Commercial Buildings Insurance - Restaurants, Cafes and Fast Food Shops

Commercial buildings insurance is important to provide protection for your restaurant, cafe, or fast food shop. It will help pay for damage in case of something unexpected occurring, such as a fire, which is important because such an event can lead to financial ruin without the proper coverage.

When shopping for this type of insurance, do thorough research on the insurance companies you have in consideration, and carefully review the plans they have available. Keep in mind that you can usually create a custom insurance plan to suit the needs of your particular business, so be sure to work closely with your insurance provider when putting together an appropriate package.

Commercial buildings insurance is a broad term that covers a wide range of different types of insurance. The insurance plan you purchase can and should include the specific coverage you require for your particular business. For example, food establishments may want insurance that covers such occurrences as a fire or other property damage. It's also a good idea to purchase coverage that includes content insurance so that your business won't have to pay for the loss or damage of expensive furniture and other equipment.

Commercial buildings insurance comes in many forms. Basic shop insurance plans tend to cover the basics, as the name implies, while other plans offer a wider range of coverage. Essentially, basic plans are designed to provide some property coverage, but you can pay a higher amount for insurance that is more inclusive.

For example, commercial buildings insurance can be made to include more than just coverage for property damage. You can add insurance that covers your business assets as well, for even more peace of mind. You can even purchase a policy that covers the loss of income due to unforeseen circumstances, and pay for the expenses of using a temporary location until the original premises are up and running again.

Just keep in mind that not everything is covered by this type of insurance, so if you require even more coverage to feel at ease, you will have to purchase separate insurance to guarantee complete coverage. Coverage for such things as fraud and burglary, for example, can be required in some cases. Although you'll have to pay higher premiums, restaurants and food shops in some locations may need this added safety net.

Disaster insurance is something you have to purchase separately if you want coverage for events such as a flood. Regular commercial buildings insurance covers property damage, but not for natural disasters. If you live in a part of the country that can be flooded from time to time, disaster insurance may be something extra to consider.

Commercial office insurance is an important and necessary part of running a business. No one knows what the future holds, so it pays to be prepared.

How to establish your compensatory claim

Employers, no matter what line of business they operate in, have a duty of care towards their employees and must train you properly to help them avoid any risks associated with the role.

What kind of accidents must be reported?

Employers are also legally obliged to hold records, in an ‘accident book’, of accidents and incidents, as well as to pay you sick pay if you’re entitled.

Accident books are primarily for the benefit of the employer, because it provides a useful record in case any employee makes a claim for compensation – and it’s also useful to help improve conditions.

Records of the following must be held:

• Work-related fatalities;
• Serious injuries (e.g. amputations;permanent impairment to the sight; broken arms, legs or ribs; and injuries where a person became unconscious or where they were in need of resuscitation/was hospitalisedfor 24+ hours);
• Diagnosed industrial diseases among employees, past or present;
• Any injury that prevented an employee from working for seven+ days.
• Near miss incidents e.g. scaffold collapses, explosions, escape of dangerous substances etc.

However not all deaths, injuries or diseases need to be reported – for a list of those that do, visit www.hse.gov.uk (Health and Safety Executive, or HSE).

Who is responsible for health and safety at work?

Your employer must carry out a risk assessment and do what's needed, e.g. train employees accordingly/train enough first aiders, to ensure the health and safety of employees and any potential visitors. This includes deciding how many first-aiders are needed and what kind of first-aid equipment and facilities should be provided in the event of any possible injuries. First-aiders have no statutory right to extra pay, but some employers do offer this.

However, that said, employees are also responsible to ensure their own health and safety by following the guidelines and procedures as presented by their employer.

Making an injury claim 

If you’ve been injured in an accident at work due to what you believe to be employer negligence, then you could well have a case for a claim – but any accident at work claim for compensation must be made within three years of the accident date.

Employers are legally required to be covered by an appropriate insurance plan to ensure that they can pay out if anything should happen and a claim were to be made, and also to make details of their insurance policy readily available to employees.

How to make a claim

If necessary, ensure that your employer has reported the accident/incident in question to the HSE. Then, check your for information about sick or accident pay, and if there’s any dispute of any kind, make your best attempts to settle it with your employer first.

And finally, if there are any health and safety issues at work, highlight them to your employer/ employee safety representative, and ask for them to be dealt with.

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