Accidents are an unavoidable part of working in the cleaning industry. But many cleaners underestimate the true financial impact of a small accident.
It is easy to think you will just pay for anything small you break. The direct cost of the item, though, is often just the tip of the iceberg.
Example: the small trip
Imagine you are vacuuming an office reception. You turn around to grab a duster and leave the cord trailing for a few seconds. A visitor walks in, trips and fractures their wrist.
The costs can start to mount quickly:
- Compensation for the injury, depending on its severity and recovery time.
- Loss of earnings if the visitor cannot work while they recover.
- The claimant's legal costs, if the claim succeeds.
- Your own legal costs to defend the claim.
Once legal costs are added, even a relatively minor injury claim can reach many thousands of pounds. Without public liability insurance, that money comes from your business or personal savings.
The hidden costs of property damage
Simple property damage can spiral too. Suppose you use the wrong product on a limestone floor:
- Restoration specialists may be needed, and stone restoration is skilled, expensive work.
- Business interruption: if the floor is in a shop or restaurant that has to close for repairs, the owner may claim for lost income.
- Reputation damage: hard to put a figure on, but a client who has a bad experience will tell others.
Damage to the floor you were actually treating may not be covered by a basic policy, which is why cleaners should understand damage to property worked upon.
The value of cover
Insurance is a financial safety net and a professional credential. It shows clients you take your business, and their property, seriously. When a claim happens, your insurer handles the investigation, negotiation and settlement, so you can keep running your business.
Want to make sure you are properly protected? Request a public liability quote or read about contract cleaners insurance if you work on commercial sites.