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Commercial Kitchen Fire Safety

commercial grade kitchen equipmentOperation of a commercial grade kitchen, many safety considerations should be addressed, including food safety, employee and volunteer safety, and fire safety. This blog post addresses the specific issues associated with providing adequate fire safety for your kitchen.

Commercial cooking operations are defined as kitchens that have cooking equipment that produce grease and grease laden vapors. This includes flat grills, char broilers and deep fat fryers. The typical residential range (electric or gas) would not be considered a grease producing appliance. Other equipment, such as ovens, microwaves and steam kettles also fall into the non-grease producing appliance category. The following is information regarding two of the most common types of equipment that produce grease and/or grease laden vapors.

Deep Fat Fryers

Deep fat fryers are a major cause of kitchen fires. Oil can splash and easily come into contact with an open flame from an adjacent piece of cooking equipment, such as a gas-fired range top. A 18-inch clearance must be maintained between the deep fat fryer and the open flame cooking equipment. If a 18-inch clearance is not possible, a vertical steel barrier extending 12 inches above the top of the deep fat fryer or open flame appliance(s) can be used as an alternative means of protection.Read More »Commercial Kitchen Fire Safety

Driving safely in winter weather

driving in winter weatherFalling snow can be picturesque, but it can also wreak havoc on the roads. While no one enjoys driving in snowy or slippery conditions, there are steps you can take to help improve your safety.

Here are some guidelines that can help you stay safe when driving in adverse winter conditions:

  • Make sure your car is prepared for cold temperatures and winter conditions like snow and ice. Keep your equipment properly maintained and include a winter survival kit in your vehicle: an ice scraper, snow shovel and sand/salt. Jumper cables are also a good idea since batteries are prone to failure during cold weather.Read More »Driving safely in winter weather

No-Fault Auto Insurance Reform

According to a recent statewide poll commissioned by the Coalition for Auto Insurance Reform (CAIR), an overwhelming number of Michigan voters believe their auto insurance premiums are too high and support no-fault reform legislation that would lower their auto insurance costs. The poll revealed that voters are concerned about the high cost auto insurance – 70 percent said their auto insurance premiums were too high. The belief that auto insurance rates are too high is shared by voters across all age groups, political parties and beliefs, especially among the following demographics: 88 percent of Detroiters 75 percent blue collar workers… Read More »No-Fault Auto Insurance Reform

What insurance do dental labs really need?

What insurance do labs really need? In this short article we provide answers to some of the most common insurance related questions. Today dental lab owners and lab technicians can be sued. But it is never late to give your business insurance a check-up and determine the type of liability insurance you need to have and then to make sure you have it. The good place to begin with is to check the NADL (National Association of Dental Laboratories) or your state dental laboratory association. If you are a member of NADL than you can talk to their membership service… Read More »What insurance do dental labs really need?

Insurance For Auto Dealers

We are happy to partner with an A rated admitted carrier to provide insurance for auto dealers including new and used franchised, non-franchised, with and without repair operations (as known as garagekeeper’s liability). The policy is written on a ISO Garage Coverage Form CA 00050306. Garage liability provides protection for bodily injury and property damage claims for which your dealership is held liable. Garage Liability is the foundation of any automobile dealer’s insurance program. Structured as a hybrid of automobile liability and premises liability, this essential protection is normally required by DMV to comply with license requirements. The following Covered… Read More »Insurance For Auto Dealers

Identity Theft Risks After an Auto Accident

Each year, millions of Americans become victims of a car crash that causes mess on their day (and often their body and vehicle.) Auto accidents are stressful situations that can lead us to reveal more of our personal information to strangers than necessary. Even small fender benders can cause long-term pain if a friendly exchange of info leads to a compromise of one’s most sensitive personally-identifying data. A recent survey taken by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) revealed that many of us don’t know the proper steps to take after an accident, and most of us share too… Read More »Identity Theft Risks After an Auto Accident

The Danger of Distracted Walking

Okay, we have said enough about the distracted driving. The cell phone use laws being adopted by the U.S. states are describing how and when the mobile phones can be used while driving. But what about pedestrians distracted with their smartphones? Can we blame them for major increase of fatal accidents involving pedestrians? Apparently yes. According to a recent report from the U.S. Department of Transportation, 4,280 pedestrians were killed and an estimated 70,000 were injured in traffic crashes in the United States in 2010 — a 4% rise from the number reported in 2009. On average, a pedestrian was killed every two hours… Read More »The Danger of Distracted Walking

Protection for Water and Sewer Districts

Serving the public is a serious, round-the-clock responsibility. It’s your job to protect, plan for, and serve the needs of your community as it grows. And it’s our job to protect you with thoughtfully designed, tailored insurance coverages. Our dedicated underwriting, claims and risk control teams work specifically with water and sewer districts and can provide you with one source for your insurance and risk management needs.

WE UNDERSTAND YOUR GENERAL LIABILITY HAZARDS

• Training modules for unique risks such as flagging/traffic control
• Risk control specialists to assist in analyzing digging sites for pipe-laying hazards
• Coverage available for failure-to-supply services and sewer back-up liability
• Utilization of immunities and tort caps where applicable
• Coverage for members of boards, commissions and sewer authorities

WE HAVE AN INDUSTRY-LEADING WORKERS COMPENSATION PROGRAM

• Co-located medical and claims professionals promptly handle, thoroughly investigate and fairly resolve claims, with a focus on return-to-work
• Discounts and savings through carrier’s preferred medical provider network

WE KNOW YOUR MACHINES

• Specialized equipment breakdown  coverage and certified boiler and machinery inspections and consultations through carrier’s Boiler & Machinery

WE PROVIDE SERVICES FOR EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES

• Complimentary EPL hotline provides access to EPL attorneys* to answer your questions
• Discounts for employee training to help protect against “failure to train” exposures

WE UNDERSTAND EMOTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH SEWER BACKUP

• Our dedicated Sewer Backup Claim Unit  understands the importance of balancing residents’ emotional reactions to water backup events with prompt claim handling
• Specialists work with sewer backup adjusters for valuation of residents’ personal items, antiques, etc.

WE OFFER CYBER LIABILITY PROTECTION

• Coverage to protect against cyber and ID fraud for entities that store data electronically

Read More »Protection for Water and Sewer Districts

Top 10 Car Technologies

According to researchers at The Hartford and MIT, smart headlights, emergency response systems and reverse monitoring features rank highest in car technologies. As more and more of these features are incorporated into vehicles, we believe that it’s important for drivers to be knowledgeable of and use those technologies that can enhance safe driving capacity, comfort, and confidence. Smart headlights: adjust the range and intensity of light based on the distance of traffic and to reduce glare and improve night vision Emergency response systems: offer quick assistance to drivers in the case of a medical emergency or collision, often allowing emergency… Read More »Top 10 Car Technologies

California Signs Electronic Proof Of Insurance Bill

Yes! It happens right now. We witness a great moment of the history! Gov. Jerry Brown made California the seventh state in the nation to allow drivers to show proof of insurance coverage using their smart phone. Brown on Friday signed Assembly Bill 1708, a bill authored by Assemblyman Gatto, which will give drivers the option to show proof of financial responsibility electronically using a mobile electronic device. “Governor Brown just brought proof of coverage into the 21st Century by signing AB 1708,” said Armand Feliciano, with the Association of California Insurance Companies. “California has long been known as ground zero… Read More »California Signs Electronic Proof Of Insurance Bill