FLOOR CHECKS

The highest claims costs under Shop Insurance is by a long way slips and trips.

Do you have a policy for dealing with spillages and wet days? 80% of slips arise from wet floors. Many are caused by spillages. Other causes are wet weather and very often staff cleaning/washing floors while the shop is still open for business. (This should only ever be done after the shop has closed and all customers have exited.)

After such incidents are reported to insurers a Claims Investigator is sent to the shop. The very first thing they do is to establish whether the retailer has a daily cleaning/floor monitoring record. If they do not, the insurer considers that our chance of defense has quite simply fallen at the first hurdle!

It may not certainly win a defence but its absence will certainly lose it!

Have the floors checked every 15 minutes for trip and slip hazards. (Spillages, turned up floor mats, discarded shopping baskets, items such as boxes left on floor for stacking shelves etc.) Have the staff member enter the time of the check and enter their initials in the Floor/Isle Daily Monitoring Record. (A simple A4 Diary can be used.)

It may sound excessive but every 15 minutes is appropriate. This will prevent accidents!

Always remember - call us to discuss any/every incident. We will advise and guide you.