Month: October 2021

2021-10-01T08:05:00

(BPT) – Whether you are an expectant parent, or you already have a little one, it is important to periodically re-evaluate your childproofing — especially as your baby becomes a toddler on the move. Parents, caregivers, and others who frequently have children in their home might already know about safety measures, like covering electrical outlets, draining the bathtub right after use, and keeping cleaning products and medicines out of reach or locked away from children. But an often-hidden danger — deadly tip-over incidents — makes it important to add this critical safety practice to your routine: securing furniture and TVs to the wall.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), 451 children aged 17 and under were killed by furniture and TV tip-over incidents from 2000 through 2019. An average of 11,100 children were treated in hospital emergency rooms per year for tip-over-related injuries from 2017 through 2019. Sadly, 77 percent of all furniture and TV tip-over fatalities involved children younger than 6 years old.

Injury or death can result from falling furniture — a chest of drawers or bookcases — and flat-screen or bulkier cathode-ray tube (CRT) TVs. And if you are wondering what type of furniture creates the most common tip-over hazard, CPSC reported that 75 percent of incidents resulting in a child fatality involved a TV.

Why is anchoring overlooked?

Many may think it is not necessary to anchor furniture and TVs because “they always watch their child.” However, tip-over incidents happen so quickly that even the most vigilant parent or caregiver may be unable to stop the incident from happening.

Others may think it is too difficult to anchor furniture, but it’s actually easy. Just like other childproofing techniques, anchoring provides an extra layer of protection to help reduce accidents.

Follow these steps to help provide peace of mind:

1. Look for an anchoring kit.

When buying any new furniture or TV, check to see if an anchoring kit is included in the packaging, because increasingly, manufacturers are including these kits with the products. There are different anchors for the various wall materials in people’s homes.

2. Buy anti-tip or anchoring kits.

If a kit is not included in the product packaging, secure your existing furniture and TVs that are not yet anchored by buying wall anchors, also called anti-tip kits. You can purchase these kits online, or at your local hardware or home improvement store. It is a good idea to anchor furniture in your child’s bedroom, and in any other rooms in the house, where your child spends time, or has access.

3. Follow the instructions.

Once you have the anchor or anti-tip kit, follow the instructions to install it immediately. Most kits are easy to install and require tools you are likely to have around the home. The anchoring kits usually include straps and a pair of brackets — one for the furniture or TV, and one for the wall. You can also find how-to videos to help guide you through the installation of typical kits by visiting AnchorIt.gov.

4. Check that your furniture is secure.

After installing the anti-tip kits, tug on your furniture and TVs to make sure they are secured. You may need to tighten the straps if the furniture or TV seems to be loose.

5. Re-anchor furniture if you move it.

If you need to move any of your anchored furniture or TVs to a new location, be sure to anchor them in their new spots. You can purchase simple materials from your local hardware store to patch the holes in your walls from your previous anchoring kit. If you’re renting your home, be sure to read any rental guidelines before patching.

6. Learn more safety tips for the home.

Once you have successfully anchored your furniture and TVs, share the information with your friends and family to help protect their children, giving them, and you, peace of mind about the safety of your home.

Visit AnchorIt.gov to learn about additional TV and furniture tip-over safety steps, such as keeping upper shelves or dresser tops clear of toys or other items that may be tempting to children.

For other child and home safety steps, and to view product recalls, visit CPSC.gov.

2021-10-01T07:01:00

(BPT) – If dogs could talk, they’d probably say things like, “Treat, please,” “Ball!” and “Rub my belly.” Some dogs may add “Ouch” to their vocabulary. Why? Because one in five dogs suffers from painful joints caused by canine osteoarthritis (OA), according to estimates. Since dogs can’t say they’re hurting, they’ve found other ways to get the message across. Learn to speak your dog’s language and understand his risk for painful OA by taking this quiz created by the veterinarians at American Regent Animal Health, maker of Adequan^® Canine (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan).

1. What is canine OA?

This first answer is a freebie: Canine OA, also known as arthritis, is a painful disease that develops when joint cartilage, tissues and fluids break down. As OA gets worse over time, it can cause bone-on-bone contact in the joint and an uncomfortable life for your dog.

2. How easily does your dog jump onto the couch or into a car?

Jumps with no problem = Lower OA risk. Hesitates before jumping = Mid-level risk. Sometimes needs help jumping up = High risk. Translation: Jumping stresses joints, so dogs with OA need to gear up before taking a leap. Dogs with advanced OA may not be able to jump at all.

3. When you and your dog go on walks, where does your dog usually walk?

Beside or in front of you = Lower OA risk. Sometimes in front of you, sometimes behind = Mid-level risk. Behind with lots of breaks = High risk. Translation: Dogs with OA may lag behind or stop walking altogether because of sore joints. But daily walking helps joints stay loose and feel better, so it’s still important even for dogs with OA.

4. How would you describe your dog’s mood over the past few months?

Unchanged – as happy as ever = Lower OA risk. A little more anxious or irritable = Mid-level risk. Much more anxious and irritable = High risk. Translation: The pain of OA makes moving through daily life uncomfortable, which may dampen a dog’s mood. That’s why slowing the OA disease process helps keep dogs happy.

5. When you look down at your dog’s midsection, what do you see?

An hourglass shape with slightly visible ribs = Lower OA risk. A slight hourglass shape with no visible ribs = Mid-level risk. A tube shape with no visible ribs = High risk. Translation: Dogs with excess weight are more likely to develop OA. Once a dog has OA, extra weight stresses already sore joints.

6. How old is your dog?

Up to 2 years old = At risk for early OA. 3 to 6 years old = At risk for mid-stage OA. 7 years old or older = At risk for advanced OA. Translation: While arthritis in people often comes with age, most cases of canine OA begin when dogs are just 4 to 6 months old.

7. What size is your dog?

Small, such as a Shih Tzu or Pug = Lower OA risk. Medium size, such as a Beagle or Basset Hound = Mid-level risk. Large or giant, such as a Golden retriever, Labrador retriever, German Shepherd or Great Dane = High risk. Translation: Bigger dogs are more likely to develop OA, but it affects any size or breed of dog.

8. What can be done to help dogs with OA?

Here’s a good-news answer: Canine OA is a manageable disease. With the right lifestyle and treatments, dogs with OA run and jump and live active lives for years to come. This is especially true if you and your veterinarian catch OA early, while there’s still a chance to slow its effects.

No matter your quiz results, talk with your dog’s veterinarian about OA. You can work together to translate your dog’s signals, identify joint pain and create a custom plan for managing OA if it’s diagnosed. Ask your veterinarian if Adequan^® Canine (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan) is right for your dog. Caution: Federal law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian. Learn more at adequancanine.com. And remember, even though your dog can’t talk, he’s telling you plenty, including, “Thank you for taking good care of me.”

2021-10-01T02:01:01

(BPT) – If you are employed in the US, it’s more likely than not that you worked remotely this past year.

52% of Americans have done part or all of their jobs from home during the pandemic. That’s even more than the number of Americans with a college degree.

Over time, we’ve perfected some aspects of remote and hybrid working — from comfortable chairs to Zoom happy hours.

But there’s one thing that remains a major problem for most people: cybersecurity.

A homegrown problem

Work-from-home arrangements have contributed to a 238% increase in global cyberattack volume during the pandemic. And the attacks haven’t simply grown in amount — they’re more costly, too. The average cost of a data breach rose by 10% to a staggering $4.24 million.

Why? Because employees aren’t following cyber standards and best practices. For instance, the vast majority of employees are using work devices for personal tasks and personal devices for work. Some of you might even be thinking, “What’s wrong with that?”

Now, more than ever, we all need to take cybersecurity seriously. “Cybersecurity is a top priority because our clients entrust us with their sensitive information and personal finances,” says Bashar Abouseido, Managing Director and Chief Information Security Officer at Charles Schwab. “We make it everyone’s business. We train every employee on best practices so that our clients can rest assured that their money, investments and financial futures are safe.”

Cybersecurity is everyone’s business

You might be thinking, “Another lecture about compliance? Did my IT department pay you to write this?” But everyone has a stake in cybersecurity.

• It impacts the employer. Businesses can lose more than money — their reputation, customers and even ability to stay open are at stake. In fact, 60% of small and midsized businesses that are hacked go out of business within six months.
• It impacts the employee. Not only can hackers unlawfully access company data through employees, but personal data can also be compromised. From social media accounts to personal finances, sensitive information becomes vulnerable without proper safeguards in place.
• It impacts the client. It takes a lot of trust to put your own data in someone else’s hands. Sometimes, the stakes are incredibly high. Financial services companies, for instance, are entrusted with everything from employment information and income to Social Security numbers and retirement savings.

What’s next?

Here are four ways remote employees can protect themselves, their clients and the companies they work for:

1. Don’t mix business and personal devices: Using personal devices for work-related activities can easily put company data at risk if there is a breach. And that goes both ways: If the company is hacked, personal data may also be stolen.
2. Avoid public Wi-Fi: It’s great when you don’t need a password to connect to the internet at your local coffeeshop or airport, right? Hackers agree! Public Wi-Fi networks are inherently insecure, and that means it’s best to avoid them if at all possible.
3. Get a virtual private network (VPN): These networks provide encrypted connections, ensuring that sensitive information is safely transmitted.
4. Use multi-factor authentication (MFA): When transmitting sensitive information over the internet, look for websites that ask you to verify your identity by receiving an email, text or call. Microsoft recently found that MFA prevents an astonishing 99.9% of all cyberattacks.

Visit https://www.aboutschwab.com/cybersecurity to learn more about cybersecurity and how to keep yourself safe.