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The trees in your yard can enhance your property, provide shade and offer abundant environmental benefits. However, trees can also pose a safety hazard to your family and your home if they are not properly inspected and maintained. Trees can present a particularly significant danger during a storm. Wind, lightning, snow and ice can all transform a tranquil row of trees into an imminent threat to your property. Proper tree maintenance involves more than pruning and trimming overgrown branches. These are some of the key steps you can take to protect your trees and prevent them from becoming a safety hazard. The trees in your yard can enhance your property, provide shade and offer abundant environmental benefits. However, trees can also pose a safety hazard to your family and your home if they are not properly inspected and maintained. Trees can present a particularly significant danger during a storm. Wind, lightning, snow and ice can all transform a tranquil row of trees into an imminent threat to your property. Proper tree maintenance involves more than pruning and trimming overgrown branches. These are some of the key steps you can take to protect your trees and prevent them from becoming a safety hazard. Steps to Take Before a Storm Remove any dead trees on your property. Enhance the health of trees through timely watering, proper fertilization and protection from soil compaction. Healthy trees will be able to better adapt to changes in the environment, remain firm in the wind and react more effectively to damage. Regularly prune dead or broken limbs to help trees maintain their structural integrity. In addition, thin excess branches every three to five years. For more information, visit arborday.org. Remove or treat pest problems as soon as you spot them to minimize potential damage to trees. Be careful not to over-treat tree hollows, and do not remove decayed wood from hollows unless it falls away in your hands. Cleaning hollows can cause additional internal damage to trees. If possible, cover the opening to hollows. Six Signs to Monitor When performing maintenance on the trees in your yard, please make safety a priority. If you are unable to safely prune or remove trees and limbs, contact a professional tree-care service or arborist to help you do so. It may be a good idea to consult with a professional if the trees in your yard already display any of the following characteristics: Cracks in the trunk or major limbs Signs of hollowing and decay Mushrooms growing from the bark Significant leaning to one side Limbs in contact with power lines Branches hanging over your house Although the branches may not be touching your house under normal conditions, high winds can cause trees and branches to bend or break. Sources: Travelers, Clatterbuck, Wayne. "Storm-Damaged Residential Trees: Assessment, Care and Prevention." Extension.Tennessee.edu. The University of Tennessee; Coder, Kim. "Storm Damaged Trees: Prevention & Treatments." Warnell.Forestry.UGA.edu. The University of Georgia.

If you held your last fire or emergency evacuation drill more than six months ago, it's time to think about staging another. Careful planning and evaluation can help you get the most out of these exercises, enhancing your employee's chances of a safe evacuation. Bear in mind that unannounced drills give you an idea of how workers might actually react in an emergency situation. On the other hand, announcing drills offer them the opportunity to prepare for and practice specific skill sets they would need. Before a fire emergency arises, workers need to know: How to activate the appropriate alarm system(s). How and when to contact the fire department. What to do before they evacuate—such as shutting down equipment. Their role in the evacuation. For example, they might need to assist disabled co-workers, help contractors or visitors on the premises, bring essential items such as visitor logs that can be used to verify that everyone is out of the building, provide first aid for injured co-workers, or act to prevent or minimize hazardous chemical releases. How to evacuate their work area by at least two routes. The locations of stairwells (workers should not use elevators to evacuate). Places to avoid - such as hazardous materials storage areas. Assembly points outside the building. After the drill, evaluate the exercise to determine which problems need addressing. Ask such questions as:

What's your company's "brand?" Whether you've had one developed professionally or simply let it happen, experts all agree that you definitely have a brand. Call it "image" or "reputation," but it's there -- and it goes far beyond advertising and marketing. At its core lies the emotional connection your products or services make in the minds of your customers or prospects: Either terrific or toxic. The question is whether your brand is enhancing or detracting from your success. A crucial attribute for any business is trust, based on an ethical approach to every relationship and transaction. Is your brand trusted? Ask your customers and prospects what your brand says to them. We'd also like to ask what our brand means to you. We want nothing less than to be your trusted advisor. Let our professionals take your concerns about protection and insurance issues off your plate, so that you can focus on building your brand into a valued enhancement to the future of your business.

Given the dramatic impact of social media on the speed and delivery of news and information, it makes sense to make this fast-growing technology part of your risk management program. More and more reputational crises — such as the recent stranding of the Carnival Triumph cruise ship — are born on social networking platforms and can grow exponentially if mishandled. Consider how Apple Inc. responded to consumer displeasure with the iPhone 4 shortly after its 2010 introduction. Negative comments about the product spread quickly over social media channels, but were largely ignored by Apple executives until mainstream news outlets began reporting on its flaws. Failing to actively engage social media users in conversations about crisis or business practice of your company means losing an invaluable opportunity to protect your reputation. Otherwise, you risk having other people tell your story. Social media participation gives you a way to enhance this reputation through regular interaction with customers, business partners and the public. Using this tool to develop relationships and help people, rather than just sell products and services, can create some valuable allies. Encouraging your employees to participate in social media offers a great way to use them as advocates for your company. A 2012 poll of more than 1,000 registered voters by Hill+Knowlton Strategies found that a corporation's employees are the second-most trusted source of information about its business practices, second only to friends and family members.

You already cook meat on the grill. Why not add fruits and veggies? They help you boost your summer nutrition and taste delicious. Choose Fresh Produce Whether you decide to grill pineapple, watermelon, corn or asparagus, make sure it's fresh. Ideally, the produce you grill should be firm and picked within the past three days. Brush on the Oil You'll want to stock quality canola, olive or coconut oil in your pantry before you grill produce. It adds extra flavor to your grilled produce and a light coating works together with foil packets or a non-stick grate to ensure the fruits and veggies don't stick to the grill. Mix a Few Marinades In addition to the oil, prepare a few marinades. Olive oil infused with herbs, raspberries, mint or other flavorings, honey and low-fat or Greek yogurt enhance the taste of your grilled produce. Leave the Skin On The skin of many fruits and veggies contains healthy nutrients. So, leave veggie skins on when you grill them and maximize the nutrient content of the grilled veggies you eat. Most fruits, however, grill better without the skin. Pre-Cook Some Veggies Certain veggies cook more evenly on the grill when you pre-cook them in the kitchen. To prep asparagus, beets, broccoli, parsnips, potatoes, squash and carrots for grilling, steam or blanch them until they're al dente. Alternatively, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, peppers, mushrooms, onions and eggplant will cook evenly when you grill them raw. Use the Right Temperature When you cook fruits and veggies over moderately hot coals, the outside could cook faster than the inside. You'll want to rotate the produce between direct and indirect heat so that each piece cooks evenly and completely. Whether you cook for one or 100, prepare fruits and veggies on the grill and enjoy a summer nutrition boost. They help you stay healthy, and you'll feel good knowing that you're helping your family and friends stay healthy, too.

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