Past
You’ve bought insurance to provide cover in the event that the worst happens; you suffer a loss or damage which effects your business. You may have also taken steps to manage the potential for a loss to happen; you’ve locked up and set the alarm, given health and training to staff, but is there more you can do?
Present
Here are some helpful tips that you can implement today to help protect your business over this festive period:
- Christmas time may be your highest peak with stock levels. Would your company survive the Christmas rush if you lost all its contents? If not, add deterioration of stock to your policy now and if needed, increase the ‘stock sum insured’ to ensure that you are fully covered.
- If your office or factory have a period of closing over the Christmas period, consider preventing your pipes from freezing or bursting while your property is closed by either setting your thermostat system to a minimum of 12 degrees for the full 24 hours or turn off all water supplies from the mains and drain all standing water.
- In the colder months, use any portable heaters can present a higher fire risk. Ensure the provision and use of these heaters are in your fire risk assessment and check with your insurers before approving their use at work, as insurers may have requirements for the type of heaters permitted and/or apply policy restrictions.
- During the festive period, roads can be more congested, car parks are busy and the roads may be icy which statistically increases breaking distance. Ensure your drivers are briefed on the hazardous conditions and on what to do if they should suffer an incident. Make them aware of the insurance claim reporting procedures.
- Cold weather can cause cracks in your windscreen or the smaller chips you currently have may worsen during this period. Remain observant and get any small cracks repaired immediately. For any motor claims do make sure you are equipped for the freezing temperatures. Don’t forget your blanket, shovel and breakdown kit.
- Be extra vigilant of thefts at this time of year. Make sure all tools and equipment are removed from the back of vans and personal belongings and jewellery kept in safes or locked away out of sight.
Future
A happy festive period and brighter future with the peace of mind that your business is protected.
By Sandy Lockwood Cert CII – Commercial Account Handler