Category: Joe Covello


Happy 40th OSHA

Filed under: Construction Safety, Joe Covello, United Hoisting & Scaffolding Corp — Leave a comment
March 9, 2011

In 1970 President Richard M. Nixon signed the Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA) into law.  The Mission was to ensure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance. And 40 years later OSHA  has fought to protected workers from hazards.  The formation of OSHA has saved thousands of lives and created safer environments for employees not only in the construction industry but all industries.

The success of OSHA often goes unnoticed, since each year approximately 5,000 workers die; however, government figures estimate that if workers today faced the same risk as 70 years ago an additional 40,000 people would die each year. OSHA has drastically improved working conditions across industry and location.  The number of private sector occupational injuries and illnesses dropped from 10.9% per 100 workers in 1970 to 3.9% in 2007.

In honor of OSHA’s anniversary and as a commemoration of their progress over the past forty years, the public is invited to visit an online time line of the organization’s history. Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, Dr. David Michaels, said “We hope you will join us in this anniversary year as we recognize OSHA’s accomplishments and reaffirm our dedication to the agency’s mission,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. “Help us celebrate four decades of healthier workers, safer workplaces, and a stronger America.”

If you ask most businesses they have not directly dealt with OSHA, The reason being is because they are understaffed. Only 2000 inspectors are responsible for over 7 million worksites.If an accident does occur (normally a tragic one) you will get a visit. A ridiculous $4,000 penalty for worker death is a joke, but they will inspect your whole establishment and make sure your running a clean operation. Besides all that it is in your best interest to comply for worker safely to first sleep at night and to avoid fines.

Change is coming, there is always talk about increasing fines. In 2012 the requested budget is  $583,000,000.00  They also plan on  employing 2000 more employees  to increase awareness and safety, so expect a visit !

 

OSHA will be targeted for your location for a few reasons:

  • Target inspections (especially for industries designated for special emphasis programs);
  • Employee complaints;
  • Claim of imminent danger where there has been a fatality; and
  • Where three or more employees are hospitalized as a result of an accident or illness.

You can ask them politely why they are there and they will tell you, if it was by an employee, the company has every right to know and can ask for a copy of the complaint.

Like everything else be helpful courteous, but understand they are not only seeking general information but will seek admissions concerning your knowledge of unsafe conditions, because it is there job, so don’t volunteer unnecessary information if you don’t have to , but do address your issues if you’re running a shoddy operation.

OHSA 300 Log will most likely be asked for, but handing out medical records of any sort , puts you in violation of HIPPA laws so, the proper permission is needed for that.

Bottom line is employers must do their part to comply with OSHA  regulations, and share some of the burden of protecting their employees.

How to complete OSHA 300 forms

OSHA Self Inspection Check List

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New Mast Climber Rule

Filed under: Joe Covello, United Hoisting & Scaffolding Corp — Leave a comment
February 23, 2011

The New Mast Climber Rule goes public on March 2nd and will be effective on April 2, 2011.

Here are a few notes from the DOB

First, mast climbers do not meet the definition of a hoisting machine.  Therefore, this rule does not require that a licensed hoisting machine operator operate a mast climber.  The rule sets forth training requirements unique to mast climbers for those who operate or use a mast climber.

Second, this rule requires each installation to require a separate certificate of on-site inspection.  The inclusion of this provision in the final rule was debated internally following comments received, but it was determined that by allowing engineers and owners to sign off on installations in the field, the only effective way for the department to keep track of multiple mast climbers or relocated mast climbers at a job site was to require each to have a separate certificate of on-site inspection.

Click here for Mast Climber Rule Final

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Your Snow Removal Responsibilities

Filed under: Construction Safety, Joe Covello, United Hoisting & Scaffolding Corp — Leave a comment
February 23, 2011

If you’re a property owner in New York City, it’s important to know the extent of your responsibility when it comes to snow removal.

The building owner or property owner is responsible for snow removal in front of the building. You have four hours from the last snowflake falling to remove the snow. However, in the early hours of the morning, there is some leeway for overnight snow, you have until 11 a.m. to get rid of the snow.

If you live in Staten Island or Queens any owner responsible for  500 L/F of sidewalk or more that has started and exceeded the 4 hour time limit will be given a reasonable amount of time to remove the snow.

If it’s not clear, an owner can face fines, not to mention the liability if someone gets hurt.

If there is ice or the snow is too frozen to remove, the law states you must put something down like ashes, salt, sand, or sawdust to prevent slips and falls. Once the ice is gone you are responsible for that clean up as well.

Any person violating the regulations could face fines from $50 to $150 for the first 2 violations, $250 to $350 for the third and/or  up to 10 days in prison. If you fail to answer the violation, fees will add up quickly. The city also will remove the snow and back charge you at a certain labor rate, which is than  added onto your next year’s home taxes.

So what happens if you get a violation?

If you go to the courts or have a hearing by mail, you need to gather all the documents you would like the judge to consider. If using the mail, send those documents and a statement to ECB (Environmental Control Board). The statement should tell the judge why you think the ticket should be dismissed.  Keep copies of anything you send to the ECB.

This should be sent in with your statement: Click Here

ECB WEBSITE: Click Here

It’s not law, but the New York City Fire Department encourages buildings and homeowners to clear any hydrants that may be outside the building.

It’s also a courtesy for properties on the corner to clear a path to the crosswalk.

The other concern from a property owner’s perspective is the actual structural issues. Snow & water are very heavy, so it just makes sense to remove snow from your awnings, gutters, etc..

Job site concerns should also be addressed. Snow overloading of sidewalk sheds and catchall could lead to an accident. Adjoining roof protection must also be monitored. Although a  roof collapse is  rare, in NYC roofs are rated for a 40 PSF snow load.

Click here for a list of all snow loads by state.


Parking Responsibility

Have you ever dug your vehicle out of 10” to 20” of snow only to find  when you return someone is enjoying the fruits of your labor?

Well unfortunately there are no laws for that, maybe just a New York beating , but there are rules for moving your car out of some parking spots.

For all of you who live in city or neighboring boroughs, moving the snow to get your vehicle out could be a challenge depending on the width of your street. Your vehicle must be moved when alternate parking laws are in effect.

To find out when these laws are in place you can sign up for emails or Twitter

Sign up for email here

Sign up for ECB Twitter here

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What are Tool Box Talks?

Filed under: Construction Safety, Joe Covello, United Hoisting & Scaffolding Corp — Leave a comment
February 20, 2011

What are Tool Box Talks?

Continual weekly training of job site conditions, hazards and discussions of accidents and past near misses. They are essential for the reduction of accident/incident rates and the occurrence of ill health and environmental damage in your workplaces. Toolbox talks play a major part in an employees constant effort to create an increased awareness of hazards present in the workplace and the precautions which must be taken to eliminate or control them.

Are your Tool Box Talks boring? I bet they are!

Do you see this during your talk?

Heavy sighing

Holding up their head

Staring into space/out of window or looking around

Reading/doodling

Talking

Texting

Eating

Biting nails

Swinging on chair or cant stand still

No questions being asked?

Lack of concentration

Sleeping/yawning

Discomfort in learning environment

Any of the above are indications that the presentation needs to be improved and made more interesting. Why risk having some wiseass out there endangering himself and others?? Safety in the workplace can be a struggle for many employers to comply with the required regulations while turning in a profit. Employees want to do their job well while keeping safety their primary concern.

Why should you use Toolbox Safety Talks?

• To help Employees understand their job responsibilities and how to achieve them.

• Ensure that Employees are ready to do their jobs safely.

• Demonstrate what you expect from your Employees.

• Genuinely influence Employee performance.

• Convince employees that they need to protect themselves and their co-workers

Make the most of this opportunity. Anything worth doing is worth doing right. Adults learn by:

• Being actively involved in the learning process

• Understanding how the message being delivered applies to their job

• Understanding why certain rules exist (not just what the rules are)

Tips for your Talks

Here are some tips that will make you and your talk a lot more interesting:

The first thing to remember is always keep in mind that performance can prevent an injury/accident or even save a life. Safety talks should help employees understand the safety hazards and precautions of job-specific topics. Construction workers need to learn about all equipment and procedures they will come in contact with. Safety talks should cover one area of job-specific safety at each meeting. Various groups in a company may have different safety instructions that others in the same workplace on any given day. Ideally, you want to have a short toolbox talk the first thing in the morning. Mondays or the beginning of your work week are most effective. The disadvantage of putting it off till the end of the week is the concern of how much do you really remember after the weekend?

The location for these meeting should accommodate everyone so that everyone can sit/stand comfortably and relax. A place where everyone can be easily seen and heard without any distractions. Consider using props to help make points (most people are visual learners). For example, if the topic is about ladder safety, try holding the meeting next to a ladder or if possible arrange to have one present at the meeting location.

Studies (google) show that the average attention span for an adult is between 17 and 20 minutes. Anything longer than that you’re wasting everyones time, including your own. Try to limit the safety meeting to ten to fifteen minutes. However, it may go longer if you are discussing other job site conditions or issues. If the discussion goes on too long, it can and should be continued at the next meeting.

Don’t BS at your tool box talks. You are not only cheating yourself, but potentially setting up a crew for disaster. Get educated and ready for what you’re going to talk about. As mentioned above, I find the most effective way to approach such a talk is not to read from a prepared lesson plan. Most programs should only be used as a guide. Always pick a topic relevant to what the employees are currently working on or an upcoming project that is going to be assigned for that week. Interact with the employees by asking questions and the more or less feedback you receive will determine just how boring or not boring your talk really are.

The discussion of accidents or near misses that might have happened are a must! Don’t overdue the gory details, but be sure to discuss how and why the accident happened in order to help prevent others from occurring rather than finding a way to place the cause/blame on someone else.

The crew employees know more site specific information than you even if you do have a safety title. Get input from the crew about any concerns they may have or about topics that could be discussed. Discuss any unsafe acts or conditions observed during the past week and how they were (hopefully) corrected and what can be done to avoid future incidents. Discuss new equipment on the job or upcoming activities.

Handouts on a construction site tool box talk is a waste of time and trees so don’t bother using them. All you’re doing is contributing to a potential housekeeping issue. Just be prepared and stick to a schedule of starting on time and ending on time. In your talk, teach your employees and have them interact with you during the discussions. Let them know you are interested in their input and appreciate any thoughts they may have on any particular topic of the discussion. Most importantly, always be sure to thank your employees for a job well done.

Talks should be conducted regularly (weekly/monthly) at any time that a new project is assigned or a new workspace is in use, Employees should feel that they are able to ask questions as often as they feel is needed with the confidence of getting an informative response.

If you need more information on tool box talks or would like some input on effective topics, please contact me and I will send you all the necessary information

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Keeping Safe in the Office

Filed under: Construction Safety, Joe Covello, United Hoisting & Scaffolding Corp — Leave a comment
February 16, 2011

 

Our field personnel is not the only accidents we should worry about. The majority of you reading this are actually in an office and accidents do happen there to. Very few office workers realize that they are twice as likely to be injured in a fall as a non-office worker. Accidental injuries that occur in the office can be just as painful, severe, and expensive as those in the field. Nationally, only automobile accidents out number falls as the leading cause of all accidents. In the office slips, trips and falls are the number one cause of disabling injuries.

Thinking and working safely can prevent most accidents. You can become aware of the most common hazards in the office environment. Here are 22 common hazards to look out for:

  1. When walking and carrying an object, make sure the object does not block your line of sight.
  2. Never lift objects that are too large or heavy to handle comfortably.
  3. When lifting objects from the floor, hold the load close to your body.
  4. Don’t lean back in your chair. Keep all legs on the floor so that you do not end up on the floor.
  5. Keep the floor and walkway clear of electrical, telephone and computer cables, boxes, etc. They are tripping hazards waiting to happen. Do not overload or daisy chain wall sockets & extension cords.
  6. Arrange desks or work stations so that your body is always in a comfortable neutral position with proper back support.
  7. Close one drawer in a filing cabinet before opening another. This prevents the file cabinet from tipping over on you.
  8. Close the drawer in your desk before getting up and close file drawers before walking away from the file cabinet.
  9. Store supplies inside cabinets, not on top of them. Store heavy items in lower drawers or on low shelves.
  10. Keep aisles clear of stored items.
  11. Watch out for slippery surfaces. Spilled drinks or water from umbrellas are typical hazards and need to be cleaned up/or identified immediately.
  12. Do not run in office.
  13. Don’t read while walking
  14. Don’t climb on chairs, desks or boxes. Use a step ladder or stool instead.
  15. Hold onto handrails when using stairways.
  16. Use elevators when carrying boxes if they are available.
  17. Don’t throw matches, ashes or cigarette butts into wastebaskets. If the building has been designated as a smoke free building – DO NOT smoke in the building.
  18. Use a letter openers and a staple remover.
  19. Store sharp objects neatly in desk drawer or inside closed container.
  20. Don’t touch electrical switches, sockets, plugs, etc with wet hands.
  21. Don’t eat or drink at a computer station. It could result in malfunction of the computer and void the warranty.
  22. Watch for unsafe conditions such as defective equipment, burned out lights, loose steps, torn carpet, etc fix or report them.
  23. Leave repair of office equipment to the properly trained professional.

Ok did we really need to go over these things? Probably not. Most of these are common sense but Im sure we have all done some of these before. The purpose of this is make you aware and hopefully a week from now when you are lifting a box or see a slippery surface, you can eliminate the dangers to yourself and to your co-workers.

 

 

 

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Super Bowl XLV facts/statistics

Filed under: Joe Covello — Leave a comment
February 2, 2011

Below are a few “facts, statistics” from a variety of sources including the National Retail Federation, Retail Association of America, Avocado Growers Association, Harris Poll, Nielsen, CEA, host committee, SRI, NFL/ Millward Brown Optimor Super Bowl study, etc….    Enjoy the “facts/statistics”

Super Bowl XLV

 

WHO WILL BE WATCHING?

158.5* million: Number of people who will watch at least part of the game.

(*estimated total audience for Super Bowl XLV)

·   Super Bowl XLIV (New Orleans vs. Indianapolis) achieved the largest

audience in American television history for a TV program with a total  audience of 153.4 million viewers.  Super Bowls are the 19 most-viewed TV  programs in history

·   Super Bowl is the most-watched event annually across all major

demographics. Super Bowl XLIV averaged 106.5 million viewers, making it  the most-watched TV program ever in the U.S., Super Bowls account for 9 of  the top 10 most-watched TV programs in the U.S.

·   More Americans (5.9 million more) watched Super Bowl XLIV than the

combined average audience total (100.6 million) of the 82nd Academy Awards  (2010, 41.7 million viewers), 2010 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony (32.7  million), and American Idol (season 10 premiere in 2011, 26.2 million)

·   Super Bowl is most-watched annual event among all major Nielsen

demographics, including Hispanics and African Americans.

232: Number of countries and territories in which the game will be broadcast (not final)

34: Number of languages the game is broadcast in (not final)

 

HOW MUCH FOOD WILL BE CONSUMED?

Super Bowl Sunday is the number one day for snack food consumption in the United States Americans spend more than $50 million stocking up on snack food for Super Bowl Sunday

7 in 10: number of viewers that plan to buy food for Super Bowl 900,000 pizzas sold by Papa John’s on game day

8 million: Total pounds of popcorn consumed on Super Bowl Sunday

28 million: Pounds of potato chips consumed on Super Bowl Sunday

53.5 million: Pounds of avocados consumed on Super Bowl Sunday

222,792: Number of football fields required to grow all corn, potatoes, and avocados consumed on Super Bowl Sunday

11.8: Depth, in feet, of guacamole consumed if it were spread across a football field

293,000: Number of miles of potato chips, laid end to end, consumed during the game

1 billion: Number of chicken wings consumed on Super Bowl Sunday

325.5 million: Gallons of beer consumed by Americans on Super Bowl Sunday

493: Number of Olympic-sized swimming pools that could be filled with all that beer consumed on Super Bowl Sunday

20%: Increase in ant-acid sales the Monday after the game

7 million: Number of employees who will not show up to work Monday

 

HOW MUCH MONEY MOVES AROUND FOR THE BIG GAME?

$10.1 billion: Amount consumers will spend on Super Bowl related items (food, jerseys, party favors, HDTVs, etc), up 12.7% from 2010 ($8.9

billion) (RAMA)

$59.33: average expected spend by football fans on Super Bowl (RAMA), up from $52.63

$611 million: Estimated amount of money added to the local economy (North

Texas) from hosting the game (host committee)

147,000: Number of out of state visitors expected (host committee) $3.0 million: Cost for a 30-second advertisements slot during the game

45: Number of minutes worth advertisements during last year’s game

41%: Percent of Super Bowl viewers surveyed who will re-watch this year’s ads online.

2.9 million: Number of HDTVs bought for the Super Bowl in 2009 (sold 61% more than prior week) (CEA), annually projected to drive more than 2 million in sales of HDTVs

 

AND WHAT ABOUT SUPER BOWL PARTIES?

41: Days in advance, on average, Super Bowl plans are made

34.9 million: number of Americans planning on throwing a Super Bowl party

61.2 million: Number of Americans attending a Super Bowl party

17: Average number of people attending each party

5%: Percent of people who watch the big game alone

40%: Percent of Super Bowl viewers who are not football fans

26%: Percent of viewers that tune in for the ads 10 million: Number of man-hours spent preparing food for the Super Bowl party 10 million: Number of man-hours spent making the movie Avatar

 

SUPER BOWL ADVERTISING

 

On average, 1 Super Bowl ad = 250 regular TV spots across dayparts

Purchase of an ad in Super Bowl XLII ($2.7M) = $9.5M TV ad value

 

GOOD LUCK TO YOUR TEAM!!

 

 

 

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WTF!!!! Workers Comp rates going sky high!!

Filed under: Joe Covello, United Hoisting & Scaffolding Corp — 2 Comments
January 17, 2011

What is the Deal?? The papers are expressing that construction is the safest it has been, that we are on the right track and now the rate increase this April just doesn’t make sense!!

Below is a list of all the trades, so you can see how your trade has been affected or will be.

Happy bidding to all you estimators, Make sure you incorporate these figures.

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Complacency Kills

Filed under: Construction Safety, Joe Covello, United Hoisting & Scaffolding Corp — Leave a comment
January 16, 2011

Here is an article I wrote published in Scaffold Industry Magazine-January 2011

You can find the whole issue here

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Local Law 26

Filed under: Construction Safety, Joe Covello, United Hoisting & Scaffolding Corp — Leave a comment
January 13, 2011


Proper Usage of Exit Signage and Photoluminescent Lighting in Today’s City Structures


After such events as the World Trade Center bombings, New York Cities laws of egress and proper exit notification have drastically changed.   With a greater demand for convenient city living comes an even greater responsibility for awareness and safety.  Being the leader in city living that New York has become worldwide, it was our responsibility to set the safety trend and with that such great laws as our own Local 26 was created.

Local Law 26 was created in 2004 to try to remove some of the danger involved in navigating and exiting a city building in a time of power failure.   Along with more strict laws for exit signs, power backup’s and emergency lighting fixtures come the implementation of photoluminescent technology.  Photoluminescent exit signage and tapings are now used throughout the methods of a building egress system and have been set forth into law by the way of Local Law 26.

Having done some extensive research in the labs and field, personally I can tell you that this technology will be invaluable in a time of crisis and need.  Proper installation of these markings and signage is also a key factor in their effectiveness as field tests have shown that in the case of a smoke filled building, the photoluminescents need to be placed relatively low as to avoid being masked by smoke and resulting in their ineffectiveness.  There have been many case studies as well to determine the amount of lumens a proper tape should hold and also for the time it takes to charge the technology.   Many tests are performed to determine whether or not certain photoluminesecent products work for their desired locations such as durability and flammability.

Local Law 26 has forced many building owners to see that with greater growth comes a greater risk of danger and a greater demand for safety awareness.  Thankful to say that after a long design process and many field tests, we have many workable products out there on the market and are implementing them on a daily basis to better the safety and futures of our cities inhabitants.

For all your lighting needs you can contact me Joe Tranchina

(718) 376 9301

joseph@gothamlgt.com

For Local Law 26 click here

For Gotham Lighting Supply Click Here

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National Burn Awareness Week

Filed under: Construction Safety, Joe Covello, United Hoisting & Scaffolding Corp — Leave a comment
January 12, 2011

National Burn Awareness Week

The first full week of February  is National Burn Awareness Week in the United States.

Let’s look at some quick facts about burn injuries:

- Burn Injuries Receiving Medical Treatment Per Year: 500,000

- Fire and Burn Deaths Per Year: 4,000

- Hospitalizations for Burn Injury Per Year: 40,000 total, including 25,000 admissions to hospitals with specialized burn centers

- Burn Cause: 46% fire/flame, 32% scald, 8% hot object contact, 4% electrical, 3% chemical, 6% other

- Place of Occurrence: 43% home, 17% street/highway, 8% occupational, 32% other

Although very few burn injuries occur at work compared to home, the risk is still around us. Steam pipes, electrical arc flashes, hot machine components and chemicals are just a few of the areas where you have exposure to burn injuries.

Your best protection for these types of exposures is awareness. More often than not, people get burned at work by coming in contact with hot components unexpectedly. They didn’t realize the component was hot or they weren’t aware of their body’s position to the object. Take some extra time when around these areas of the facility to ensure you know the hazard and make a conscious effort to keep away from these hot components.

The other line of defense for these injuries is to wear PPE when working in close proximately to these burn hazards. Whether using rubber gloves when working with chemicals or thermal gloves when dealing with steam lines, PPE can afford you the protection you need.

Burn Safety Tips for Children

• Keep matches and lighter out of reach of children.
• Keep children at a safe distance from hot liquids. A drink heated to 140 degrees F.can cause a burn in 5 seconds. At 160 degrees F., a burn will occur in 1 second. A
child’s quick movement could spill hot fluid and cause a serious burn.
• When toddlers are in the home, avoid using a tablecloth. If children try to pull themselves up by the tablecloth, a heavy object or hot liquid on the table could fall on
the child.
• Keep all hot items near the center of the table to prevent a young child from reaching them.
• While cooking, keep young children in a high chair or playpen, at a safe distance from hot surfaces, hot liquids and other kitchen hazards.
• Use extra caution if you use deep fat (oil) cookers/ fryers when young children are present. The fat or oil may reach temperatures over 400 degrees F., hot enough to
instantly cause a very serious burn.
• Establish a “SAFE AREA” in the kitchen where a child can be placed — away from risk, but under continuous supervision. Also, consider establishing a “NO ZONE”
directly in front of the stove. Teach your child to avoid this area. You can mark the zone with yellow tape, a piece of bright carpet or other material.
Burn Safety tips for Adults — Burn injuries common to children are often observed in adults as well, especially older adults. While the injuries are similar, the
cause may differ.
• Turn the pot handle toward the rear of the stove to reduce the risk of scald burns for all age groups.
• Keep clothing from coming into contact with a flame or heating element. Reaching over the stove could cause garments to catch fire, especially the sleeves of robes,
dresses, housecoats, etc. Wear snug-fitting or short-sleeved clothing. Pure polyester, nylon and wool are reasonably flame resistant.
• Use an elastic band to hold long or loose sleeves out of the way. Slide the sleeve cuff up to the elbow.
• Turn off the heat or gas before reaching over the stove.
• If your sleeve should catch on fire, immediately cover the burning material with a potholder, mitt or towel, go to the sink and run cold water to put out the fire and cool
the burn.
• If other parts of your clothing are on fire, immediately DROP and ROLL to put out the fire. Cool the burn with water.
• Every house should have a fire extinguisher close to the kitchen.
• Most important every resident needs working smoke alarms and test them monthly.

Gasoline Safety

Every year thousands of children are burned because of improper storage or use of gasoline. Gasoline is only supposed to be used to power an engine.

Many people use it as starter fluid and cleaning solution and are leaving it out in the open. Proper storage is one of the best preventative measures you can take.

Try to keep gasoline in marked gasoline containers, lids closed, spouts put away. And in a safe, out of the way area,Not out on the ground, underneath a shelter and not in direct sunlight.

Never store gasoline inside the house and never allow children to touch gasoline containers even under supervision. Also, never put anything but gasoline in a marked gasoline container.


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