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Every industry comes with its own unique set of issues and concerns when it comes to insurance; the food industry is no exception. And of course, each individual restaurant is unique. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to restaurant insurance.

When choosing the best insurance for your business, you need to look at what coverages are required by law and possibly by your lender, and what your risks and needs are.

Here are four questions you need to ask yourself if you want to protect your restaurant:

#1. What type of business are you insuring? 

We use the broad term “restaurant insurance,” but that can mean many different types of “restaurants”: bars, nightclubs, pizzerias, caterers, food trucks, full-service restaurants and the list goes on. Each type of business comes with its own unique risks.

#2. What are the primary types of restaurant insurance that most restaurants are required to have? 

There are three types of property and casualty insurance that every restaurant owner needs to consider: property, commercial general liability (CGL), and workers’ compensation.

Property insurance will protect the things you own such as the building, equipment, etc. The right property insurance will help you replace or repair your property if it is damaged due to a fire, storm, or theft. It may even include business interruption insurance. If you sustain damage to your restaurant that requires you to suspend operations for a period of time, business interruption insurance covers your loss of income (the profits you would have made had your restaurant been open) while the damage is repaired. 

Commercial general liability insurance (CGL) protects you from liability claims against your restaurant for property damage and bodily injury. For example, if someone in your restaurant falls and sustains injuries, they may decide to sue you. CGL insurance will help cover legal costs and any judgments or settlements against you.

Workers’ compensation insurance (WC) is mandatory in most states for most businesses with employees. WC pays for an employee’s lost wages and medical costs if they’re injured on the job. It can also help protect your business against accident-related lawsuits from your employees. 

#3. What are other risks I need to consider?

Once you have an idea what the basic types of insurance will and will not cover, you need to consider other risks that could affect your restaurant. Here are just a few examples. If you use a car to deliver food, you need to have commercial auto insurance. If you serve liquor, you should have liquor liability insurance. An experienced commercial insurance agency like American Insuring Group will help you consider all of your risks and determine which coverage is best for you.

#4. What other factors affect the cost of my insurance?

Every insurance policy is unique. An underwriter will ask lots of questions and conduct some of their own research before providing an insurance quote. Here are some of the factors insurance companies consider when determining the cost of your premium:

• Years in business
• Location
• Hours of operation
• Size of business including the number of employees, sales volume, and square footage of your property.
• Loss history
• Types of activities like entertainment, mechanical bulls, and off-premise catering.
• Percentage of alcohol sales

It’s probably no surprise that a nightclub with live entertainment that serves light fair (but mostly alcohol) and stays open until 2 am is going to pay more for insurance than a pizza parlor that doesn’t serve alcohol and is only open until 10 pm.

Obtaining the Right Insurance Policy Requires Expertise - Don't Risk It!

Purchasing the best insurance for your restaurant – one that covers all your risks at a reasonable rate – is not a simple process. It takes an experienced insurance agent to ask the right questions and offer the best solutions. That’s just one reason why trying to buy restaurant insurance online is usually not your best options.

It’s also important to note that there isn’t just one insurance company that can offer all types of restaurant insurance at the best price.

Get The American Insuring Group Advantage!

Independent insurance agencies like American Insuring Group represent many different insurance companies (in our case, lots and lots of companies!), so we can find you the best rate for any type of restaurant insurance you need.

So give us a call at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 or connect with us online for a free insurance review!

Workers compensation fraud is one of the fastest growing areas of insurance fraud and accounts for approximately 25 percent of insurance fraud at the cost of $7.2 billion annually, according to The National Insurance Crime Bureau reports.

Employers end up paying for this fraud with higher insurance premiums and the cost of temporarily replacing the employee, training, overtime, and reduced morale and productivity that can occur in stressful situations where the remaining employees are overworked.

So using the most effective tools available to investigate questionable insurance claims just makes sense as a strategy for lowing your workers compensation insurance costs. Today’s advanced technology can be a powerful tool for catching and prosecuting employees committing workers compensation fraud. 

Here are 3 tips on using technology to lower your workers comp insurance costs:

#1. Use Social Media to Investigate Fraud

The use of social media has continued to grow over the past few years, and people of all generations are currently using it. According to HootSuite, 2.8 billion people were using social media by the end of 2016, and 83 percent of Americans have a social media account. Facebook continues to be the most-used platform for all ages. 64 percent of Americans over 11 years of age use Facebook with an average of 1.09 billion active users every day.

Social media investigation has been used in claims investigations for some time. Nearly ten percent of Facebook users have privacy settings that allow all posts and updates to be seen by the general public. You can use this to your advantage and go beyond the typical social media investigation.

Pictures posted on Facebook and other social media platforms contain hidden metadata, which is simply data that describes other data, and because most people don’t adjust the settings on their cameras or smartphones, this information is available for the taking. Metadata includes a date and time stamp that shows when a photo was taken and longitude and latitude information that shows where a picture was taken.

With this information, a “geofence” is created, which tells everyone when and where an event took place, making it difficult for someone to testify otherwise.

Social Media Caveat

There is one caveat with using social media to investigate employee behavior: If the information you find is open to the public and not protected with privacy settings, you can use it; however, you can’t trick an employee into giving you access to their social media pages.

#2. Leverage Vehicle Tracking and Sighting Technology

 Today, there are millions of security cameras in every major U.S. city (and even small towns) capturing real-time images of people going about their business, including license plate tracking information that shows where a vehicle is at a particular time. This information can be useful in claims investigations because it

1. reveals the location of a claimant’s vehicle,
2. establishes a pattern of visited places,
3. confirms or disputes routes taken by employees, which can be particularly helpful in “traveling employee” cases.

#3. Utilize Keyword Search Technology

Using “keywords,” you can search for anything on the Internet including posts on social media sites. It is entirely ethical to use this information to find out where someone has been. You will often find information from people (other than your employee) or organizations who have tagged or listed the names of attendees or identify an attendee in a photo. Even if your employee has their privacy settings so that only friends can see their information, others may not.

Technology is a part of everyone’s life today; why not use it if it can help minimize workers compensation fraud?

Contact Us to Save Big on Workers Compensation Insurance!

To learn more about reducing your workers compensation premiums, contact American Insuring Group online, or call us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848.

Our independent agents have the freedom to shop among lots of competing carriers, so we have to power to help you save big. Don’t delay, contact us today and start saving!

American Insuring Group has teamed up with Progressive Insurance to help commercial trucking companies comply with the new Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate.

As the #1 commercial truck insurer, Progressive understands not only the advantages of ELD but also the cost of implementing an ELD.

As a partner with Progressive, we can offer our Progressive truck insurance customers FREE USE of an ELD device or up to $500! It’s an easy and smart way to comply with the ELD mandate at no cost to you while getting great truck insurance coverage at the same time! Contact us for more information.

ELD Compliance and Benefits

An ELD records a driver’s Record of Duty Status (RODS) electronically and replaces the paper logbook traditionally used by some drivers to record their Hours of Service (HOS) compliance. While many fleets are already equipped with electronic logging technology, it’s important to ensure that the equipment is compliant with the new mandate.

The information captured by ELDs goes beyond RODS such as Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIR), IFTA Automation, and even driver behavior (speeding, idling, and hard braking). Some ELDs are also equipped with map and route solutions to help drivers avoid construction and high-traffic areas.

Many trucking companies installed ELDs prior to the mandate because of the many benefits an ELD provides such as saving time, reducing paperwork, slashing fuel costs, increasing driver communication, and keeping dispatchers up-to-date on a driver’s status, so they can plan for loads better.

About the Electronic Logging Device Mandate

The ELD mandate, part of MAP-21, requires commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) involved in Interstate Commerce, to use an ELD. The deadline for compliance set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) went into effect December 18, 2017.

Here are the key rules of the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) rule according to the FMCSA:

• Requires ELD use by commercial drivers who are required to prepare hours-of-service (HOS) records of duty status (RODS)
• Sets ELD performance and design standards, and requires ELDs to be certified and registered with FMCSA
• Establishes what supporting documents drivers and carriers are required to keep
• Prohibits harassment of drivers based on ELD data or connected technology (such as fleet management system). The rule also provides recourse for drivers who believe they have been harassed

The mandate applies to most motor carriers and drivers who are currently required to maintain records of duty status (RODS). The rule applies to commercial buses as well as trucks.

The FMCSA allows for the following limited exceptions to the mandate:

• Drivers who operate under the short-haul exceptions may continue using timecards; they are not required to keep RODS and will not be required to use ELDs.
• Drivers who use paper RODS for not more than eight days out of every 30-day period.
• Drivers who conduct drive-away-tow-away operations, in which the vehicle being driven is the commodity being delivered.
• Drivers of vehicles manufactured before 2000.

How to Get a FREE ELD or up to $500

In response to this new mandate, Progressive Insurance launched its SMARTHAUL program, and as a representative of Progressive, we can offer it to our commercial trucking customers.

There are two options for the SMARTHAUL program:

1. The free use of an ELD - This includes the monthly subscription/service fees as long as you share your driving data with Progressive. The device would need to be returned if you decide to opt-out or cancel your coverage with Progressive.
   
   
2. The compensation program - If you purchase your own Rand McNally ELD 50 or DC200 and agree to share your driving data with Progressive, you’ll receive $100 for plugging it in and an additional $100 for each quarter that the device stays plugged in – up to $500. You will be responsible for the monthly service fees, but the $500 compensation should cover those costs. 

Data collected by these ELDs will help Progressive better understand driving behaviors of truckers, and it will not be associated with you or your policy.

Contact Us For All Your Truck Insurance Needs 

To learn more about the SMARTHAUL program or any trucking insurance need, give American Insuring Group a call at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 or click here to contact us online. But don’t wait; the SMARTHAUL program is only available for a limited time.

In 2015, 937 construction workers were killed according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

That’s 21.4 percent of all worker fatalities – the most deaths of any industry sector. Safety and Health Magazine puts those numbers into perspective: “Every week in 2015, 18 construction workers went to work and did not return home.”

Good Safety Management Goes Beyond Workers Comp & Contractor Insurance

As a contractor, you should be committed to creating and maintaining safe construction sites for the protection of your workers and your business. A good safety management program helps strengthen your reputation, attract the best employees, allow your workers to be more productive, comply with OSHA and local regulations, reduce liability exposure, keep your workers compensation insurance and contractor insurance costs down, and – of course – keep your employees safe.

Safety for Contractors and Subcontractors 

Hopefully, you have and enforce a safety management program for your employees, but what about contractors and subcontractors? Your contractors could bring workers to your job site who don’t have the training or certifications that you require of your employees. They may not understand site-specific issues or their responsibilities. And if an injury does occur, it could become your responsibility.

While it may take a little more effort, a good Contractor Safety Management program can prevent many safety issues created by contractors and may be even more critical if the Protecting America’s Workers Act – an amendment to the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 – is passed.

The Protecting America’s Workers Act  

Part of this Act includes requirements relating to an “employer's duty to furnish a place of employment free from recognized hazards causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm that the employer creates or controls or in which the employer exposes any individual (not just an employer's employee) performing work there” and “site-controlling employer's duty to keep a site log for recordable injuries and illnesses of all employees, including employees of the site-controlling employer or others (including independent contractors) performing work there.” 

Here is a 5-Step Process for Creating an Effective Contractor Safety Management Plan:

1. Prequalification – Any potential contractors should complete a prequalification process that includes safety requirements such as basic EHS (Environments, Health, and Safety) metrics like their recordable incident rate and days away from work, the quality of their services and their technical qualifications and competencies. Look at the contractor’s internal training programs and ask if they use safety as criteria for employment.
   
   
2. Planning – Take an EHS assessment of every job site identifying specific hazards and what additional requirements might be needed from a sub-contractor.
   
   
3. Orientation and Training – Inadequate training is often the cause of contractor fatalities. Even if the organizations you’re hiring provide safety training (which they probably do if you’ve considered their safety record), you should provide site-specific training that addresses hazards, emergency procedures, and safety requirements.
   
   
4. Monitoring and assessment – Monitor the progress of work to identify any safety issues and address those issues promptly. Provide timely feedback on the contractor’s safety performance early on.
   
   
5. Performance evaluation – Evaluate and document the contractor’s performance including if the work was done safely, if it was completed on time, and if the quality is acceptable. This can make it easier to choose contractors for future projects.

Taking these five steps, aligning your safety strategies with your contractors, and creating a culture of safety across all of the workers on your work site will create a safer environment for everyone on your job site, help you can comply with any future regulations, help protect your business, and save you money.

Protect Yourself With Workers Compensation & Contractor Insurance

Regardless of your best efforts to create the ultimate safety management plan, accidents can happen. At American Insuring Group our independent insurance agents will help you get the precise level of commercial insurance coverage you need, including Workers Comp Insurance and Contractor Insurance at the best possible price.

So contact us online or call today at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848.

If you have a dream of owning a restaurant, bar or nightclub, restaurant insurance is probably one of the last things you want to think about. It isn’t as exciting as creating a menu or choosing the right linens, but having the right restaurant insurance has saved many establishment owners money, headaches, and - at times - even their business.

The right insurance can protect you from all types of disasters, from a small equipment breakdown to a devastating liability lawsuit. Depending on where you’re opening your restaurant, there may be certain types of insurance that are required: many banks demand certain insurance in order to procure a loan or mortgage.

So, like it or not, it’s in your best interest to learn what you can about insurance for your restaurant, bar or club.

Types of insurance you may need as a restaurant, bar or club owner

Property Insurance

Property insurance protects your property if it sustains damage. It typically covers damage caused by fire, smoke, wind, hail, the weight of ice and snow, lightning, theft and more. It may not include natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes. If you have a mortgage on your business, property insurance is a must. 

Commercial General Liability Insurance (CGL)

Commercial General Liability Insurance protects you against liability claims for property damage and bodily injury. For example, if a customer is injured by a fall in your restaurant and sues you, CGL helps pay legal costs and any damages you are required to pay the plaintiff. In today’s litigious society, CGL is a must for almost any business owner.

Liquor Liability Insurance

If you have a liquor license, most states require that you have this insurance, and again your bank may also insist on it. Liquor Liability Insurance helps protect you if a customer drinks too much while at your establishment and hurts himself or someone else, or causes property damage.

Your CGL may cover you in some cases, but not all. “Dram Shop” laws exist in forty-three states, including Pennsylvania. Under this law, any business that gives alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person is responsible for any damage that person causes. This makes it much easier for people to sue the restaurant or bar where they have been served.

Workers’ Compensation Insurance

Workers’ Compensation Insurance is mandatory in most states, including Pennsylvania (with a few exceptions). Typically, workers’ compensation insurance pays lost wages and medical expenses incurred as a result of a work-related injury. Plus it protects the employer against accident-related lawsuits.  

Life Insurance

Life insurance coverage is another form of protection that may be required by your bank if you have a mortgage or loan with them. It is also a good idea to have life insurance if your death would cause a financial hardship for your family. There are two types of life insurance: term and permanent. A good insurance agent can help you determine the best one for your situation.

Business Interruption Insurance

If you sustain damage to your restaurant that requires you to suspend operations for a period of time, Business Interruption Insurance covers your loss of income (the profits you would have made had your restaurant been open) while the damage is repaired.

Food Contamination Insurance

No matter how careful you are, there is always a possibility that your food could become contaminated, cause food poisoning, or transmit a communicable disease. Typically, Food Contamination Insurance helps pay for lost income if the business is shut down by a government authority, clean-up expenses, food replacement, and additional advertising expenses required to restore your restaurant’s reputation.

Get to Know Your Restaurant Insurance Options - Contact Us Today! 

You may need some or all of these types of insurance, so it’s smart to understand your options. Our qualified independent insurance agents understand the local and state laws pertaining to the types and amounts of insurance you’re required to carry. They can help you determine if additional insurance is right for you.

Ask the independent agents at American Insuring Group about obtaining reliable protection at a great price. We've been helping businesses like yours for decades. So call (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848, or contact us online to get affordable insurance for your restaurant, club, bar, coffee shop, food truck, or catering service.

Most businesses outsource part (or sometimes all) of their workers compensation functions to improve their injured workers’ experiences and case outcomes. Some functions that are commonly outsourced include administrators, medical providers, pharmacy benefit managers, and medical bill review.

Outsourcing often makes good financial sense. Unfortunately, many businesses take the “set it and forget it” attitude and fail to manage their outsourced vendors properly. Too often, companies and vendors don’t take the time to make sure that their goals are aligned, which can cause issues down the road and reduce the cost-effectiveness.

Your outside vendors should be like partners in your business. They should be a part of your team.

Here are three tips for creating effective partnerships with your outsourced vendors:

#1. Find the best fit for your organization 

Working with key members of your organization, determine your goals, create a list of the requirements that are most important to your business, and then develop a model of the ideal vendor for your business.

Develop a list of questions and start interviewing prospective vendors that meet most of your requirements. Here are three crucial questions you’ll want to ask:

1) Are the vendor’s control environments aligned with your internal framework

2) Is there ongoing oversight that uses measurable information and external alerts

3) Does the vendor conduct internal audits; if so, how frequently, and will they share their findings with you?

You should also ask for a client list and speak to a few of them to see if they’re satisfied with the service they’re receiving from the vendor.

#2. Set Expectations

Set Expectations. Once you’ve found the vendor that is most aligned with your business goals, get everything in writing including the length of the term and if your relationship with the vendor will be exclusive. Watch for hidden costs.

You may want to use a service level agreement (SLA) and risk/reward strategies. An SLA will define the level of service you’re expecting, such as time frames for reports and performance measures. You can also include incentives to the vendor for meeting certain expectations and penalties for failing to meet those expectations.

#3. Regular Communication

Outsourced vendors can be an asset or liability to your company. By choosing the vendors that align best with your goals, being clear about expectations up front, and communicating with them regularly, you can create a great partnership with outsourced vendors that help ensure the best outcomes for injured workers.

Get The Best Deal on Quality Workers Comp Insurance!

At American Insuring Group, Ltd., we offer high quality, cost-effective worker's compensation insurance from a great variety of competing insurance companies. We'll work hard to get you the best price on quality insurance to protect your employees and your business. So give us a call at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 or click here to contact us online.

Nearly 70 percent of all freight transported within the U.S. is delivered by trucks every year, and the value of that cargo is about $671 billion in manufactured and retail goods. Also, there is about $295 billion in truck trade with Canada and $195.6 billion with Mexico. And those numbers continue to increase every year.

So, who is responsible for insuring all that freight? What if it gets damaged or lost? Does that responsibility fall on the business sending the cargo or on the carrier transporting it?

When it comes to cargo trucking insurance, typically the person or company transporting the cargo is liable for it until it is delivered and signed for. There are a few exceptions such as acts of God (hurricanes and tornadoes), public authority (authorities placing cargo under quarantine), or damage caused by the shipper (loading the truck improperly).

Do You Transport the Property of Others? Then You Need Cargo Trucking Insurance!

Most companies think about commercial auto insurance to protect against liability, damage, and injuries to their employees. In the transportation industry, protection for your cargo is often equally as important. If you are in the business of transporting the property of others, you need to consider Cargo Trucking Insurance.

What it Covers

Cargo Trucking Insurance covers your liability if the cargo you are transporting is lost or damaged due to fire, collision, or being hit or run over. It covers you while the cargo is under your care, custody, and control until it is delivered and signed for. Some policies even cover the cost of removing debris or pollutants that are accidentally dumped on the road.

Not Available Everywhere

Cargo Trucking Insurance isn’t available in all states, and there are some restrictions. On the other hand, some states and most carriers require it for owner operators or companies transporting their goods. And there are federal mandates that require Cargo Truck Insurance in certain circumstances. For example, when you’re carrying household goods across state lines.

Types of Trucks That Can be Covered

Cargo Trucking Insurance is only available for dump trucks, tractors, most trailers, box trucks, cement mixers, cargo vans, dually pick-ups, flatbeds, and car haulers. It is not available for garbage or ice cream trucks or passenger transportation such as limos, buses, and hearses.

Cargo Trucking Insurance Costs 

The cost of this insurance and the cargo limits can be different depending on the type of cargo being hauled and its origin and destination. To determine the value of the cargo, the owner of the goods should provide a bill of lading, which is required if filing a claim.

As the carrier, you can lower the cost of Cargo Trucking Insurance by increasing your deductible. However, it’s important that make sure you have enough money readily available to cover that deductible in the event of damage or loss.

Insurance Exclusions and Limitations

Cargo Trucking Insurance often includes exclusions for specified types of cargo such as live animals, art, jewelry, money, pharmaceuticals, tobacco, and alcohol. There may also be higher deductibles and sub-limits for certain types of cargo, and theft coverage may be capped at an amount lower than the cargo limit. If your vehicle is left unattended and there is damage or loss to the cargo, certain policies will not cover that loss.

We Can Help With All Your Cargo Trucking Insurance Needs

Cargo Trucking Insurance is complicated. There are many exclusions and limitations that insurance agents who do not specialize in trucking insurance may not understand. The independent agents at American Insuring Group are experts in all types of Truck Insurance including Cargo Trucking Insurance.

To learn more about this and other types of commercial insurance, call the friendly agents at American Insuring Group at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 or contact us online. You'll save because as independent agents we're free to compare prices and coverage among lots of competing insurance providers.

American Insuring Group - we know trucking insurance!

As the owner of a restaurant, you have a lot of responsibilities – managing employees, advertising, pricing, and the list goes on.

But your most important responsibility should be safety – the safety of your employees, your customers, your property, and your business.

Restaurants do come with some unique safety challenges, but there are many steps you can take to make your restaurant a safer place to work and enjoy a delicious meal.

Better Restaurant Safety Means Fewer Claims, Lower Insurance Costs 

Every owner of a bar, tavern, club or traditional restaurant is interested in lowering his or her restaurant insurance costs. Here are some helpful tips to improve safety, organized for employees, customers, food handlers, and restaurant owners.

Safety Tips for Restaurant Employees

Food industry employees have a 60% higher rate of occupational injury or illness than workers in other industries, according to the National Safety Council. Injuries that required time off work are more than twice as frequent with food industry employees, and the risk of occupational death is 9.5 times higher for food industry employees.

The most frequent causes of injury are slips, trips, and falls. Other causes include burns, cuts, sprains and strains, and injuries resulting from repetitive motions.

Here are 4 tips to keep your employees safe in the kitchen:

1. Keep floors clean and uncluttered. Clean up spills immediately, use floor cleaners with good grease-removal and slip-resistant properties, and post “caution” signs when floors are wet. Pay particular attention to the area around ice machines.
   
   
2. Provide safety equipment/apparel such as oven mitts, anti-fatigue mats, protective eyewear, and cut-resistant gloves.
   
   
3. Provide safety training including proper knife handling, lifting techniques, and the right way to use kitchen equipment.
   
   
4. Follow manufacturer instructions on kitchen equipment, use protective gear, and properly maintain all of your equipment.

Tips for Customers and Anyone Who Prepares Food

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates there are 38.4 million episodes of foodborne illness in the U.S. every year. A study by the CDC found that the riskiest food prep practices include 1) not washing hands or changing gloves between touching raw meat or poultry and ready-to-eat foods, 2) not using a thermometer to check the temperature of cooked foods, and 3) working while ill (vomiting or diarrhea).

“Safe steps in food handling, cooking, and storage are essential to prevent foodborne illness,” according to United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service. “You can't see, smell, or taste harmful bacteria that may cause illness.”

Here are the four simple steps the USDA recommends during food prep:

1. Clean – wash hands and surfaces often
2. Separate – don’t cross-contaminate
3. Cook – cook to the right temperature
4. Chill – refrigerate promptly

Tips for Restaurant Owners

Between 2006 and 2010, nearly 8,000 eating and drinking establishments reported a fire every year causing an average of $246 million in property damage each year, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). More than half of those fires were caused by cooking equipment. Other causes were heating equipment, electrical distribution and lighting equipment, smoking materials, and 5% are intentionally set fires.

The National Restaurant Association offers these 6 fire safety tips:

1. Install an automatic fire-suppression system in your kitchen, which will automatically (or manually) suppress the flames and shut down the fuel or electric supply to nearby cooking equipment.
2. Have Class K portable fire extinguishers in the kitchen as a backup and Class ABC extinguishers in other areas of your restaurant.
3. Keep an eye out for electrical hazards such as frayed cords and broken switch plates and repair them immediately. Schedule regular maintenance on your electrical equipment.
4. The NFPA fire code calls for regular inspection of exhaust systems for grease buildup. Follow their guidelines based on your volume of operations.
5. Keep your kitchen clean. Remove grease from exhaust hoods, walls, work surfaces, grills, vents, etc.
6. Train your staff on how to use a fire extinguisher correctly, how to treat a grease fire, and how to properly handle flammable liquids. 

Better Safety Leads to Lower Restaraunt Insurance Costs

Implementing and enforcing safety practices and procedures at your restaurant is a great way to help ensure the safety of your property, employees, and customers. Unfortunately, even if you put every safety measure in place, accidents are bound to happen. One nasty lawsuit could set you back years or in some cases close your business.

Contact Us to Create a Safety Net For Your Restaurant!

That’s why you need a safety net - the right insurance for your restaurant, bar, nightclub, food truck, or any other type of food service business. The independent agents at American Insuring Group can help determine what type of restaurant insurance will best protect your restaurant while helping you get the best possible price. Give us a call at (800)947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 or Contact Us Online to get started.

Hearing is one of those things that many people take for granted … until it’s gone.

A Chronic Condition

Hearing loss is the third most common chronic physical condition in American adults – following hypertension and arthritis. Hearing loss is even more common than vision trouble.

Approximately 11% of US workers have hearing difficulty, and about 24% of that hearing difficulty is caused by occupational exposures according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

Hearing loss can also lead to miscommunication and accidents, potentially harming employees while driving up workers compensation insurance costs.

20 Million in Workforce Affected

There are more than 20 million people in the U.S. workforce currently experiencing hearing loss, and it’s affecting their jobs and costing businesses money. Any worker can suffer work-related hearing loss, but the top industries include construction, carpentry, mining, entertainment, military, and agricultural according to Healthy Hearing.

Impact of Hearing Loss

According to the CDC, Hearing loss can lead to miscommunications and depression. It has also been associated with cognitive decline and heart problems. Hearing loss can affect safety within the workplace, and the Better Hearing Institute found that workers with hearing loss are five times more likely to take sick days due to severe stress.

Epic Hearing Healthcare says, “… when workers have trouble following conversations, misunderstand what is being said, or pretend to hear things that they don’t hear, it can negatively affect the worker’s productivity and the company’s bottom line. Untreated hearing loss affects companies – whether through lost productivity or increased healthcare costs.”

Causes of Hearing Loss

The causes of hearing loss in the workplace include loud noises and chemicals that cause damage to the inner ear (ototoxic chemicals). When sound reaches 85 decibels or higher or if a person needs to raise their voice to speak to someone who is three feet away, noise is considered potentially harmful. Ototoxic chemicals include organic solvents like trichloroethylene, heavy metals like mercury and lead, and asphyxiants like carbon monoxide.

Approximately 30 million U.S. workers are exposed to dangerous noise levels or ototoxic chemicals.

How To Prevent or Minimize Hearing Loss

The good news is that much of this hearing loss is preventable. NIOSH has created a hierarchy of controls:

1. Prevent or contain the escape of the hazardous workplace agent at its source (engineering control),
2. control exposure by relocating the worker to a safe area (administrative controls),
3. and control the exposure with barriers between the worker and the hazard (personal protective equipment).

Here are a few simple steps recommended by the CDC to reduce your employees’ risk for hearing loss:

1. Use quieter equipment and keep equipment well maintained and lubricated.
2. Put a barrier between employee and the source or enclose the source completely
3. Increase distance between employee and source
4. Reduce employee’s time in noisy areas
5. Provide and enforce the use of hearing protection in noisy areas.
6. Educate your employees about noise hazards

Here are tips to reduce hearing loss due to exposure to ototoxic chemicals:

1. Use a less-toxic or non-toxic chemical
2. Provide and enforce the use of gloves, eye protection, respirator and other protective equipment as appropriate.
3. Follow all chemical safety instructions.

Hearing Loss Prevention Program Benefits

According to the CDC, “A successful hearing loss prevention program benefits both the company and the affected employee. Employees are spared disabling hearing impairments, and evidence suggests that they may experience less fatigue and generally better health. Ultimately, the company benefits from reduced medical expenses and worker compensation costs. In some cases, there may be improved morale and work efficiency.”

Contact Us For Advice on Reducing Workers Compensation Insurance Costs 

To learn more about workplace safety and ways to save on workers compensation insurance costs, give American Insuring Group a call at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 or Contact Us Online. We specialize in workers comp insurance for employers in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey.

Our independent agents will shop and compare competing insurers to find a policy that meets your needs at the best price possible. Contact us today to learn more!

Some companies believe that taking the time to develop a return-to-work (RTW) program for injured employees costs more than its worth.

Some don’t think they have enough injuries to justify the cost of an RTW program, or they don’t think they have any “light duty” jobs available.

Some employers just don’t like the idea of paying an employee their full salary for doing light-duty work.

Studies Prove Return-to-Work Programs are Effective

But studies have shown that getting an injured employee back to work as quickly and safely as possible is the best approach for both the employee and the company. Return-to-work programs save employers on medical costs, lost time days, and workers compensation insurance costs. These programs can even reduce the number of lawsuits, wage replacement costs, and productivity losses.

The longer an injured employee is out of work, the less likely they’ll be to return to work and the more it costs the employer. Return-to-work programs reduce the length of claims and help injured employees recover more quickly.

RTW programs show that the employer cares about the well-being of the employer and wants to help them get back to work. And getting an employee back to work can help lift the injured employee’s spirits and the morale of their co-workers.

Keep Your RTW Program Simple and Cost-Effective

Despite common misconceptions, back-to-work programs don’t need to be costly or complicated.

First, you’ll want to work with your managers, supervisors, and insurance agent to ascertain if specific jobs are more prone to injuries, approximately how many injuries occur within your company each year, and how your injury stats compare with others in your industry.

Once you have this information, work with your insurer and possibly a trusted physician to develop a return-to-work program that fits your company.

Here are 3 Components of an Effective Return-to-Work Program:

1. The Right Medical Providers
   You want to find medical providers who are on the same page as you. You want them to focus on what an injured employee can do, rather than what they can’t do, and you want the provider’s focus to be on safely returning the employee to work as quickly as possible.
   
   
2. Communication
   Every employee should know that there is a return-to-work program in place and that it is followed. They should be familiar with the details of the program. And all employees should understand that the company’s goal is to return an injured employee to work as soon as it’s safe to do so – even if that means a light-duty job.
   
   
3. Alternative Jobs
   You should have a list of light-duty jobs that may be appropriate for someone who is injured. Most companies have tasks that need to be done or activities that once completed could make other jobs easier or improve production, but these tasks or activities aren’t done because there isn’t time or manpower to do them. These tasks may be perfect for an injured employee. When the time comes, discuss the possibilities with the injured employee to see what would be a good fit with their abilities and their medical restrictions.

Taking the time to develop a return-to-work program for your company – no matter how big or small it is – can help your business reduce costs.

We Can Help You Lower Your Costs

American Insuring Group can assist you in creating an effective return-to-work program that works for you and your employees.

Our Independent Agents can also help lower the cost of your Workers Compensation Insurance. So give us a call at (800)947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 or contact us online to start saving.