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It Safe
Ah, summer! The days of warmer weather are here. Outdoor
activities, grilling out, gardening and home improvement projects await.
And many MSBA families are looking forward to hitting the road for a
summer vacation.
But here's something to consider as you make your summer
plans-with increased activity and travel, your risk of suffering a serious
accident and injury increases, too. Can't happen to you? The chances
of a serious accident happening to you or a family member are higher
than you might think. Consider these facts:
- An accidental death occurs every six minutes in the US. 1
- One in four visitors to hospital emergency rooms is there as a
result of a fall. 2
- If you're over age 65, you have a 33 percent chance of falling
in any year. 3
- A motor vehicle crash causes a death every 13 minutes. 4
Take Precautions
The statistics about your risk for a serious accident may surprise you-even
concern you. But there are many things you and your family can do year
round to protect yourselves. Here are just a few tips:
- Always wear your seatbelts-when traveling in the front and back
seat of a car.
- If you have airbags in your car, take the correct precautions
when traveling with
children.
- Look around your house for accident spots that can trip you up:
uneven steps or bricks,
poorly lit areas, clutter on staircases and high-traffic areas,
and holes or depressions
around your property. Summer is a great time to fix these areas.
- If you enjoy bicycling, always wear a helmet when you ride-and
make sure you're
wearing it correctly.
- When you're working around the house, use ladders, step stools
and other equipment
properly.
- Take correct safety precautions when working with tools-electric
and otherwise. Wear
goggles, protective footwear and gloves if appropriate. When you're
done with the
tools, remember to store them in a safe manner.
For other valuable information and safety tips, visit
the National Safety Council on the web at www.nsc.org
or contact them toll free at 1-800-621-7619.
Have A Protection Plan
The everyday safety measures you take can go a long way towards protecting
your family from accidents and injuries. Unfortunately, you can't plan
for everything. That's why many experts recommend having accident insurance
for extra protection. Accident plans help to secure your family's financial
stability if you were to suffer from a serious accident-or worse. These
plans provide valuable peace of mind for you and they'll help soften
the financial blow when your family needs it most.
MSBA knows how important protecting your family is. That's
why they sponsor an accident insurance plan just for members. The MSBA
Accident plan features a number of different benefit amounts, plus educational
and child care benefits-all at affordable group rates. You're guaranteed
acceptance into the plan and you're covered for almost any activity,
anywhere in the world-24 hours a day.
For more information about the MSBA-sponsored Accident
plan, call toll free 1-800-501-5776.
1, 2, 4 The National Safety Council
3 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
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Last Updated 9/28/03 -
