Cleaners have a surprising variety of jobs and should choose the right cleaning insurance to match their work.
The first thought that springs to mind about cleaners are the legions of workers who spend their nights emptying waste bins and cleaning floors in shops, factories and office blocks.
However, that leaves out car valets, dry cleaners, street cleaners and window cleaners.
Each job comes with the risk of damaging someone else’s property or ‘slip and trip’ accidents if strict health and safety procedures are not followed to the letter.
Liability insurance is the main cover for any cleaning business – but other issues like buildings, contents, equipment and vehicles are also important.
Liability
Cleaners need public liability cover to take care of any legal expenses or compensation relating to incidents leading to the sickness or injury to clients and any visitors to the premises.
By law, any business must take out employer liability insurance that extends the same cover as public liability insurance to employees.
Liability insurance can also cover accidents and damage on-site.
Cleaners with special risks, like those who use toxic chemicals, should consider extra cover
Read more about cleaners liability cover
Buildings insurance
Cleaners will often work from home, although larger firms may have an office or yard.
Standard home insurance will not cover damage to property used for a home-based business, so cleaners working from home should tell their insurer and upgrade to a business policy.
Read more about cleaners buildings insurance
Contents insurance
Contents covers stock, computers, business records, machinery and equipment cleaners use from day-to-day.
Like business buildings cover, standard home policies are not adequate to cover business goods stored at home.
Add-ons to standard contents insurance can include:
- Equipment cover – For the quick replacement after the loss or theft of vital business machinery
Read more about cleaners contents insurance