Five Safety Precautions to Take This Spring

Now that the holiday season is over, spring is right around the corner. But it isn’t here yet, and there’s always the possibility of eight more weeks of winter, so follow these safety tips!   

Careful with that Gasoline! 

If you’ve got a lawn that’s growing, it’ll probably need mowing—in some places, you may need to mow your lawn as early as March! If you have a lawn mower that needs gasoline, you need to be careful about how you transport that gasoline and how you store that gasoline. You should never store gasoline inside your home. If you’ve got some gasoline stored in a shed, make sure that the gasoline is in a container that a child cannot get into. Ideally, it’ll also be stored out of the child’s reach, but not near anything that is a source of heat, or is able to start a fire. 

Do Your Spring Cleaning the Right Way 

If you’re doing some spring cleaning, make sure you’re following the basic safety tips. Keep chemicals away from pets and children who may ingest them and become sick. Never store anything by water heaters or furnaces. Many older homes that have been modernized have water heaters and furnaces hidden in closets. If your home has this, do not put anything else in that closet! It is especially important to keep flammable chemicals away from the sources of heat in those closets. If you’re re-arranging furniture, make sure that there isn’t anything blocking the doors and windows in your home. Each room should have two exits in the event of a fire. For most rooms, this means a door and a window. Make sure that each room has at least two exits that aren’t being blocked by furniture. 

Prepare for Allergy Season 

Allergy season be cause for annoyance for some people. For others, allergy season can mean a trip to the emergency room. If you’re part of the latter group, you need to make sure that you’re adequately prepared for allergy season. Not only should you ensure that you’ve got allergy medication on hand, you should also make sure that you’ve got your EpiPen and/or inhaler ready. Depending on your medical situation, you may also want to consider getting a medical identification bracelet to warn first responders of your condition. You can also keep medical information in your wallet behind your driver’s license. If you are ever in a situation where you are unresponsive and need medical attention, first responders will likely check for a wallet or medical identification . 

Remember, the Weather Can Be Unpredictable 

Even though Spring is right around the corner—and in some places it’s already arrived—you may still get some unexpected harsh weather. While it may be inconvenient, this does, unfortunately, mean preparing for the unexpected. The spring time is not necessarily the time to take items out of your car such as non-perishable food items, bottled water, snow scrapers, and portable snow shovels. Though you may be ready for some nicer weather, many parts of the country still see snow in March, especially areas like Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming. Since the weather can be unpredictable, it may be a good idea to travel with a winter coat and other items such as gloves, hats, and water resistant shoes. This is especially true if you’re travelling through remote areas where roadside assistance may be difficult to obtain in the event of an emergency. 

Don’t Leave Your Pooch Unsupervised! 

A lot of people don’t think twice about letting their dogs roam freely, especially those who live in rural areas. However, this is dangerous for multiple reasons. First, although your pup may not have a history of aggression, there’s no guarantee that your dog won’t hurt someone or someone else’s pet. While some areas of the country battle snow all the way until April, southwestern parts of the country are unbearably hot, even in April. Places such as Nevada, Southern Utah, and Arizona, can all have scorching temperatures in April. Leaving  your dog outside in such weather can put them at risk of having a heat stroke. Lastly, if your dog uses the bathroom in a neighbor’s yard, did they really use the bathroom at all? Why, yes, yes they did! If you’re uncertain, just ask your neighbor. Jokes aside, pet waste can transmit disease, especially if your dog does their business in a vegetable garden. If your dog is unsupervised, there won’t be anyone around to pick up after him/her in the event s/he decides to take a bathroom break. 

Injured? Call the Professionals. 

If you’ve sustained injury in an accident, and you’re considering taking legal action, contact Moxie Law Group today for a free consultation.