Travelers Property Casualty Unveils ‘Hidden Hazards’ Fire Safety Education Program

Travelers Property Casualty Corp. will sponsor a public television documentary on fire safety, which will premiere in November on Connecticut Public Television and be available to other stations across the country next year.

“At Travelers’ Loss Prevention & Engineering research lab, we have experts in fire investigation and analysis, who specialize in determining the origin and cause of commercial and residential fires,” said Robert Brody, senior vice president of Travelers Loss Prevention & Engineering. “This documentary is an appropriate extension of our commitment to educating the public on fire prevention and safety.” To promote the documentary, Travelers has launched “Hidden Hazards,” an educational initiative to alert the public to hidden fire hazards that may exist at home. “Hidden Hazards” will be introduced in conjunction with Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 5 – 11, 2003, with two public service announcements to air on CPTV beginning today.

“Most people know it’s important to install smoke detectors and to turn off appliances when they’re not in use,” said Philip Crombie, Travelers forensic specialist. “With ‘Hidden Hazards’ we wanted to raise awareness of several of the lesser known actions people can take to prevent fires in their homes.”

The first TV spot dramatizes the danger a power strip can pose if water drips on it from an aquarium, causing it to short out. Also, power strips that have a surge protection device can fail, becoming a hidden hazard if nearby papers, curtains or other flammable materials catch fire. The second spot reminds people of the danger lint can cause if it builds up inside or behind a dryer or on a bathroom exhaust fan.

The vignettes can be viewed online, along with other “Hidden Hazards” fire prevention tips, at www.travelers.com.