You might be reading this because you already have an insurance premium for your nightclub that you think is too much, or you are looking for a bespoke insurance policy for your drinking establishment, nightclub or bar.
The best way of keeping premiums down is to be proactive and take action to reduce the likelihood of a claim by eliminating or minimising certain dangers. Serious injuries and incidents frequently suffered at nightclubs by patrons are assaults, cuts from broken glass or slips and falls on dancefloors covered in spilled drinks.
The number of people sustaining injuries and making a claim for compensation that could have been easily avoided is higher than it should be, due in part to some venue owners not doing enough to access risk or take serious measures to avoid incidents.
Listed below is some advice that should help you avoid the to claims and reduce the expenditure of your premiums and excesses.
CCTV
Install CCTV cameras in specific positions throughout the club to gain the most insight into what is happening inside your venue. Most issues with security staff are likely to take place at the entrance or just outside in the queuing area, so ensure both of these areas are well covered.
Keep the tapes/discs/files for a minimum of 24 months as claims can be made months after the action event. CCTV footage can be instrumental in providing evidence and in certain circumstances could save the price of a claim.
Door Staff
Providing adequate training for security staff is especially important in avoiding unfortunate incidents, specifically in anger management and conflict avoidance and resolution. Security staff are likely to have excludes deliberate acts by security staff.
Use SIA registered and approved door staff to ensure you have responsible and reliable people on the door, an area that can be often volatile. Have a clear and concise door policy to avoid any confusion and as a method of improving your clientele or maintaining the current type of individual who attends your nightclub or bar. Make sure you implement a policy that keeps out known troublemakers or ban certain individuals outright if it is necessary.
Dancefloor
It’s important to keep any dancefloor area clear of glasses, spillages or any other potential dangers. The dancefloor is likely to be most important area of any club, so broken glass or slippage risks can be dangerous and cause a claim.
Allocate a member of staff to clear glasses regularly to avoid broken glasses, as well putting up wet floor signs and dealing with spillages quickly. Slips on wet floors and glass are a major source of claims, so make sure you take a look at the guide we have produced to avoiding slips and trips generally, many of which can happen on the dancefloor.
Employees
Ensure employees stay alert on the job, don’t allow staff to drink while at work and ensure there are enough bar staff and especially enough security staff circulating. Check ID of all partons who do not appear over 25, and do not serve drunk people. Any sub-contractors like DJs, security staff, live acts or the repairman, should have their own insurance.
Reporting
Another way of keeping yourself protected from is to keep to keep accurate reports and make a note of important incidents that could lead to claim. Eg. Make a note of when and why people are ejected from the building or refused service for alcohol for whatever reason and a description.
Overcrowding
Overcrowding has come to the forefront of the news recently with two particularly horrific accidents, a fire in a Brazilian nightclub caused the deaths of 245 people due, in part, to overcrowding. A girl in Northampton was crushed to death after a venue irresponsibly allowed 1300 people into a 700 capacity venue.
Make sure you keep a close watch on the in house promoters and outside promoters to ensure that the correct limit on tickets is being advertised and sold to avoid overcrowding, which can quickly become dangerous for staff and customers.
For assistance on gaining the best insurance cover with a bespoke contract from one of our highly trained advisors, contact us on 0344 488 9205 or fill in our contact form.
