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Every employer is responsible for insuring a safe working environment for his or her employees. If you’re in construction, workplace safety should move to the top of your priorities because more than 20% of the work-related fatalities in 2013 occurred in the construction industry. 

STEP #1: Identify Construction Safety Hazards

First, you need to identify potential hazards.  OSHA lists the following hazards for individuals in the construction industry:

1. Falls (from heights),
2. Trench collapse,
3. Scaffold collapse,
4. Electric shock and arc flash/arc blast,
5. Failure to use proper personal protective equipment, and
6. Repetitive motion injuries.

STEP #2: Address Construction Hazards

Next, you need to address those hazards.  OSHA has identified the following as some of the most frequently cited hazards:

1. Scaffolding – Approximately 2.3 million construction workers regularly use scaffolds, and it is estimated that 4,500 injuries and 50 fatalities related to the use of scaffolding occur each year.  To help avoid some of these injuries and fatalities, you need to ensure that scaffolding is erected by a competent person using stable supports on solid footing and that it is inspected regularly.  Scaffolding should be sound; located at least 10 feet from electric power lines; equipped with guardrails, midrails, and toeboards; and accessible by ladders or stairways.
    
2. Fall protection – Falls account for the greatest number of fatalities in the construction industry.  They’re caused by unstable work surfaces, failure to use fall protection equipment, and human errors.  Using guardrails, fall arrest systems, safety nets, covers and restraint systems, you can prevent many deaths and injuries caused by falls.
    
3. Ladders – there are approximately 24,882 injuries and 36 fatalities each year due to falls on stairways and ladders used in construction.  To avoid some of those falls, you need to use the right ladder for each task, inspect ladders regularly, ensure that ladders are long enough to safely reach the work area, and never over-load ladders. 
    
4. Head protection – You need to ensure that workers wear hard hats where needed to reduce serious head injuries that can result from blows to the head, from falling objects, or other hazards.
    
5. Hazard communication – In order to avoid chemical burns, respiratory problems, fires and explosions caused by not recognizing the hazards associated with chemicals, you should maintain a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and make the information accessible to employees.  Plus, you need train employees on how to read those MSDS and provide personal protective equipment, a written spill control plan, and spill clean-up kits.
    
6. Electrical – Electric shock, electrocution, fires, and explosions can be serious workplace hazards in the construction industry.  To avoid these hazards in your workplace, ensure that all electrical tools are properly grounded and extension cords have grounding prongs, locate and identify all overhead electrical power lines and inspect and ensure that equipment and materials never come within ten feet of those lines,  and maintain all electrical tools and equipment.

Ensuring the safety of your employees is important to the health and safety of your employees and the health and safety of your business.  Neglecting the safety of your employees can cause lawsuits, higher health insurance premiums, higher construction insurance premiums, and higher workers compensation premiums and related costs. 

Get the Right Construction Insurance

To learn more about reducing your construction insurance costs while acquiring quality insurance protection, contact an American Insuring Group agent at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848. We're Independent Insurance Agents, so we're free to shop among many competing insurance carriers to find the right insurance at the best price, including construction insurance, worker's compensation insurance, and every other type of insurance your business may need. Contact us today. 

Will Your Restaurant be Held Liable for Accidents? How Much Can Restaurant Insurance Help?

Let’s say you own a restaurant.  One night, a group of friends enjoy dinner and a few drinks at your restaurant.  They decide to go to a club where they dance and consume more alcohol.  Then, they go to a corner pub to wind down with a few more drinks.  On the way home, one of those friends causes an accident that injures or – God forbid – kills someone in the process.

Who is responsible?  You and your restaurant?  The club?  The pub?  That depends on which state your restaurant is located.  If it’s in Nevada, none of the establishments will be held responsible for injuries caused by intoxicated patrons; all of the responsibility lies with the person directly causing the injury.   However, many other states place the responsibility elsewhere.

Pennsylvania’s Dram Shop Statute

In Pennsylvania, all of the establishments could be held responsible – even your restaurant.  Under Pennsylvania’s Dram Shop Statute, a licensed drinking establishment can be held liable for injuries caused by intoxication if the establishment served alcohol to a visibly intoxicated individual or to a minor.

Not only could you face administrative and criminal fines and penalties, but you could also be sued in civil court for damages that person might cause after leaving your establishment.  You could lose your liquor license. If you serve alcohol to a minor, the establishment's owner, operator, or the server could face a term of imprisonment of three months to one year, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.

Determining whether a server should have realized the extent of a patron's intoxication is fuzzy.   How the alcohol affects a person is what matters, not how many drinks were consumed. 

When is a Driver Considered Legally Drunk in Pennsylvania?

• Non-commercial drivers age 21+ are considered legally drunk when their blood alcohol level is .08 or more.
• Drivers of commercial vehicles are legally drunk when their blood alcohol concentration is .04 percent or greater.
• School bus drivers are legally drunk when their blood alcohol level is .02 or more.
• Drivers under 21 are legally drunk when their blood alcohol concentration is .02 or more.

How to Protect Yourself, Your Employees, and Your Business

If your establishment serves alcohol, all of your servers and managers should undergo some type of training in alcohol service, such as the National Hospitality Institute’s Techniques of Alcohol Management or Pennsylvania’s Responsible Alcohol Management Training Program (RAMP).

RAMP, created by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, helps licensees – such as restaurants, hotels, clubs, and distributors - and their employees serve alcohol more responsibly.  RAMP certification offers practical advice on detecting fake IDs, using the FEAR method of carding, and identifying a “visibly intoxicated patron.”

But, what if that person was not intoxicated when he or she left your restaurant and is of a legal drinking age?  You could still be held responsible.  If an incident does occur, your best defense is a written policy and documentation that you adhere to that policy.  Review the policy with your employees regularly. 

Liquor Liability Insurance - Important Restaurant Insurance Protection

Liquor liability insurance can be an invaluable form of restaurant insurance protection. It can help protect your restaurant business from highly damaging lawsuits into the millions of dollars resulting from property damage and injury caused by intoxicated customers who purchased alchohol in your establishment.

These policies may differ significantly by insurance provider in terms of costs and coverage details. This is why you should consult the independent insurance professionals at American Insuring Group. We offer policies from competing insurance companies. We'll help you find the right restaurant insurance policy at the right price. 

Contact an American insuring Group agent at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 to find more ways to protect your business with the right restaurant insurance.

Protecting Your Baby - Business Insurance and Beyond

Business insurance is important because if you’re a small business owner, chances are good that you have a lot of heart, sweat, and maybe even a few tears invested in your business. Sometimes, your business becomes your “baby” – something that you want to protect from danger, just like you protect your family.  Aside from getting good commercial insurance coverage, how do you go about protecting “your baby” from outside threats, such as fire, flood, or theft? 

Preparation is the key.  It determines if and how quickly a business can recover from a set-back.  Unfortunately, many small businesses don’t prepare and don’t have a plan to protect their business from outside threats.  Start your plan NOW with these four tips:

1. Keep Your Eyes Open
You should monitor your place of business for suspicious activity 24/7. Security cameras can be used for two purposes: investigation and deterrence. Surveillance cameras are a cost-effective way to keep an eye on your business even when you aren’t there.  Some security cameras have DVR or remote monitoring capabilities, which allow you to watch, record and/or play back video.

Types of security cameras include…

Infrared (IR) security cameras

Dome cameras

Pro box cameras

Pan tilt zoom cameras

Hidden cameras

Click here for security camera basics.

2.  Be Armed with Alarms
Many commercial codes regulate smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) protection. Depending on the size and layout of your business, consider upgrading or adding smoke and CO detectors to ensure that you and your employees are properly alerted in case of an emergency. If your business is home-based, remember that the National Fire Protection Association a smoke alarm in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement. 

3. Protect Your Company Files
The loss of certain data could force your business – particularly if it is a small business – out of business. All essential paper documents, such as employee files, leases, insurance and tax documents should be kept in a fire-resistant and waterproof safe.  No safe is foolproof; however, they do give a degree of protection to your paper documents.  Here are some tips about buying a safe from SentrySafe, the nation's largest safe manufacturer.

Today, it’s simple and inexpensive to back up electronic files, so that you can access them even if your entire office building was under water or engulfed in flames.  Electronic files should be backed up daily to an external hard-drive, a CD, a DVD, and/or a USB Flash drive that is stored somewhere outside your business, or - better yet - backed up online.  This way your files are still accessible if one of your computers is damaged or stolen.  There are several online backup services that will automatically backup your data on a regular basis without your lifting a finger. 

4.  Safeguard your Computers
Cyber security isn’t only a concern for big corporations, like Target and Home Depot.  Small businesses can be just as vulnerable, so you need to keep operating systems, web browsers and anti-virus packages up-to-date. Don’t put off those update reminders that pop up on your screen; it’s important to update them regularly to prevent malicious software attacks on your computer and network.  Cyber threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated and can’t be ignored.

Implementing these four safety measures can help provide peace of mind that your “baby” is safe and allow you to focus on your business and your customers. 

The right business insurance can also help provide peace of mind (you might even sleep as sound as a baby!), so contact American Insuring Group at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 to find out how insurance can provide additional protection for your “baby.”

Worker's Compensation Insurance Costs

According to a recent U.S. Bureau of Labor report, Workers’ Compensation accounts for 2.8 percent of the total cost of a production, transportation, or material moving employee’s compensation and 3 percent for construction and maintenance employee’s compensation.  Businesses interested in reducing those percentages do what they can to improve workplace safety; thereby, reducing the number of workers’ compensation claims and providing a safer and healthier environment for employees.  It’s a win-win situation.

Like Games? Try OSHA’s New Tool to Help Identify Hazards within the Workplace

One of the first steps to creating a safer workplace is to identify potential hazards; if you don’t know a hazard exists, how can it be properly mitigated?  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has created an interactive, online, game-based training tool to help small businesses effectively identify hazards within the workplace.  This tool, with both an owner and worker mode, is designed to help both company leaders and workers to not only identify hazards, but also learn how to abate and control those hazards. 

Currently, the user can choose between three different scenarios:

• OSHA Visual Inspection Training
• Manufacturing Facility
• Construction

OSHA Visual Inspection Training

The "OSHA Visual Inspection Training" scenario, which contains a saw, industrial chemical mixer, scaffolding and fall protection for inspection, shows users how to identify hazards on items found in the workplace; become familiar with typical hazard categories; and understand common relationships of hazards to equipment components and operations.  It offers the user an opportunity to practice a visual inspection and find hazards. In this scenario, the user can view equipment from 360° to look for hazards. The user can also talk to the employee and observe the employee at work to identify additional hazards.

Manufacturing Facility & Construction

The Manufacturing and Construction scenarios, which focus on the principal skills needed to effectively identify hazards in the workplace and reinforce the key components in the hazard identification process, allow participants to experience the entire workplace. The manufacturing scenario allows the user to be a part of the safety committee in a hovercraft parts manufacturing facility.  In the construction scenario, the user must identify and mitigate hazards to maintain a safe workplace throughout three phases of a construction project.

5 Key Components in the Hazard Identification Process

This tool helps owners and workers understand the five process components in identifying hazards:

1. Collect information: Review all information (manuals, safety data sheets, OSHA data, etc.) you may already have available to find hazards that have already been identified by others.
   
   
2. Inspect workplace: The most basic (yet important) component of inspection is the simple visual inspection. Inspecting the equipment and the surrounding work areas allows the user to look over the equipment without any obstructions that might exist while the equipment is being operated. Certain hazards might only be recognizable when the machine is not in operation.
   
   
3. Observe the operation: Another good way to identify hazards during an inspection is to observe the equipment in operation. Watch the operator and note any hazardous situations. Observing an operation gives the viewer an opportunity to see how the task is actually completed. This can provide insight on additional hazards that would not be recognizable otherwise (positioning of controls relative to the worker, noise and dust levels, by-passing or improper use of safety functions). This can only be done when workers are present and production is underway.
   
   
4. Involve employees: A great way to gain insight into workplace hazards is to talk to the equipment operators. Often, they are aware of issues that may not be apparent during an inspection. Talk to the workers and listen to their feedback.
   
   
5. Investigate incidents: Whenever an incident occurs, use that as an opportunity to learn about hazards that may have been overlooked.

To find out more about this new tool, check out https://www.osha.gov/hazfinder/. 

Lower Your Workers' Compensation Insurance Costs

Let American Insuring Group help you control your workers’ compensation premiums. We're an independent agency representing multiple competing brands of workers' comp insurance, so we can help you find quality insurance at a great price! 

Contact us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848. Serving Philadelphia, Reading, Lancaster, Allentown, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Erie and beyond.

Workers' Compensation Insurance

Workers' Compensation Insurance is a type of small business insurance that is mandatory in most states, and covers employees for work-related injuries. A typical "workers comp" insurance policy pays lost wages and medical expenses incurred due to a work-related accident or injury, while also protecting the employer against accident-related lawsuits. 

What About Dishonest Worker's Comp Claims?

Unfortunately, there are dishonest people in this world, and there are times when a Workers’ Compensation claim should be denied, such as when the employee isn’t hurt on the job or it’s an old injury. 

As many states begin taking a closer look at denials of workers’ compensation claims, now is a good time to evaluate how your company is handling workers’ compensation claims.

Workers' Compensation Claims Processing Tips

While state laws vary, there are some important best practices to follow:

• Keep detailed written documentation about the incident.
• Understand the claim forms, timelines, and the correct state agency to send the paperwork to.
• Ensure that all information on those forms is accurate.
• List a specific legal reason explaining why the claim is being denied and the basis for that denial.
• Provide instructions to the employee about steps he or she can take if they disagree with the denial.

Here are some practices to avoid:

• Don’t simply state, “The injury did not take place. Denied.”
• Don’t disclose Protected Health Information (PHI) without written permission to do so or if required by law.

No One is Perfect. If a mistake is made, here are some best practices to follow:

• Don’t ignore the mistake. Correct it.
• Cooperate with state agencies. 
• Provide complete and detailed responses.
• Continue to keep detailed written documentation.
• Pay close attention to timelines.
• If you aren’t sure about something, consult an attorney.

No business wants to pay penalties for Workers’ Compensation claim denials, so following these best practices can help your business avoid or minimize those penalties.   

How to Get a Great Deal on Worker's Comp Insurance 

American Insuring Group, Ltd. offers cost-effective worker's compensation insurance from a great variety of competing insurance companies, enabling you to get a great deal on high-quality WC insurance. 

For more information about Workers’ Compensation insurance, claims, or denials, contact American Insuring Group at (800)947-1270 or (610) 775-3848. 

With the current sluggish economy, more and more companies are turning to business consultants to help cut spending, maximize productivity, and develop more cost-efficient practices.  Business consulting services come in a variety of shapes – from sales and marketing consulting to technology consulting – and sizes - from working out of a home office to working in a large consulting agency. 

Subjectivity, Risk and Professional Liability Insurance

If you’re one of the estimated 400,000 consultants in the US, it doesn’t matter what your specialty is, where you work, or your level of expertise - the advice you provide usually contains an element of subjectivity, which is open to allegations of negligent acts, errors, or omissions.  In the event of a lawsuit, legal fees and damages paid – whether a consultant is at fault or not – can quickly add up, so it’s important that you protect you and your business from potentially catastrophic litigation with Professional Liability Insurance (PLI), sometimes referred to as Professional Indemnity Insurance, which is a sub-category within Commercial Insurance. 

What is Professional Liability Insurance?

PLI is a type of commercial insurance that provides protection for Error and Omission exposure, sometimes referred to as errors and omissions insurance. It protects you from negligence claims arising from an alleged act or failure to act that caused harm to another party.  This type of claim is not covered by more general liability insurance policies. 

Why Isn't General Liability Insurance Enough?

General liability insurance policies only cover bodily injury, property damage, or personal injury. Some forms of insurance cover employers, public or product liability. Professional Liability insurance covers legal claims that cause harm that isn’t covered by these other general policies, such as negligence, misrepresentation, violation of good faith and fair dealing, and inaccurate advice.

Professional Liability Insurance and Larger Consulting Contracts

If you decide to work with a larger corporation, PLI may be required to secure a contract. By acquiring this type of coverage in advance may be viewed as being prepared and better qualified to operate in the big leagues where the more lucrative consulting engagements are typically found.

Learn More About Professional Liability Insurance

For more information about professional liability insurance and other forms of commercial insurance, contact American Insuring Group at (800) 947-1270 or (610)775-3848.

What a Tragedy Taught us About Fire Safety & Commercial Insurance

On March 25, 1911, the US witnessed one of the deadliest industrial disasters in American history – the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in New York City.  The fire resulted in the deaths of 146 garment workers – 123 women and 23 men – who were working on the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors.  Some died from the fire, but many were killed by smoke inhalation or falling or jumping to their deaths.   

This horrible tragedy led to legislation that improved worker safety standards, including better building access and egress, fireproofing, fire extinguishers, alarm systems, and automatic sprinklers.  More than one hundred years later, the lessons learned from this tragedy still apply. 

Here are some reminders on how to avoid workplace fires and injuries, thereby reducing the long-term cost of your commercial and workers comp insurance by minimizing both the number and severity of your insurance claims.

6 Tips to Avoid Workplace Fires & Injuries

Give them a way out. If the doors to the stairwells and freight elevators in the Triangle Factory weren’t locked to prevent theft, many of the 146 workers who perished would have survived.

Enforce smoking bans. Although smoking was banned on the Triangle Factory floor, it was common knowledge that workers often snuck cigarettes in.  The suspected cause of the Triangle fire was a discarded match or cigarette.

Quickly get rid of scrap material. Two months’ worth of highly flammable fabric cuttings (hundreds of pounds) were in the scrap bins in the Triangle Factory.

Keep them separated. Fabric hanging close to the scrap bins helped the fire spread more quickly.

Make it easy to spread the word. There were no working telephones on the ninth floor of the Triangle Factory, so workers there didn’t know about the fire until it had reached their floor.  Working, audible fire alarms and emergency communication systems could have made all the difference.

Regularly inspect your fire escapes. Twenty people died when the flimsy fire escape at the Triangle Factory collapsed.

Be Prepared with the Right Commercial Insurance

Contact an American Insuring Group agent at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 to ensure that you have the proper workers compensation insurance and commercial insurance to protect both your employees and your business. As independent agents we offer insurance solutions from over 25 competing insurance companies to give you the best options at the best price. Serving Philadelphia, Reading, Lancaster, Allentown, York, PA and far beyond. Call today.

Electrically-Related Worker's Comp Injuries

Electrical hazards cause more than 200 electrocutions (death by electric shock) and 4,000 workplace injuries each year, costing businesses millions of dollars in Workers’ Comp claims, fines, medical costs, litigation, lost business and equipment cost.  “While electrical hazards are not the leading cause of on-the-job injuries, accidents, and fatalities, they are disproportionately fatal and costly,” according to the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI). 

The good news is that most electrically-related injuries and the resulting workers’ compensation and fire-related rebuilding costs can be avoided with a comprehensive electrical safety program. That's good news for electrical contractors and other businesses whose employees perform electrical maintenance and installation services.

12 Ways to Avoid Electrical Injuries and Reduce Worker's Compensation Insurance Claims

Whether you’re in an office, a warehouse, or a manufacturing facility, there are things you can do to avoid electrical injuries and costly worker's comp claims:

• Avoid using electrical equipment in unsuitable conditions, such as a wet or dusty workplace.
• Ensure electrical panel doors are freely accessible and unblocked by furniture or clutter.
• Tuck cables and cords away so they don’t create tripping or slipping hazards.
• Place electric cords where there is air circulating to prevent overheating.
• Keep electrical cords away from heat sources, such as radiators and space heaters.
• Ensure that the electrical load of equipment such as computers, printers, scanners, faxes, shredders, and telephones is spread over several circuits.
• If you are using extension cords as a permanent source of power, consider having additional circuits installed.
• Plug office electronics into a surge protector.
• Ensure grounded (3-prong) appliances and equipment are plugged into grounded outlets.
• Avoid spilling beverages on electronics, and if it happens, be careful, as electrically powered devices may become live to the touch if they become wet.
• Pull on the plug, not the cord, when unplugging equipment.
• Get rid of old, unsafe or poorly maintained equipment, such as old coffee makers, radios, lamps, and space heaters.

Improve Electrical Safety in your Workplace

ESFI offers the following steps:

Step 1: Awareness

What does electrical safety mean to you?  The How Do You Know? video modules demonstrate how safe electrical practices are vital to everyone in your business.

Step 2: Assessment

Are you confident that your company's electrical safety program is up-to-date and comprehensive?  Evaluate your program with ESFI's Electrical Safety Self Assessment. It's an easy to use tool that will help you review and analyze your company's electrical safety practices related to facilities, personnel, and procedures.

Step 3: Improvement

Once you identify areas that need to be addressed, what's the next step?  ESFI has compiled a library of safety resources and links to help you find the information you need.

Worker's Compensation Insurance - Do You Have the Right Coverage?

Following these suggestions will help ensure the safety of your employees, reduce workers comp claims, and avoid fire-related business costs. 

However, even the best laid plans sometimes fail.  When that happens you need to have the right insurance to protect your business from those unforeseen incidents.  Contact American Insuring Group at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 for help in obtaining the right worker's comp insurance to properly cover your business from loss.  We can help you with all your business-related insurance needs.

Working in the food service industry often means hard work and long hours.  You also face many unique challenges, including the responsibility of ensuring that the food you serve to your customers is safe.  As any restaurant owner knows, a foodborne-illness can cause the loss of thousands of dollars and, in some cases, your entire business. 

The National Restaurant Association estimates the average cost of a foodborne illness outbreak at more than $75,000.  This doesn’t even take into account the human cost. Does your restuarant have the proper insurance to handle such an occurence?

Millions of people become sick each year and thousands die after eating contaminated or mishandled foods. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated in 2011 that contaminated food caused 47.8 million illnesses a year in the United States (that includes food eaten at home and other places besides restaurants).

Ten Factors That Often Cause Food-borne Illnesses, According to the CDC:

1. Improper cooling of foods — the leading cause of foodborne illness outbreaks.
2. Advance preparation of food (with a 12-hour or more delay before service).
3. Infected employees who practice poor personal hygiene.
4. Failure to reheat cooked foods to temperatures that kill bacteria.
5. Improper hot holding temperatures.
6. Adding raw, contaminated ingredients to food that receives no further cooking.
7. Foods from unsafe sources.
8. Cross contamination of cooked food by raw food.
9. Improper use of leftovers.
10. Failure to heat or cook food thoroughly.

Here are five steps you can take to minimize foodborne illnesses in your restaurant and decrease the risk of an insurance claim:

1. Wash your hands.
2. Thoroughly wash all produce, since it is often served uncooked.
3. Maintain a temperature at or below 40°F in your refrigerators to minimize bacterial growth.
4. In order to kill any bacteria present, cook foods to the minimum recommended internal temperature and sustain that temperature for at least 15 seconds.
5. Clean and sanitize all food contact surfaces, such as countertops, cutting boards, utensils, pots, and pans.

Have the Right Restaurant Insurance When All Else Fails

If, in spite of all your efforts to keep your food safe, your restaurant does experience an outbreak of a foodborne illness, there’s only one thing that can save you – the right insurance.  One option you may want to consider adding to your basic policy is business interruption insurance to help your business stay afloat if you’re forced to shut down for any length of time.  Another good option is food contamination coverage, which covers your restaurant from financial loss and helps rebuild your restaurant’s reputation.

Don't Leave it to Chance: Contact us Today

You’ve worked hard to establish your restaurant business. Don't leave things to chance. Be sure you can survive any potential issues with a comprehensive restaurant insurance policy tailored specifically to your business.  The agents at American Insuring Group understand your unique challenges. Contact us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848.   

If your business requires the use of heavy equipment - such as tractors, backhoes, and forklifts – chances are a large percentage of your business assets are tied up in that equipment, making the protection of that equipment from damage or loss a high priority for you and your business. 

According to the 2012 Equipment Theft Report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NCIB), the total value of stolen equipment in 2012 was close to $300 million.  Those numbers don’t include losses from business interruption, project-delay penalties, and wasted workforce time. 

Here are some eye-opening statistics from the NCIB report:

• In 2012, a total of 10,925 heavy equipment thefts were reported to law enforcement in the U.S.
   
• Texas ranked number one in 2012 with 1,401 reported thefts. In second place was North Carolina with 1,037 thefts, followed by Florida in third with 890 thefts. 
   
• The three most stolen heavy equipment items in 2012 were mowers (riding or garden tractor: 5,363), Loaders (skid steer, wheeled: 1,943), and Tractors (wheeled or tracked: 1,459).
   
• Heavy equipment manufactured by John Deere was the number one theft target in 2012 followed in order by Kubota Tractor Corp., Bobcat, Caterpillar and Toro.
   
• Most often, equipment was stolen from a work site where there is usually less physical security.

A Poor Recovery Rate Means Construction Company Insurance for Heavy Equipment is Critical

Perhaps the most alarming statistic in the report was the recovery rate - “Of the 10,925 reported equipment thefts in 2012, [the National Crime Information Center] NCIC reported 2,204 recoveries.”    With a 20 percent recovery rate, the loss of stolen equipment is costly to insurance companies and equipment owners alike.  In fact, theft is the most frequent cause of heavy equipment loss. 

Theft Prevention Strategies

The good news is that in addition to protecting your equipment with the appropriate insurance, there are also measures you can take to significantly decrease the chance of a theft in the first place.  Here are some theft prevention strategies from the NCIB. 

• Install hidden fuel shut-off systems.
   
• Remove fuses and circuit breakers when equipment is unattended.
   
• Render equipment immobile or difficult to move after hours or on weekends by clustering it in a “wagon circle.” Place more easily transported items, such as generators and compressors, in the middle of the circle surrounded by larger pieces of equipment.
   
• Maintain a photo archive and a specific list of the PIN and component part serial numbers of each piece of heavy equipment in a central location. Stamp or engrave equipment parts with identifying marks, numbers, or corporate logos.
   
• Use hydro locks to fix articulated equipment in a curved position, preventing it from traveling in a straight line.
   
• Use sleeve locks to fix backhoe pads in an extended position, keeping wheels off the ground.

Play it Smart: Insure Your Heavy Equipment

Since no amount of prevention will stop every thief, it’s important that you contact an American Insuring Group agent at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 to make sure that you have the right insurance for your expensive heavy equipment in the event of a theft.