Warehouse Insurance Policy Information

Warehouse Insurance. Warehouses offer long and short-term storage facilities to both business and residential customers for all types of transportable property. The length of storage varies from a few days to years, depending on the customer's need. Services may include packing, pickup, delivery, and unpacking as well as storage. Some sell boxes and packaging supplies.

While many warehouses are associated with or are part of moving operations, others may be associated with or part of specific operations storing only a consistent type of stock, such as a parts warehouse for a machinery manufacturer. Some are located next to railroad sidetracks or on waterways for easier access to rail or water transportation. They may be subject to federal inspection and regulation.

The responsibility of a warehouse is to keep the goods of their customers safe for a fee. As with any business, there are things you don't plan for that can go wrong. For this reason, keeping your business protected is a must. Getting the right warehouse insurance for your business is how you can protect it.

Learning about the different policies available will help you to choose the best one. Once you have an idea of the different options available speaking with an experienced insurance agent is the next step.

Warehouse insurance protects your storage operation from lawsuits with rates as low as $67/mo. Get a fast quote and your certificate of insurance now.

Below are some answers to commonly asked warehouse and storage insurance questions:

How Much Does Warehouse Insurance Cost? The average price of a standard $1,000,000/$2,000,000 General Liability Insurance policy for small warehouse businesses ranges from $77 to $109 per month based on location, size, payroll, sales and experience.

What Type Of Insurance Do Warehouses Need? As an owner of a warehouse, your main concern is to protect the goods of your customers. Protecting the buildings and contents inside is the most important part of your business. Understanding the size of the operation you are running is the first step to finding the right insurance. Can your warehouse properly store the items in them? What are the different types of material stored in your warehouse? These are just some of the questions to ask yourself to enable you to find the best warehouse insurance for your business. Property And Liability Insurance: Why You Need Them - Protecting your property before the protection of customer's goods is the first and most important step of your business. property insurance is how you will protect your buildings and the contents in them. If anything in your warehouse is destroyed by fire, weather, smoke or anything that can cause damage, you are protected with this type of insurance. This coverage covers all of your business assets. Also getting commercial general liability insurance protects you from slip and fall claims from customers or vendors when they are on your property. Legal Liability Coverage For A Warehouse - This type of warehouse insurance protects the products you store in your warehouse. Your customers are paying a fee for their goods to be stored and you must ensure you keep them safe. Reasonable care is an expected part of your warehouse business, but if a customer's good is damaged, then you could be held liable. Warehouse Legal Liability Insurance - Having this type of insurance keeps your customers protected. If you are negligent, you can be held liable but when a client stores goods at your warehouse they must insure their goods. Warehouse legal insurance can be complex, and this is why taking the time to speak with an experienced insurance agent can help you to find the right protection for your business. There might be things excluded from your insurance that you need protection for and speaking with an agent can fix that. Having warehouse protection keeps you covered from the following: Theft

Fire

Flood

Roof Collapse

Missing Items And anything that can go wrong while goods are stored at your warehouse. This coverage protects you when your negligence causes customers goods to be damaged. Commercial Auto Insurance - If there are a fleet of vehicles you use for your business, then you need to get commercial auto insurance. With commercial auto insurance, you can pay for any damage caused by a vehicle use in your business. If an employee uses their vehicle to do errands for the business then getting hired or non-owned car insurance keeps them protected. Workers Compensation - Keeping your employees safe is an important part of your business. There are many risks of your staff getting injured while working at your warehouse. To keep your employees protected you need workers' compensation - and in most states it is mandated for any non-owner or partner employees. If an employee is injured while on the job and needs medical attention then with this insurance, you're covered. Having this workers comp takes care of any medical expenses as a result of the employee being injured at the warehouse. If an injury results in a fatality, then this insurance pays benefits to the family of the deceased.

Warehouse Operator's Risks & Exposures

Warehouse operators' legal liability will depend on the contract between the facility and its customers but should spell out who is responsible for damage to stored goods. Any items in storage must be marked to prevent incorrect release. Goods in transit coverage is needed if the operation includes pickup and delivery of customers' goods.

Premises liability exposure is limited due to the lack of public access to the storage facilities. Customer access should be limited to specific waiting areas, which should be kept clean, dry and free of obstacles. Proper attention to housekeeping is needed to prevent trips, slips, and falls. There should be a disaster plan in place for unexpected emergencies. Contracts with transportation and storage providers may expose the operation to additional liability.

The facility may have a railroad sidetrack or dock. An employee should verify that no one is in the path of an incoming or outgoing train. Railroad tracks and conveyors can be attractive nuisances. The premises should be enclosed by fencing with "No Trespassing" signs posted. Packing or unpacking at customers' premises could result in bodily injury should objects fall on customers, or cause damage to customers' property.

Workers compensation exposure is very high. Back and lifting injuries such as hernias, sprains, and strains are common and have high-severity potential. Workers should be trained in material lifting and the property use of conveying devices. Continual standing for packing or unpacking can result in musculoskeletal disorders of the back, legs, or feet. Forklift operators must be properly trained. Shelving must be stable to prevent stored goods from falling onto workers. Housekeeping is critical./p>

When work is done on computers, employees are exposed to eyestrain, neck strain, and repetitive motion injuries including carpal tunnel syndrome. Cleaning workers can develop respiratory ailments or contact dermatitis from working with chemicals. If the facility has a dock for loading onto barges, the elevator may need U.S. Longshore and Harbor Workers coverage in addition to workers compensation.

Property exposures are high. Ignition sources include electrical wiring, heating, and air conditioning systems. The combination of faulty or inadequate electrical wiring and equipment malfunctions, open construction, and large quantities of combustible stored items and packaging materials can lead to a severe loss. All wiring must be up to code and adequate for the operations performed. The stored goods may have heavy fire loads./p>

There must be adequate aisle space to allow firefighters to carry out their duties. When another party does the packing, the warehouse will not know the type of property being stored or its potential fire hazards. If rack storage of crates and boxes is used, there should be sprinklers in the racks. The sprinkler heads must be located high enough to avoid accidental contact with forklifts, but with enough clear space from the racks to allow unobstructed operation in the event of a fire. In order to reduce catastrophic losses, firewalls and fire divisions should separate the storage areas./p>

Good housekeeping and fire controls are critical. Smoking should be prohibited. Forklifts should be refueled in a separate, ventilated area away from combustibles. Stored property may be a target for thieves. Appropriate security controls must be taken including physical barriers to prevent entrance to the premises after hours and an alarm system that reports directly to a central station or the police department.

Business income and extra expense exposures are high as replacement facilities may not be readily available.

Inland marine exposures include accounts receivables if the warehouse bills customers, computers for tracking inventory, contractors' equipment, valuable papers and records for customers' and suppliers' information, and warehouse operators' legal liability. Contractors' equipment includes forklifts, cherry pickers, and hand trucks used for moving stored items. All data should be duplicated and placed off site for easy replication.

Crime exposure is from employee dishonesty. Pre-employment background checks, including criminal history, should be performed on all employees handling money. Storage operations involve a number of transactions and accounts that can be manipulated. Loading docks should be supervised to minimize employee theft of goods. There must be a separation of duties between employees handling deposits and disbursements and reconciling bank statements./p>

Regular audits, both internal and external, are important in order to prevent employee theft of accounts. Receipts must be provided for all payments and compared to money received. If packing or unpacking services are offered, drivers, loaders, and unloaders will have access to customers' premises, increasing the exposure to theft of customer property or customer identity theft.

Business auto exposure can be high if pickup or delivery services are provided. Children may be present during loading or unloading operations, requiring additional caution. All drivers must be well trained and have valid licenses for the type of vehicle being driven. MVRs must be run on a regular basis. Random drug and alcohol testing should be required. Vehicles must be well maintained, with records kept at a central location.

Commercial Insurance And Business Industry Classification

SIC CODE : 4225 General Warehousing and Storage

: 4225 General Warehousing and Storage NAICS CODE : 493110 General Warehousing and Storage

: 493110 General Warehousing and Storage Suggested ISO General Liability Code(s) : 99938

: 99938 Suggested Workers Compensation Code(s): 8292

Description for 4225: General Warehousing and Storage

Division E: Transportation, Communications, Electric, Gas, And Sanitary Services | Major Group 42: Motor Freight Transportation And Warehousing | Industry Group 422: Public Warehousing And Storage

4225 General Warehousing and Storage: Establishments primarily engaged in the warehousing and storage of a general line of goods. The warehousing of goods at foreign trade zones is classified in Industry 4226. Field warehousing is classified in Services, Industry 7389.

General warehousing and storage

Miniwarehouse warehousing

Warehousing, self-storage

Warehouse Insurance - The Bottom Line

Owning a warehouse not only puts you responsible for the goods of a customer but also for the protection of your business and employees. Protecting your warehouse means you're protecting your customers. There are many things that can go wrong on a daily basis. Speak to an experienced insurance broker so you can get started on the path of protecting your business.

Types Of Small Business Insurance - Requirements & Regulations

Perhaps you have the next great idea for a product or service that you know will appeal to your local area. If you've got a business, you've got risks. Unexpected events and lawsuits can wipe out a business quickly, wasting all the time and money you've invested.

Operating a business is challenging enough without having to worry about suffering a significant financial loss due to unforeseen and unplanned circumstances. Small business insurance can protect your company from some of the more common losses experienced by business owners, such as property damage, business interruption, theft, liability, and employee injury.

Purchasing the appropriate commercial insurance coverage can make the difference between going out of business after a loss or recovering with minimal business interruption and financial impairment to your company's operations.

Insurance is so important to proper business function that both federal governments and state governments require companies to carry certain types. Thus, being properly insured also helps you protect your company by protecting it from government fines and penalties.

Small Business Insurance Information

In the business world, there are many risks faced by company's every day. The best way that business owners can protect themselves from these perils is by carrying the right insurance coverage.

The The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is the U.S. standard-setting and regulatory support organization. Through the NAIC, state insurance regulators establish standards and best practices, conduct peer review, and coordinate their regulatory oversight.

Commercial insurance is particularly important for small business owners, as they stand to lose a lot more. Should a situation arise - a lawsuit, property damage, theft, etc. - small business owners could end up facing serious financial turmoil.

According to the SBA, having the right insurance plan in place can help you avoid major pitfalls. Your business insurance should offer coverage for all of your assets. It should also include liability and casual coverage.

Types Of Small Business Insurance

Choosing the right type of coverage is absolutely vital. You've got plenty of options. Some you'll need. Some you won't. You should know what's available. Once you look over your options you'll need to conduct a thorough risk assessment. As you evaluate each type of insurance, ask yourself:

What type of business am I running?

What are common risks associated with this industry?

Does this type of insurance cover a situation that could feasibly arise during the normal course of doing business?

Does my state require me to carry this type of insurance?

Does my lender or do any of my investors require me to carry this type of policy?

A licensed insurance agent or broker in your state can help you determine what kinds of coverages are prudent for your business types. If you find one licensed to sell multiple policies from multiple companies (independent agents) that person can often help you get the best insurance rates, too. Following is some information on some of the most common small business insurance policies:

Business Insurance Policy Type What Is Covered? General Liability Insurance What is covered under commercial general liability insurance? It steps in to pay claims when you lose a lawsuit with an injured customer, employee, or vendor. The injury could be physical, or it could be a financial loss based on advertising practices. Workers Compensation Insurance What is covered under workers compensation insurance? This type of insurance protects a business and its owner(s) from claims by employees who suffer a work-related injury, illness or disease. Workers comp typically provides the injured employee with benefits to cover medical expenses, a portion of his/her lost wages, rehabilitation costs if applicable, and permanent partial or permanent total disability. Product Liability Insurance What is covered under product liability insurance? I pays an injured party's settlement or lawsuit claim arising from a defective product. These are usually caused by design defects, manufacturing defects, or a failure to provide adequate warning or instructions as to how to safely use the product. Commercial Property Insurance What is covered under business property insurance? General liability policies don't cover damages to your business property. That's what commercial property insurance is for. It protects all of the physical parts of your business: your building, your inventory, and your equipment, giving you the funds you need to replace them in the event of a disaster. If you work from home, you might consider a Home Based Business Insurance policy instead. Business Owners Policy (BOP) What is covered under a business owners policy (BOP)? This is a policy designed for small, low-risk businesses. It simplifies the basic insurance purchase process by combining general liability policies with business income and commercial property insurance. Commercial Auto Insurance What is covered under business auto insurance? This type of insurance covers automobiles being used for business purposes. This could include a fleet of business-only vehicles or a single company car. In some cases it might cover your car or your employee's car while they're being used for business. These policies have much higher limits, ensuring you can cover your costs if one of these vehicles gets into an accident. Commercial Umbrella Policies What is covered under commercial umbrella insurance? This type of policy is a sort of "gap" insurance. It covers your liability in the event that a court verdict or settlement exceeds your general liability policy limits. Liquor Liability Insurance What is covered under liquor liability insurance? It covers bodily injury or property damage caused by an intoxicated person who was served liquor by the policy holder. Professional Liability (Errors & Omissions) What is covered under professional liability insurance? This type of business insurance is also known as malpractice oe E&O. It covers the damages that can arise from major mistakes, especially in high-stakes professions where mistakes can be devastating. Surety Bond What is covered under surety bonds? Bonding is a contract where one party, the SURETY (who assures the obligee that the principal can perform the task), guarantees the performance of certain obligations of a second party, the PRINCIPAL (the contractor or business who will perform the contractual obligation), to a third party, the OBLIGEE (the project owner who is the recipient of an obligation).

Who Needs General Liability Insurance? - Virtually every business. A single lawsuit or settlement could bankrupt your business five times over. You might also need this policy to win business. Many companies and government agencies won't do business with your company until you can produce proof that you've obtained one of these policies.

Business Insurance Required by Law

If you have any employees most states will require you to carry worker's compensation and unemployment insurance. Some states require you to insure yourself even if you are the only employee working in the business.

Your insurance agent can help you check applicable state laws so you can bring your business into compliance.

Other Types Of Small Business Insurance

There are dozens of other, more specialized forms of small business insurance capable of covering specific problems and risks. These forms of insurance include:

Business Interruption Insurance

Commercial Flood Insurance

Contractor's Insurance

Cyber Liability

Data Breach

Directors and Officers

Employment Practices Liability

Environmental or Pollution Liability

Management Liability

Sexual Misconduct Liability

Whether you need any or all of these policies will depend on the results of your risk assessment. For example, you probably don't need an environmental or pollution policy if you're running an IT company out of a leased office, but you would need data breach and cyber liability policies to fully protect your business.

Also learn about small business insurance requirements for general liability, business property, commercial auto & workers compensation including small business commercial insurance costs. Call us (855) 767-7828.

Additional Resources For Commercial Property Insurance

Read up on small business commercial property insurance, including how business property insurance protects your company's building's and/or their contents from damage, destruction, theft and vandalism.

Rental property owners, real estate developers and property managers should keep an accurate survey of each property they own or that is in their care. This survey should include inventories of furnishings and equipment at those properties. These documents establish the extent of their insurable interest, facilitate the arrangement and placement of insurance and minimize controversy and confusion if a loss occurs.

Insurance coverage on property, general liability and professional or errors and omissions liability should be arranged and placed for every real estate and rental property risk.

The main goal of any commercial property insurance program is to protect the insured's real and business personal property. Buildings and their contents property usually represents a significant portion of its total assets, regardless of the size of the business. A commercial property program can provide the coverage you need if a loss should occur.

The ISO Commercial Property Building and Personal Property Coverage Form is an insurance industry standard that provides this needed coverage. As a result, it should always be reviewed and used as a benchmark for comparison when evaluating any commercial property coverage form.

This policy treats business personal property as more than just the contents of a building. When there is a limit of insurance on the declarations, property can be covered if inside the building or structure or within 100 feet of the building or premises and either in the open, or even in or on a vehicle.

There are many endorsements available to tailor the ISO Commercial Property Coverage Forms. Some are mandatory for all policies while others are mandatory for specific classifications and types of business. Others are optional and permit a standard form to be customized to meet a specific risk's coverage needs. Endorsements broaden, restrict, delete, modify, or add coverage.

These policies can provide the following additional coverages for small specific limits of insurance: debris removal, preservation of property, fire department service charge, pollutant clean up and removal, increased cost of construction and electronic data.

Minimum recommended small business insurance coverage: Building, Business Personal Property, Business Income and Extra Expense, Employee Dishonesty, Money and Securities, Accounts Receivable, Computers, Signs, Valuable Papers and Records, General Liability, Employee Benefits, Umbrella, Hired and Non-owned Auto & Workers Compensation.

Other commercial insurance policies to consider: Earthquake, Equipment Breakdown, Flood, Computer Fraud, Forgery, Contractors' Equipment, Fine Arts, Cyber Liability, Employment-related Practices, Automobile Liability and Physical Damage, and Stop Gap Liability.