insurance, safety and risk for you, your family or your business. Each article includes a link for you to share with anyone who may benefit.
Snow shoveling is not for the faint of heart-literally. According to Dr. Thomas Esposito of Loyola University's Stritch School of Medicine, an average of 11,500 people visit U.S. emergency rooms each year for mishaps resultant from snow shoveling. Heart attacks, broken bones, and back injuries are just a few common consequences of shoveling sessions gone wrong. Bumps, blisters, sprains, and lacerations are also oft-cited injuries. And then there are the fatalities! Who knew this everyday wintertime chore could pose such danger?
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The Polar Vortex: it sounds almost otherwordly, like a malicious entity from a science fiction movie, or a faraway frigid realm in which one is destined to dwell in perpetuity. For those in the Midwest and Northeast regions of the U.S. who recently experienced an actual polar vortex, however, those imaginative notions don't seem so far fetched. Actually a large-scale cyclone near either the North or South Pole, a polar vortex has the power to create drastically cold temperatures in a region spanning several hundred or even thousands of miles from its point of origin.
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While December is the time of year when many of us focus on giving, the spirit of altruism and generosity flows into January, which is National Blood Donor Month. Unlike most of the material things we give during the holidays, our own blood comes at no expense to us. Rather than breaking the bank, we can fill up the bank-the blood bank, that is. All that's required to give it is a bit of time and a desire to help others.
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The first month of a new year is a time when we make resolutions to better tend to our physical and mental health, as well as the health of our relationships. We'll work out three times a week, we promise. We'll finally sign up for those guitar lessons we've been so shy about taking, we vow. We'll have regular Sunday dinners with the entire family, no ifs, ands, or buts.
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Those of us who live in seasonal places, other than perpetually sunny Florida and Southern California, are often at the mercy of a great force of nature, one that can affect our moods, alter our plans, dictate what we eat and do, and even influence our safety. This all-powerful entity goes by a single name: Weather.
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It turns out that few of us in Pennsylvania are as unique as we might like to think. Each New Year's Day, the common longings that unite us all come to the surface in the form of our resolutions, many of which are identical from one person to the next. How many of the top ten most common New Year's resolutions sound familiar to you?
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Just as the fresh, white flakes of a snowstorm seem to leave no surface untouched, so does December's festive mood effect virtually every aspect of our lives: family, food, finances, and even work. We reconnect with relatives we only see once a year, prepare and devour elaborate feasts, and spend time and money hunting for the perfect holiday gifts. And many of us will attend-or, if you are a business owner, actually plan-holiday office parties.
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Things change around the house during the holidays. One family member is perched on a sky-high ladder hanging up festive lights on your home's exterior. Another is slaving over a hot stove for hours on end. Youngsters are playing on all sorts of unfamiliar, newfangled toys. And there's often a huge, flammable tree in the living room. Needless to say, the opportunities for accidents are many during this time of year. While we hope to let a sense of joy and gratitude reign over this month in Pennsylvania, it's also prudent to be cautious and take a few steps to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your property during this vulnerable time.
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