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Preventing Burst Water Pipes

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Unrelenting frigid weather often means frozen water pipes – one of the biggest risks of property damage. In fact, a burst pipe can cause more than $5,000 in water damage, according to IBHS research.

Structures built on slab foundations, common in southern states, frequently have water pipes running through the attic, an especially vulnerable location. By contrast, in northern states, builders recognize freezing as a threat and usually do not place water pipes in unheated portions of a building or outside of insulated areas.

Freezing temperatures can be prevented with the installation of weather stripping and seals. This offers two major benefits: keeping severe winter weather out of a structure, and increasing energy efficiency by limiting drafts and reducing the amount of cold air entering.

These areas should be inspected for cold air leaks to determine where sealing is needed:

  • Windows and doors
  • Vents and fans
  • Plumbing
  • Air conditioners
  • Electrical and gas lines
  • Mail chutes

IBHS recommendations:

  • Provide a reliable back-up power source, such as a stand by generator, to ensure continuous power to the building.
  • Interior building temperature can be monitored by a central monitoring company to ensure prompt notification if the interior of the building reaches low temperatures during after hours, power outages or idle periods.
  • Recessed light fixtures in the ceiling below the open area that is directly under a roof, such as attic space, should be insulated to prevent the release of heat into the attic.
  • Check to see if there is any visible light from recessed light fixtures in the attic.
  • If there is, they are not adequately sealed or insulated. Sometimes, especially in low sloped roof buildings, the space above a suspended ceiling located below the roof may be heated and cooled like the occupied area below.
  • If that is the case, there is no need to insulate above the suspended ceiling or seal the ceiling’s penetrations.
  • Insulate all attic penetrations such as partition walls, vents, plumbing stacks, electric and mechanical chases, and access doors that are not properly sealed.
  • Ensure proper seals on all doors and windows. Depending on the building or room size, fan tests can be conducted to ensure room and pressurization tests.
  • Seal all wall cracks and penetrations including domestic and fire protection lines, electrical conduit, other utility service line, etc.
  • Sprinkler systems should be monitored by a constantly attended central station to provide early detection of a sprinkler pipe rupture due to freezing.
  • Insulation and/or heat trace tape with a reliable power source may be installed on various wet sprinkler system piping. This includes main lines coming up from underground passing through a wall as well as sprinkler branch lines.
  • UL-approved gas or electric unit heaters can be installed in unheated sprinkler control valve/fire pump rooms. If backup power is provided, the heaters should also be connected to this power source.
  • A monitored automatic excess flow switch can be placed on the main incoming domestic water line to provide early detection of a broken pipe or valve when the space is unoccupied.

 

Key Takeaways from the White House Summit on Cybersecurity

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Stanford University, Feb. 13, 2015

It was an honor to attend the White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection and I applaud President Obama’s efforts to bring together an impressive group of leaders across a broad range of industries, government and law enforcement officials, and consumer and privacy advocates to discuss cybersecurity. This is an issue that affects us all and clearly has no borders.

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While there were several core themes discussed throughout the day, three key takeaways are of particular interest to private industry:

Public-Private Collaboration is Critical
The overarching theme presented by the White House was how to boost the collaboration between companies and agencies in order to combat hackers. The announcement in the days preceding the Summit of the new Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center (CTIIC) was just a first step. As a further validation of the importance and urgency on behalf of the White House surrounding the issue at hand, at the Summit President Obama signed an Executive Order directing the creation of Information Sharing and Analysis Organizations (ISAOs) which will enable companies and the government to share classified cyber threat information. Only with an ongoing sharing of threat information between the government, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and companies across industry groups, will we be successful.

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With much of the order voluntary, companies across all industries are also being asked to step up to the table now to not only share threat information but to establish best practices within their organizations in order to protect their constituencies in the future. This too is critical, since the maintenance of best practices is closely tied to a company’s ability to get cyber insurance.

Understanding Vulnerabilities is Key to Improving Best Practices
While the need to focus on the security systems operating behind consumer payment systems in order to make it harder for hackers to steal information is absolutely critical, and Apple CEO Tim Cook was quite persuasive on this point, to stop at payment systems alone would not solve cyber hacks. In order to enhance consumer protections online, single factor authentication, or the password as the primary form of security, is a dated practice that should be replaced with more secure technologies.

Companies also need to be mindful that criminals can breach a business’ defenses in any number of ways – directly through company networks and also indirectly through the network of vendors and third party service providers. What is needed is a fuller understanding of all the possible threats, malicious actors and the broad range of tactics those actors will employ. Across all industries, companies are facing a highly complex and constantly evolving threat environment with new attackers and attack methods to be wary of in order to protect their partners, clients and customers.

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What Comes Next is Even More Meaningful
While it is essential for the United States to take a leadership role on this important issue, with guidelines and processes for internal consumption, we cannot merely look inward. We are living and working in an increasingly interconnected and globalized environment, and that environment also includes criminal elements. Cyber threats from foreign countries, such as Russia, China and North Korea, keep growing. Sharing information alone won’t stop them. The next steps from our government in protecting our nation’s business must be even more meaningful. We urge cooperation with international law enforcement agencies to help protect companies from foreign-based threats and to help make significant progress in this area.

Newer Tank Cars Were Used in Derailed Train

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Updated Wednesday, 9:00 a.m.

A train hauling North Dakota Bakken shale oil derailed on Monday in Lynchburg, West Virginia, igniting several tank cars, burning down a house and prompting the shut-down of water-treatment plants, authorities said. At least one tanker from the 109-car CSX train toppled into the Kanawha River south of Charleston and was leaking crude oil.

About, 2,400 residents around Adena Village, West Virginia, were evacuated as a precaution, the Charleston Gazette reported. Emergency shelters were set up at a local school and recreation center.

It was the second derailment in a year along the same CSX line, according to Reuters. A similar incident in Lynchburg, Virginia, last April involved a train that was also headed to Plains All American Pipelines LP’s oil depot in Yorktown, Virginia.

The train was hauling newer CPC 1232 model tank cars rather than older versions widely criticized for being prone to puncture. The recommended cars have safety features that include half-inch-thick steel shields on the sides to prevent splitting if they are overturned.

With production on the rise in North America, oil companies are increasingly challenged with finding ways to transport their product.

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Pipeline networks do not yet have the capacity or flexibility to handle the job, so oil companies have relied on railroads to fill the gap.

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In 2013, rail shipments of crude oil in the United States skyrocketed, with 400,000 carloads transported compared to 4,729 in 2006, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

CSX said in a statement on Tuesday:

Overnight, CSX personnel and agencies continued their assessment of the derailment scene to verify the number of rail cars involved and the extent of the potential environmental impact. CSX estimates that approximately 25 tank cars derailed and 20 cars were involved in subsequent fires; the fires around the rail cars will be allowed to burn out. When safe to do so, CSX and its experts will begin transferring oil from the damaged cars to other tanks and those tanks subsequently removed from the site. Initial assessments have confirmed that several of the cars appear to be ruptured or leaking from valves.

No rail cars entered the Kanawha River in this incident.

CSX teams continue working to deploy environmental protective and monitoring measures on land, air and in the Kanawha River as well as a creek near the company’s tracks. The company also is in contact with public officials and investigative agencies to address their needs.

Approximately 100-125 residents of homes near the derailment site remain evacuated at this time. CSX is working with the Red Cross and other relief organizations to address residents’ needs, taking into account winter storm conditions. The company opened a Community Outreach Center Tuesday, February 17, at 8 a.m.; the center will remain open until every day 8 p.m. EST or later if needed. CSX has secured a number of hotel rooms for displaced residents and is assisting them in relocating from evacuation centers to the hotels.

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CSX said on Monday that it has removed the non-derailed cars from the scene of the derailment and efforts continue to re-rail the remaining cars. The company said it is cooperating fully with agencies in the investigation being led by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Tenn. Legislators Introduce Workers Comp Option Bill

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A bill that would give companies in Tennessee a free market alternative to state-mandated workers compensation insurance was introduced yesterday by Sen. Mark Green (R-Clarksville), a physician and vice-chair of the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee, and Rep. Jeremy Durham (R-Franklin), House Majority Whip.

The Tennessee Option draws from the best practices of Texas nonsubscription and the Oklahoma Option, according to the Association for Responsible Alternatives to Workers’ Compensation (ARAWC). The Option is designed to provide Tennessee employers an alternative for funding and responding to occupational injuries while still protecting employees and their families. The key components are employee accountability, medical management, employee-employer engagement, and free-market competition.

“The core focus of the Tennessee Option is to help injured employees get back to work faster,” Sen. Green said in a statement. “Making that happen requires good benefits, strong communication, and will lead to higher employee satisfaction. An Option will also give job creators a way to save more than 50% on workers’ comp costs, so they can invest in growth and more employees.”

ARAWC spokesman, Brent Buchanan told the Monitor that the bill has been in the works for about six months and the next step is a committee hearing. Because of its strong sponsorship, there is a good chance it will pass this legislative session, he said.

Janine Kral, president of ARAWC and vice president of risk management at Nordstrom said in a statement, “The Tennessee Option is a local effort driven by the bill sponsors with the support of Tennessee employers and associations. ARAWC will serve as a resource to this local group that is focused on providing a free-market alternative to workers’ compensation insurance.”

Oklahoma passed Option legislation in 2013. Texas has allowed alternative injury benefit programs for more than 100 years, ARAWC said, adding that Texas employers using the Option have saved billions of dollars while increasing return-to-work rates.

According to ARAWC:

Private employers can elect the Tennessee Option. Current Tennessee law allows cities, counties and school districts to opt out of the workers compensation system and several have elected to do so. Tennessee law already exempts employers with less than five employees from the requirement to provide workers compensation insurance. The Tennessee Option legislation will not amend those current exemptions. The Option will not be available to construction or coal mining companies due to their unique industry requirements.

By removing various third parties from between the true stakeholders – employees and employers – the Tennessee Option will encourage more collaboration between the parties. At least a mandated level of benefits must be paid. Many Option employers will pay higher wage replacement benefits than workers’ compensation. The employer must prove that financial security is available to pay the benefits, and a guaranty fund will be established. Stringent appeal rights are included in the Option to provide employees due process. Due to disclosure requirements, employees in an Option will be more aware of their injury benefits and the processes for procuring them. And more employee accountability will lead to better medical outcomes, which is good for all parties.