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12 Days of Holiday Fire Safety

More home fires happen on December 25 than any other single day except Thanksgiving. Fire officials are urging people to make fire safety part of the celebrations this holiday season. Start by making sure you have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Have a home escape plan and share it with guests. Fires are always terrible but they seem worse during the festive holiday season.

Cooking is the leading cause, followed by heating. Many of the holidays celebrated at this time of year use candles. Candle fires peak in December and Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve are among the days when the most candle fires occur. So follow the safety tips below for a happy and safe holiday season.

WATER CHRISTMAS TREES DAILY

Water fresh trees daily. Place trees away from heaters, fireplaces and candles, and keep pathways to exits clear. More tips.

TURN OFF LIGHTS

Consider switching to new LED lights that are cooler and use less electricity.  Turn off lights when you leave the house or go to bed.

BLOW OUT CANDLES

Always blow out candles before leaving the room or going to sleep.  Burn candles inside a one-foot circle of safety, free of anything that can catch fire.

STAND BY YOUR PAN; PUT A LID ON IT

Cooking is the #1 cause of fires during the holidays, and most commonly occur when cooking is left unattended. So Stand by Your Pan and always stay in the kitchen when cooking.  Take a timer with you when baking.  If a pan catches fire, Put a Lid On It to smother the flames and then turn off the heat.

SPACE HEATERS NEED SPACE

Keep space heaters at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn like curtains, upholstery, or holiday decorations.  Keep warm, keep safe this winter.

KEEP MATCHES AND LIGHTERS OUT OF SIGHT AND REACH OF CHILDREN

Children may imitate adults lighting candles and using matches and lighters.   Keep them out of reach of children and preferably on your person.

KNOW HOW TO GET OUT

Develop and practice a home fire escape plan  with 2 ways out and a meeting place outdoors.  In a fire, get out and stay out of the house and call 911 from a cell phone or neighbor’s house.

HAVE WORKING SMOKE ALARMS

You need working smoke alarms  on every level of your home and outside all sleeping areas.  Replace smoke alarms if they are over 10 years old.

HAVE WORKING CARBON MONOXIDE ALARMS

Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless gas that can quickly kill you.  Replace any carbon monoxide alarms over seven years old.

USE EXTENSION CORDS WISELY

Extension cords should only be used as a temporary connection.  Don’t overload them and match the cord to the appliance.  Never put cords under rugs as this can damage the cord and cause a fire.  More electrical fire safety tips.

SMOKE OUTSIDE

Encourage smokers to do so outside, and provide them with a proper ashtray such as a can with sand in it.  Many fires are started by the improper disposal of smoking materials both indoors and out.

DRINK RESPONSIBLY

Keep a close eye on anyone cooking or smoking while under the influence of alcohol.  Alcohol is often a factor in fatal fires.

For our Construction clients: We received this notification from Donna Glover, an attorney with Baker Donelson, regarding a new Maryland law which will take effect on 10/01/2018.

New Maryland Law Makes Construction GC’s Liable for Subcontractors’ Violations of Wage and Hour Laws

Under Maryland wage laws, if an employer fails to properly pay its employees it may be liable for up to three times the wages owed to the employee, plus attorneys; fees and costs.  Employees may file a lawsuit against their employer within in three years after a violation occurs.  Generally, unless a construction general contractor (“GC”) and its subcontractor are found to be joint employers, that GC would not be liable for a subcontractor’s violation of Maryland wage laws.  Well, that is no more . . .

Effective October 1, 2018, under the “General Contractor Liability for Unpaid Wages Act (“the Act”), a general contractor will now be jointly and severally liable for its subcontractors’ failure to pay employees in accordance with Maryland wage laws.  The Act applies to subcontractors of the subcontractor, and so on – i.e., those not in a direct contract with the general contractor.  That means that a GC will now be liable for wage violations at any tier on a project.

The Act provides that a subcontractor must indemnify a general contractor for “any wages, damages, interest, penalties, or attorney’s fees owed as a result of the subcontractor’s violation,” unless indemnification is provided for in a contract between the GC and the subcontractor, or if the subcontractor was unable to pay its employees because the GC failed to pay the subcontractor pursuant to the terms of their contract.

This mandatory indemnification provision may be worth nothing if a subcontractor does not have the financial capacity to pay these damages and costs.  Further, the Act gives employees the opportunity to sue both the GC and their direct employer. 

GC’s should review their contract provisions, consider requiring subcontractors to obtain a bond or insurance to protect against wage claims by a subcontractor’s employees, and consider adding contract provisions to allow for review of their subcontractors’ pay practices, pay records, and history of wage claims and lawsuits. 

Donna M. Glover
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC
100 Light Street
19^th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21202

Phone 410.862.1147
Mobile 410.459.3465
Fax     443.263.7547

dglover@bakerdonelson.com