As we approach the Halloween celebration this year, many workplaces prepare for this holiday, which has reached the importance in terms of economic factors and popularity, as Christmas. Halloween can be a fun and busy time for offices, retail stores, and restaurants that celebrate with fun events and decoration. In order to get the most of it, we should take precautions to prevent accidents and limit company liability from individuals consuming too much alcohol or becoming injured while on the commercial property.
Businesses need to prepare for the challenges brought by the spooky celebration because believe it or not November 1st is a busy day for insurance adjusters given that more vandalism claims are filed on Halloween than any other day of the year. The Highway Loss Data Institute stats are alarming when it comes to the high number of vandalism claims that are filed just on October 31st.
Some common risks that you should keep in mind and prepare for are:
Vandalism
One way to help prevent vandalism is having your commercial property well lit, secure all your commercial vehicles keeping them locked, preferably inside a garage when available and having its alarm system activated. In your property it is always a good idea to have a surveillance system with video in case anything happens and you need to file a police report. Most Commercial Property policies will cover acts of vandalism, make sure to go over your policy with your agent before Halloween to ensure you are fully covered.
Decorations and Candles
These two can easily become a hazard on your property. Fires increase dramatically during Halloween, and it is mostly attributed to the use of candles and flammable decorations. Your Commercial Property Policy will kick-in on events like these.
Slips and Falls
Although this is an all year issue they do spike during the Halloween celebration. The use of costume’s masks, and poor lighting or having a costume difficult to manage and walk may be some of the reasons that cause these types of accidents. If you have employees working at office, you should always have your Workers Compensation insurance in place.
Events and Activities
You should always avoid events that involve dangerous tools or items. You may not believe it, but a pumpkin carving contest that involves the use of a knife may not necessarily be a good idea during this high risk celebration. Make sure your Workers Compensation and General Liability insurance are both in good standing.
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Halloween is a festive time of year and we all should be able to enjoy a fun and safe celebration. A few proactive steps to minimize risks before Halloween will set a positive environment for the festivities, but we can’t stress enough how important it is to get insurance policies to protect your business from potential workplace risks. Insurance policies like Workers Compensation, and General Liability among others— can cover claims made by employees or guests, such as discrimination, harassment, bodily injury, and property damage.
At Garzor Insurance we care about your business. Our experienced professionals are dedicated to providing commercial insurance, including business general liability coverage in Florida as well as Texas, and now many other states across the U.S.A. If you have questions about truck insurance, or any other commercial insurance aspects, please do not hesitate to visit us online at Garzor Insurance, or you may want to call us directly at (321) 206-8035.
Yaralyn Diaz, CSR
Commercial Lines CSR
