How can business owners protect themselves and their customers from liability when they reopen?
Once the economy reopens, many businesses are concerned about what happens if their customers or employees contract coronavirus at their store. How can they protect themselves, their employees, and their customers from liability? What options do they have?
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Answers (21-30)
Just like in labeling of products . Post a warning . By entering this place of business, you enter at your own risk of contracting Covid 19. This business is not held responsible for you decision. Thank you
most small business will need to be vigilant about keeping counters and payment areas sanitized and helping customers to keep adequate spacing as much as they can. Keep masks for employees and gloves if needed. Use some good old common horse sense...try to stay within guidelines as given by authorities for each step forward. Ron Howell
Use common sense in reopening your work place. The simple fact is there will be individuals that will attempt to take advantage of the situation.
One size will not fit all every business is different with different types of interaction. From what I’m reading here almost everyone had a self serving recommendation.
Be aware of your surroundings and use common sense
The best advice is to act in due diligence. Pandemic Insurance is not available. Here is our approach to this daunting task. We have been open through all of this. After being a Paramedic\FireFighter since 1985 I have a good handle on infectious diseases. We first closed our restrooms. We have our staff report through the back door and head straight to the sink for a though hand washing. They then sanitize the entrance door knobs they came in from. Each employee follows the protocol. If they have any feeling of illness, cough or fever we quarantine them at home for 14 days, While we have had no infections, we have quarantined two employees in the last 6 weeks. Neither were sick from Covid 19. Customers are held in the front Atrium behind a locked second door. They are limited to one customer only, family stays in the car. The customer is questioned on illness, fever, or exposure. If it is a payment, he sits in an ARM LESS chair in atrium while his payment is processed. Cash is counted out by the customer and placed in an envelope by the customer, we hold the envelope, seal it and sign it for the cash, we do not touch the cash. CC are disinfected when handed to us then processed and returned. On the low chance they need more in depth help, a single person is questioned, asked to sanitize their hands in front of the employee and escorted to an arm less chair. 6 feet from the employee, and no touch of the desks. Masks are offered free to every customer that enters. When they complete their policy, they sign with a clip board, are given the pen with our name to take home and thanked, escorted out and the chairs, clip board and any thing they toughed is disinfected. Each and EVERY TIME. no exceptions. The doors to the outside are dis infected after EVERY Customer leaves. Cash is counted the next day on a single desk with gloved employees. Cash is them sealed in an envelope and the desk is then disinfected. We are diligent in this every time. Employees and customers see we are going the extra mile. Of course phone transactions are encouraged to all our customers. We cannot hide nor run from this, we need to adapt and overcome. FEAR is a tool of the enemy.
Well, commercial businesses have general & product liability. Coronavirus is a national catastrophe not related to a single location,; so, employer liability almost -1 million
Workers Compensation is now covering an employee if employee gets the corona virus while working and adhering to the governors rules. We can review your current policies for you at Core Insurance
Hi! They are a lot of OSHA updated regulations as well as procedures that need to be in place that surround safety and HR concerns. Ensuring that all your insurance policies are properly in place, working with an HR consultant, Safety Program and Insurance Broker to navigate you is the best route. We are currently working on some free resources to ensure that you have everything on lock such as a checkoff lists to guide you and free Workers Compensation free counsel. We also have a team of trusted advisors that can assist with ensuring you are covered at a very low cost. I would be more than happy to answer any questions. Meantime please take a look at this: https://www.myhrcounsel.com/covid19/keystar
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While it’s nearly impossible to have zero liability exposure, businesses can take extra precautions when reopening to reduce liability exposures for the business and for customers. By having the right PPE for employees, special protections in place (I.e. sneeze guards, stickers on the floor guiding customers where to stand in order to be 6 ft away), and hand sanitation readily accessible to employees and customers. Face masks/coverings can be a requirement to enter businesses, which could lead to certain liabilities if your business is in Oklahoma, but will overall reduce viral exposure for both employees and customers. Clear, highly visible signage and enforcement for all is key to lowering liability exposure, as well. Pay attention to what’s happening in and around your business, and take reasonable action in a reasonable amount of time. For more information on how your insurance can help protect your business assets, contact Bailey Baker State Farm. Www.insurancesatx.com
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Like many newly identified risks, each business owner should take care to understand their unique circumstances and ensure they are following all regulations; as well as take the extra step to educate their employees. Most insurance policies exclude coverage for pandemics so the best protections are going to be common sense 'risk mitigation'. For specific industry tips, please email me directly - as an Associate of Risk Management (ARM) I am uniquely qualified & happy to help! [email address]