Fall is a beautiful season here in New England and watching the weather transition from fall to winter can be fascinating. It’s also the time of year when drivers need to be extra cautious on the roads and prepare for the colder months ahead. We recommend reviewing the driving safety tips below… these can apply to both personal and commercial vehicles.
Be Aware of Weather Conditions
In many areas, autumn is a damp, wet season. There are many rainy or foggy days and nights. As the temperatures drop, frost often coats the ground at night.
When driving in fog, set your headlights to low beam. This setting aims the beam of light down toward the roadway.
As temperatures drop, frost often forms on the roadway, causing hazardous driving conditions. Drive slowly and break gently at overpasses and bridges as these areas frost over more quickly than other roadway surfaces.
Fall foliage is certainly beautiful, but as leaves begin to fall, they litter the roads, making streets slick while obscuring traffic lines and other pavement markings.
Be aware of areas where black ice forms on the roadway.
Adjust for Fewer Hours of Daylight
In the fall there are fewer hours of daylight, however, it is still common to see children outside playing, people walking their dogs, jogging or taking late afternoon or evening walks. In the fading light of dusk, it is more difficult to see these children and pedestrians.
Watch out for children at their bus stops in the morning and as they return home in the afternoon, especially at crosswalks.
Halloween is a fun fall holiday. Take special care where children are out trick or treating. They may be wearing masks or costumes that limit their visibility.
Always drive defensively.
Stay alert for animals, like deer and moose that commonly cross the roadways around dusk.
Don’t forget Vehicle Maintenance
It is important to keep up with your vehicle maintenance, especially during the colder months, which can wreak havoc on your car especially if it’s parked outside.
Make sure your headlights cleaned and in proper working order, double-check they are aligned.
Replace your windshield wiper blades if they show any signs of wear.
Replace your battery if needed
If you have a front-wheel-drive vehicle, make an appointment to have your winter tires put on.
For commercial drivers: remember to always perform a pre-use safety check on your vehicle.
Keep an emergency car/truck safety kit, which should include the following:
Fully charged cell phone w/ car charger adapter
Emergency contact information (work, family, friends, doctors, AAA)
Ice scraper and snow brush
Jumper cables
Road maps
Blanket (wool or fleece)
Warning light or road flares
Non-Battery flashlight (crank, shake, LED versions)
First aid kit
High-energy food (non-perishable items such as chocolate bars, canned nuts, dried fruit)
It’s officially fall in New England, which means cooler temps, fall foliage, pumpkin picking, and raking leaves. It’s also when hunters start venturing into the woods.
Whether you’re a hunter or sport-shooting enthusiast here are some safety tips to keep yourself and others safe this autumn and beyond.
Safety Tips for Hunters
Wear Appropriate Gear
Wearing the appropriate clothing and gear while hunting is vital. If shooting, wear eye and ear protection. If you’re in a tree stand, consider a safety harness.
It’s also important to be prepared for the worst possible weather conditions. This can vary by season. Carry a spare set of dry clothing and use layering techniques to prevent moisture while retaining body warmth. Always bring rain gear!
Follow firearm safety practices
Treat every firearm as if it were loaded.
Only point at what you plan to shoot.
Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
Before shooting, clearly identify your target and what is beyond.
Communicate
If you’re hunting with family or friends, discuss the lay of the land and understand where each person will be.
If you’re going into the woods alone, tell family or friends where you’re going and when you plan on getting back.
Consider carrying a cell phone in a waterproof plastic bag when hunting. Basic cell phone service is available in many places. If an emergency arises, you can call for help.
Safety Tips for Non-Hunters Near a Hunting Area
Wear Bright Clothing
Make sure you wear bright clothing to make yourself more visible. Avoid colors and patterns that blend into your surroundings, including whites, blacks, browns, earth tones, animal patterns, and camouflage.
Orange vests and hats are advisable.
Make Noise
Talk loudly (to yourself or a friend), whistle or sing-especially if you hear a shot nearby.
Be courteous. Once a hunter is aware of your presence, don’t make unnecessary noise to disturb wildlife.
Keep Pets Safe
If you’re accompanied by a dog, the dog should also wear hunter orange or a very visible color on a vest, leash, coat or bandana.
Don’t let dogs off-leash in an area that allows hunting-especially if they like to chase other animals.
Green Mountain Youth Symphony, under the guidance of Artistic Director Robert Blais, was founded in 2001. Our mission is to create a community of young musicians from central and northern Vermont & New Hampshire through the performance of great music.
What started as two small ensembles has grown to serve 100 student musicians each year from towns throughout central and northern Vermont and New Hampshire. GMYS has three separate orchestras with room for young musicians of all ability levels from beginner through high school. GMYS also holds a Creative Arts & Music Program (CAMP) at Northern Vermont University-Johnson every August. And, we recently added Intro to Strings classes for brand new musicians to try violin, viola, cello, or bass.
The GMYS Senior Orchestra was selected to participate in the Eurochestries Festival in Québec City in the summer of 2011 and has played in several First Night celebrations. The Concert Orchestra has performed concerts in area schools, and remains available for school concerts on request. GMYS musicians enjoy performing around our region and would love to travel farther afield again soon!
GMYS is a 501(c)3 organization with a long, strong commitment to providing need-based tuition assistance for our programs so all interested students can experience the joy and comradery of playing in an orchestra.
If you, or someone you know, is interested in developing their musical talents in a fun and challenging environment, please contact Leah Wilhjelm, Executive Director: (802) 888-4470, email [email protected], visit our website www.gmys-vt.org, follow us on Facebook (GreenMountainYouthSymphony) or Instagram (GMYSVT).
So you want to try this online bill pay thing but don’t know where to begin? We get it, it can be confusing especially in a world where 47% of U.S. adults have had their personal information exposed by hackers. Don’t let that scare you though… Online bill pay can actually be very safe if done properly and can be a wonderful option for those who live busy lives and want something more convenient than having to mail a check each month.
Here are three important tips you should know before getting started:
1. Choose Wisely
There are a few ways you can choose to pay your bills online: through your bank, on the biller’s site, or with a third-party bill payment service. We advise carefully researching each of these options before you start. Many consumers make the mistake of signing up for the first online bill pay service they see on Google and end up having to pay third-party fees or worse late fees, as these companies don’t always transfer payments immediately from your bank.
In the world of insurance, it’s easy to set up EFT through your carrier or make a payment directly on your carrier’s website. Your agent can help you with this.
2. Beware of Scams
As mentioned in the first tip, some consumers make the mistake of signing up for the first online bill pay service they see and end up drowning in extra fees. Don’t let this happen to you!
Although there are many legitimate 3rd party bill pay sites, there are also a handful of scam companies whose goal is to steal your personal information. A good rule of thumb is to read the privacy and security policies of the bill paying service you are considering. These policies should mention strong data encryption and other protection measures.
If you still feel unsure, call the entity you are trying to set up bill pay for – whether that be the town you live, your electric company or your insurance carrier. They will be able to verify if the site you want to pay through is legit or not.
3. Don’t Lose Track
With automatic payment plans, it can be easy to forget what gets paid each month and when. This can lead to unnoticed bank errors or mistakes. Set up alerts in advance of your bill due dates to make sure you have money to cover the bills.
You should always check your statements carefully for incorrect, duplicate or fraudulent transactions. Thankfully, online banking makes it easy to check your accounts in a pinch.
Summer in Vermont is finally here and with that comes an influx of laborers working outside. Unfortunately, these outdoor workers will have more exposure to UV radiation, as they spend long periods of time in the sun. UV radiation also reflects off sand, concrete, and light-colored surfaces, so it can be hard for them to avoid exposure.
The American Academy of Dermatology cautions outdoor workers to be aware of the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Being in contact with these rays for hours is a major risk factor for a number of skin cancers, including melanoma.
Did you know skin cancer is the most common form of cancer? One in five Americans will develop some form of skin cancer in their lifetime and on average one person dies from skin cancer every hour.
Here are some steps that outdoor workers can take to better protect themselves from the dangers of sun exposure:
Shade
Erecting temporary shading is a good way to protect workers from sun exposure. Limiting exposure to UV radiation during the strongest parts of the day, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, isn’t always easy depending on the type of work being conducted. At the very least, employers should have a tent or other shady area made available for workers to use during breaks and meals.
Sun exposure is a job site hazard that often gets overlooked by employers or gets less attention due to the more harmful hazards present on a job site. Making sure workers are aware of the dangers of UV radiation and providing training on the various forms of sun protection they should be using can go a long way in preventing painful sunburns and the potential for skin cancer in the future.
Remember, even on cloudy days you are still susceptible to UV rays, as up to 80 percent can pass through clouds.
Sunscreen
A worker wearing sunscreen might feel safe and assume he or she is protected against skin cancer, but this is not the case. Most sunscreens repel only against UVB rays, using SPF as their gauge but you also need to consider UVA rays.
Workers should use a broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Using a chemical and mineral combination sunscreen will provide outdoor workers with the most effective UV protection. One example of this is Zinc Oxide. It covers both UVA and UVB rays and has been used in different formulations for more than 300 years.
Clothing
Clothing is the best form of sun protection but not all clothing offers the same level of protection from UV light. Several factors such as material, weave, and color affect the amount of UV radiation a material blocks. Long-sleeved shirts and pants made from closely-knit materials in darker colors offer the best UV protection.
There are also clothing options that are labeled with an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) that offers great coverage and are typically made of lightweight fabrics and treated with sun protection chemicals or special dyes to block out UV light. Select clothes with a UPF of 50 or higher for the best protection which only allows 1/50th of the sun’s UV radiation to reach your skin. By comparison, a thin white cotton T-shirt has a UPF around 5.
Wearing a wide-brimmed hat is a great way to protect your face, ears, and neck from the sun. If you are wearing a hard hat most of the day, there are accessories available that can be fitted over or under the hard hat to provide a wide brim or neck protection from the sun.
Sunglasses or safety glasses that offer both UVB and UVA protection should be worn any time you are out in the sun. Be sure to choose a pair that fit comfortably and offer 99 – 100% UV protection.
Self-Examination
It’s important for workers to examine their bodies monthly because skin cancers detected early can almost always be cured. The most important warning sign is a spot on the skin that is changing in size, shape, or color during a period of 1 month to 1 or 2 years. Skin cancers often take the following forms:
Pale, wax-like, pearly nodules
Red, scaly, sharply outlined patches
Sores that don’t heal
Small, mole-like growths – melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer.
Self-examinations should be conducted in a well-lit room and in front of a mirror. Use a hand mirror to examine areas that are difficult to see.
It is important to remember melanoma is often found on parts of the body that are not exposed to UV light from the sun. For example, melanoma can develop under fingernails, on the scalp, soles of the feet, between toes, ears, and even behind tattoos.
The American Cancer Society recommends getting regular skin checks preferably by a dermatologist. If a person finds such unusual skin changes, he/she should see a health care professional immediately.
If you any questions regarding protecting outdoor workers against skin cancer, feel free to contact our Risk Management Coordinator, Ryan Wilson at 802-295-3329 or [email protected]
For more information, check out these additional resources:
The information included in this publication and accompanying materials was obtained from sources believed to be reliable for informational purposes only. Northern Safety Solutions/Kinney Pike Insurance and its employees make no guarantee of results in connection with any training, materials, suggestions, or information provided. This information is only a tool to assist you in managing your responsibility to maintain safe premises, practices, operations, and equipment. All sample materials serve as a guideline, which you can use to create your own programs, policies, and procedures to reflect your own operations. Furthermore, it cannot be assumed that all possible hazardous conditions or unsafe acts that may exist are covered, every acceptable safety method is contained in this publication, or that specific circumstance may not require additional methods or alternative safety considerations. It is the user’s responsibility to confirm compliance with any applicable local, state or federal regulations. Information obtained from or via Northern Safety Solutions/Kinney Pike Insurance should not be used as the basis for legal advice or other advice, and should be confirmed with alternative sources. Implementation of any practices suggested by this information is at your sole discretion; and Northern Safety Solutions / Kinney Pike Insurance or its affiliates shall not be liable to any party for any damages whatsoever arising out of, or in connection with, the information provided or its use.
Rutland, VT – Kinney Pike Insurance is proud to announce the company has received the E&O Plus Quality Management Award for the fifth consecutive year. This award is presented to insurance agencies demonstrating outstanding devotion to quality management in serving their clients and a commitment to excellence in the area of Errors & Omissions prevention and mitigation. This mark of distinction puts Kinney Pike Insurance in an elite group, as it is one of only 22 firms participating in the E&O Plus Program to receive this award for 2018.
Kinney Pike Insurance recently underwent a rigorous audit and the award is based on their compliance and commitment to providing quality services. The audit and annual quality award are conducted and presented by E&O Plus, a risk retention group sponsored by Assurex Global, a worldwide network of insurance brokers.
“This honor highlights the exceptional work of our employees in our commitment to quality, professionalism, and exceptional service to our clients,” stated Doug Corman, Kinney Pike Insurance Principal. “We routinely audit our work to ensure we’re providing the best possible service to our clients, and are very proud to share this award with our employees.”
About Kinney Pike Insurance:
Kinney Pike Insurance, founded in 1904, is one of the largest independent insurance agencies in Northern New England with seven locations: Rutland, White River Junction, Williston, Randolph, St. Johnsbury, Poultney and Swanton. Kinney Pike is a full-service agency specializing in commercial insurance, personal insurance and employee benefits. Kinney Pike holds the distinction of being Vermont’s only Assurex Global Partner, a prestigious international consortium of top brokers worldwide.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) International Roadcheck will take place on June 4-6. Over that 72-hour period, commercial motor vehicle inspectors in jurisdictions throughout North America will conduct inspections on commercial motor vehicles and drivers.
Each year, International Roadcheck places special emphasis on a category of violations. This year’s focus is steering and suspension systems. While checking vehicle compliance is always part of the North American Standard Inspection Program, CVSA is highlighting steering components and suspension systems this year as a reminder of their importance to highway safety.
“Steering and suspension are safety critical systems for any commercial motor vehicle,” said Arkansas Highway Police Chief Jay Thompson, the CVSA President. “Not only do they support the heavy loads carried by trucks and buses, but they also help maintain stability and control under acceleration and braking, keeping the vehicle safely on the road. Furthermore, they keep tires in alignment, reducing chances of uneven tire wear and possible tire failure, and they maximize the contact between the tires and the road to provide steering stability and good handling.”
During International Roadcheck, CVSA-certified inspectors will primarily conduct the North American Standard Level I Inspection, a 37-step procedure that includes an examination of driver operating requirements and vehicle mechanical fitness. Inspectors may opt to conduct the Level II Walk-Around Driver/Vehicle Inspection, Level III Driver/Credential/Administrative Inspection or Level V Vehicle-Only Inspection.
The vehicle inspection includes checking critical inspection items such as: brake systems; cargo securement; coupling devices; driveline/driveshaft; driver’s seat (missing); exhaust systems; frames; fuel systems; lighting devices (headlamps, tail lamps, stop lamps, turn signals and lamps/flags on projecting loads); steering mechanisms; suspensions; tires; van and open-top trailer bodies; wheels, rims and hubs; windshield wipers. Additional items on buses, motorcoaches, passenger vans or other passenger-carrying vehicles include emergency exits, electrical cables and systems in the engine and battery compartments, and seating (temporary and aisle seats).
Drivers will be required to provide their driver’s license (operating credentials), Medical Examiner’s Certificate and Skill Performance Evaluation Certificate (if applicable), driver’s record of duty status and vehicle inspection report(s) (if applicable). Inspectors will also check drivers for seat belt usage, sickness, fatigue and apparent alcohol and/or drug impairment.
If no critical vehicle inspection item violations are found during a Level I or Level V Inspection, a CVSA decal will be applied to the vehicle, indicating that the vehicle successfully passed a decal-eligible inspection conducted by a CVSA-certified inspector. But if a rear impact guard is required and violations are present, a CVSA decal shall not be issued.
If an inspector does identify critical vehicle inspection item violations, he or she may render the vehicle out of service if the condition meets the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria. This means the vehicle cannot be operated until the vehicle violation(s) are corrected. A driver can also be placed out of service for driver credential-related issues or driver conditions, such as fatigue or impairment.
Out-of-service orders and the number, type, and severity of safety violations affect a motor carrier’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) score, and its Safety Fitness Determination rating. CSA is the safety compliance and enforcement program of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) designed to improve safety and prevent commercial motor vehicle crashes, injuries, and fatalities by holding motor carriers and drivers accountable for their role in safety.
To help drivers and motor carriers prepare for this year’s International Roadcheck, here are several informational documents for your download and use:
2019 International Roadcheck Emphasis Area: Steering and Suspension Flyer – This flyer describes the importance of steering and suspension systems and ways to identify issues. It also outlines what inspectors look for during the inspection of the steering mechanism and the suspension components.
International Roadcheck Steering and Suspension Systems Violations – This document contains charts of steering and suspension violations from 2018 International Roadcheck. The charts describe steering and suspension violations (both out-of-service violations and non-out-of-service violations) and common issues.
North American Standard Roadside Inspection Vehicle Cheat Sheet – This cheat sheet outlines what an inspector looks for in a vehicle when conducting a roadside inspection, including brakes; coupling devices; fuel and exhaust systems; frame, van, and open-top trailers; lighting; securement of cargo; steering; suspension; and tires, wheels, rims, and hubs.
The Mentor Connector is Rutland County’s youth and family mentoring program with over 150 youth having amazing mentors who use fun, teachable moments to change lives. Throughout its existence, the Mentor Connector has mentored over 1,000 youth, collaborated with hundreds of local businesses and organizations to support mentoring and has assisted 25 community organizations and schools to establish mentoring programs.
The Mentor Connector uses the power of one-on-one mentoring to transform Rutland County and enhance vulnerable youth’s life skills, educational curiosity, and workforce development. Data highlights that high quality, one-on-one mentoring is one of the most effective ways to impact generational substance abuse and poverty and enhance youth’s ability to thrive.
A considerable amount of time and effort is given to the onboarding of mentors, youth and the match process to ensure that the match will be successful and fun! Their match retention rate continues to be one of the highest in the country at a match average of 4.1 years. 97% of their matches complete the first year and 87% continue on for at least one more year. Over the past three years, 100% of the program youth, most from high-risk backgrounds, graduate from high school and 84% state that mentoring has helped them refrain from drugs and alcohol.
Thanks to a federal grant through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Prevention, The Mentor Connector will be increasing by 180 mentor matches over the next three years. Around 70 new mentors will be needed each year for the three-year grant.
Mentors are asked to spend an hour a week with their youth, commit to the program for one calendar year and bring fun into the life of the match through various activities.
“My experience with mentoring has been absolutely fantastic and just gets better all the time. I was a little nervous at first, but now all I do is look forward to the next outing or activity. Colton (my mentee) has reintroduced me to how much fun it is to be a kid again and I am so thankful for that. I went into this thing with a desire to do something good for society and The Mentor Connector has certainly afforded me that, but I did not expect to get so much in return. It really feels great to be part of something so worthwhile.” – Rob (mentor)
The Mentor Connector is counting on community members like yourself, to champion mentoring through becoming a mentor, an ambassador of mentoring or volunteering in another capacity.
For more information about Mentor Connector visit our website or follow us on Facebook.
This article was written by Bobbi Jo Stellato, who is the Program Director at Mentor Connector
