Food Store Insurance

Do you have a 24-hour Quicky Mart or supermarket? This could make your store a target for hold-ups. What can you do?

• Install security mirrors that are clearly visible to others.
• Install a monitored security system with a PANIC button.
• Install a video camera system.

Do yourself a favor and do a background check on all employees that handle money and inventory. Use a different employee for ordering, billing, and disbursements. Make regular bank drops to prevent a cash build up.

The biggest claims come from customers that trip, slip, and fall.

The culprits?

• Tracking snow and ice inside. Clean up immediately.
• Spills from broken food bottles. Teach your people to clean up ASAP.
• Frayed carpet, cracks, and holes in the floor or sidewalks. Regular maintenance should be a priority.
• Make sure you have plenty of exterior lighting.
• Make sure emergency lighting is functional.

Do you have employees that run errands with company vehicles?

Products liability exposure results from food poisoning, contamination, and allergic reactions. Monitoring the quality of food received, posting lists of ingredients, and maintaining proper storage temperature can reduce this exposure. Accurate records must be kept of products and batches to monitor for recalls. There should be controls in place to prevent contamination from chemicals such as insecticides and pesticides used for pest control. Stock should be regularly rotated so older stock is sold first. Out-of-date stock must be removed on a regular basis and discarded.