Understanding office insurance

Jane Guaschi

Direct Line for Business

Insurance Provider

Understanding office insurance

Too many desks, computer cabling, cluttered walkways and the like can make offices something of an occupational hazard.

Health and safety

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) advocates offices carrying out a risk assessment in order to try to minimise the potential dangers. They have a five-step guide, which goes as follows:

Step 1 - Identify the hazards
Step 2 - Decide who might be harmed and how
Step 3 - Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions
Step 4 - Record your findings and implement them
Step 5 - Review your assessment and update if necessary

The HSE defines a hazard as anything that may cause harm, such as chemicals, electricity, an open drawer etc. A risk is defined as the chance, high or low, that somebody could be harmed by these and other hazards, together with an indication of how serious the harm could be.

The reality is that whether your workplace is an estate agents, accountants, solicitors or a dental surgery, some risks are going to be the same, and some are going to be different. The other reality is that not only could people have accidents, but goods such as computers and machinery can get accidentally damaged. Water leakage or floods could damage an office and there is also the chance that the property can get broken into and have valuable items stolen.

Get adequate insurance

Thankfully it is possible to cover your office for all of these eventualities through the proper level of insurance cover - and Office Insurance frm Direct Line for Business can help you do just that.

With Direct Line for Business office insurance you get cover for:

Office contents, should they be damaged accidentally, by fire, water leakage, flooding, storm or should they be stolen. This includes damage to glass and locks.
Public Liability cover, should a third party be injured or their property be damaged by something in your workplace
Employers' Liability cover, should one of your employees have an accident
Product Liability, should a member of the public be injured or made ill by one of your products and decide to take legal action
Business interruption, should it be no longer possible for you to work from your office, due to a fire for instance
Personal accident, should a member of staff be hurt during a robbery or break in
Legal expenses in qualifying situations

So while you are trying to make your office a great place to work, you can also make sure you have everything covered from an insurance point of view.

To find out more about Direct Line business insurance, including exactly what is and isn't covered for offices, and to get an Office insurance quote in minutes, call 0845 305 0501 or click on http://www.directlineforbusiness.co.uk/?cmpid=000/brand/spn/manchesterprofessionals