Halloween Safety Tips

Halloween Safety Tips

Here in north Georgia we’re facing record setting high temperatures, and it sure doesn’t feel like it but Halloween is here! Halloween is always a holiday favorite among both kids and adults, but it can also pose some dangers. At Masterflo Plumbing, we want to ensure that all of you have a safe and fun filled Halloween! Today we’re sharing some of our best Halloween safety tips!

halloween safety tips

Walking Tips

  • Cross the street at the corners or in the crosswalks where possible
  • Make sure to look both ways before crossing the street and while crossing the street
  • Don’t text or look down at your cell phone while crossing the street
  • Make eye contact with drivers before crossing the road in front of them
  • Always use sidewalks

Have a plan

  • Kids under the age of 12 should always trick or treat with an adult
  • Children who are old enough to go without an adult should go over their plan with an adult first
  • Children going trick or treating without an adult should only go to well lit areas that they are familiar with
  • If your children are going trick or treating without you, make sure you know where they’re going and who they’re with

Costume Safety

  • Costumes and bags should have reflective tape or stickers on them
  • Face paint is safer than face masks, which can obscure vision
  • Glow sticks or flash lights can help your children be seen by drivers
  • Make sure costumes are the right size

Drive Safely

  • Drive extra slowly in neighborhoods and residential areas
  • Make sure to triple check for children before driving through an intersection
  • Back out of parking spaces and driveways cautiously
  • The most popular trick or treating hours are between 5:30-9:30 so drive extra cautiously during those hours
  • Make sure you are not a distracted driver!
  • Don’t drink and drive

We hope you all have a great Halloween! And remember- plumbing emergencies can happen anytime, even on holidays! If you need an emergency plumber this Halloween weekend make sure to call the experts you can trust at Masterflo Plumbing! (678) 822-7095

10 Pool Safety Tips

10 Pool Safety Tips

Spending time at the pool is a great way to keep your kids active during the summer and can help prevent your kids from uttering those two words every parent dreads hearing- “I’m bored!”. Hanging out at the pool is always a family favorite and is a great pastime for all members of your family no matter how old they are.pool-safety-tips
Although spending time at the pool is the perfect family friendly summer activity, it does come with certain risks. Nearly 400 children drown each year in the United States, and 58% of those drownings occur in pools. This is a scary statistic, but it shouldn’t keep you from soaking up some sun and enjoying your family poolside this summer!
Today we’re bringing you some pool safety tips that can help keep you and your family safe all summer long. Whether you have your own pool or you’re hanging out at a neighborhood pool or a public pool, its important to take all the necessary precautions and safety measures. 

10 Pool Safety Tips-

1. Swim lessons! Swim lessons are a great way to keep your kids safe at the pool. A child who knows how to swim is at a significantly lower risk of drowning than a child who can’t swim. You can start swim lessons with babies as young as 6 months!
2. Supervise, supervise, supervise! Always make sure there is at least one set of responsible eyes on your kids when they are in or near a pool! While one set of eyes is a must, two sets are even better! You can never have enough supervision when it comes to pool time.
3. Know CPR! This is a life saving tip that everyone should know! Check with your local county rec center, fire department, or Red Cross chapter to find a CPR class.
4. Create physical barriers. If you have your own pool, installing fences and other physical barriers is a great way to prevent young kids from accidentally falling into your pool.
5. Create pool time rituals. If you create a process your child has to go through before entering the pool (swim diaper, swim suit, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, life vest, etc.) it can hinder them from making impulse decisions and jumping into the pool on a whim.
6. Teach your kids to swim without flotation devices! Flotation devices definitely serve an important purpose, but when you’re actively trying to teach your kids how to tread water, stay afloat, or swim, its important that they learn these skills without the assistance of flotation devices.
7. Forget the goggles. This may seem counter intuitive, but teaching your kids (and yourself!) to be comfortable looking around under water can be crucial. If your child is comfortable opening his or her eyes under water, it will help them feel less disoriented if they do accidentally fall into the water.
8. Blow bubbles! Teach your kids to put their face underwater and blow bubbles in the bathtub. This encourages your kids to not inhale or drink the water in the pool.
9. Set some rules. You should always have pool rules that your kids are familiar with. If you have guests over, no matter how old your guests are, you should make sure your guests are familiar with your pool rules, too.
10. Use proper flotation devices. If you and your kids are on a boat or any other type of watercraft or are in an open body of water, life vests are a must!
Following our 10 pool safety tips can help ensure that you and your family have a safe, fun filled summer at the pool this year. Don’t let plumbing tasks around the house take the fun out of your summer. Relax with your friends and family at the pool and contact Masterflo Plumbing today for all your residential plumbing needs! Give us a call at (678) 822-7095!

Fire Safety Tips

Fire Safety Tips

Earlier this week, we talked about the drought in Georgia and ways you can save water and reduce your monthly water bill. Along with the drought comes a higher risk for fire. Fire safety tips are generally drilled into us in elementary school through demonstrations by the local fire department, but how many of us still remember what we learned all those years ago? The risk of you and your home being involved in a fire increases during the summer due to things like drought and fireworks during the 4th of July. Did you know that if your home catches on fire you may have less than 2 minutes to escape?

fire-safety-tips

Today let’s go over some quick refresher points so that you’ll be prepared in case of a fire in your home!
Fire Safety Tips-
1. Make sure you and your family members have a fire escape plan and that you practice it a couple times a year. Try to seek out two ways to escape from each room in your home. You should also have a designated meeting spot outside of your home so you can account for all family members if you do have a fire in your home.
2. If your home does catch on fire, get out immediately and don’t go back in. 
3. Teach all your family members to stop, drop, and roll in case their clothing catches on fire. This one is basic, but it can be life saving!
4. Check your smoke detectors once a month. If they aren’t working, replace the batteries. All of your smoke detectors should be completely replaced every 10 years.
5. Make sure your home is equipped with enough smoke detectors. You should have at least one on each level of your home.
6. Know the difference between a smoke detector and a carbon monoxide detector. Both are important and life saving and neither can be substituted for the other!
7. Ensure that everyone in your family- especially young children- is familiar with the sound of a smoke detector! The high pitched sound can be scary, especially to children, so making sure that everyone is familiar with the sound is crucial.
8. If you use space heaters in your home, make sure all flammable objects are at least three feet away from the heaters. If you leave your home, make sure all heaters are turned off.
9. Having a portable fire extinguisher handy can be key to stopping a fire before it gets out of control. However, you should be properly trained in how to use it!
10. The word PASS can help you remember how to use a fire extinguisher. 
       -Pull the pin and hold the extinguisher with the nozzle pointed away from you.
       -Aim low. You should always point the fire extinguisher at the base of the fire.
       -Squeeze the lever slowly and evenly.
       -Sweep the nozzle from side to side.
Make sure to review these fire safety tips to help keep you and your family safe this summer and all year long! If you have experienced a fire in your home and need plumbing restoration help, call the local professionals you can trust at Masterflo Plumbing. We’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (678) 822-7095!