Category Archives: Insurance

by | August 5, 2013 · 6:16 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Arkansas Restaurant Closed By Fire And Water Damage Reopens After 8 Months; Business Owners’ Insurance Pays For 80% Of Staff To Be Retained

“…Sixty employees were without work following the fire. The business owners’ insurance coverage allowed the staff to continue earning a Restaurant Fire Riskspaycheck while the restaurant was closed…Calico County partner Scott Blair said they retained about 80 percent of their pre-fire staff and hired about 40 new team members for the re-opening…”

Calico County was forced to shutdown after a fire damaged the restaurant (in the early morning on November 26, 2012)… Police were alerted to the fire after receiving a call from an alarm company that a commercial burglary alarm went off at approximately 2:37 a.m. Monday, according to dispatchers with the Fort Smith Police Department.

Fort Smith police arrived at the scene and alerted the fire department when smoke was seen coming from the building. Fort Smith Department Battalion Chief Tery Graves said responders quickly put out the flames, however, the restaurant suffered severe smoke and water damage. According to a preliminary investigation, the fire appeared to have started in the kitchen area of the restaurant.

For more:  http://5newsonline.com/2013/08/04/popular-fort-smith-restaurant-opens-back-up-after-fire/

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by | August 4, 2013 · 8:33 am

Hospitality Industry Safety Solutions: Hotels Must Increase “Value-Added Security Services” For Female Guests; $125 Billion Spent By Women On Travel

“…Women-young, old, single, married, widowed and gutsy are fueling an explosive growth in the travel industry. Estimates are that women will Hotel Safety Concerns For Female Travelersspend some $125 billion on travel in the next year.” With such staggering projected growth, it is exponentially beneficial for hotels to cater specifically to this market. More importantly, catering to this trend is necessary to remain competitive in the market, and a quintessential underlying value of all lodging establishments: safety for its guests with special attention to female travelers…”

Here are several security tips for hoteliers that will be perceived as value-added and appreciated services by female travelers. These suggestions from a hotel expert prospective to bolster the security for female guests include:

  • When female guests are checking into the hotel, the front desk staff should not call out her name or room number as a precaution.
  • Bellhops and front desk staff should be encouraged to be honest with the female guests about night travel alone. In any case the guest insists on leaving, the hotel should provide them with access to reliable transportation service that is trusted by the hotel agency.
  • Hoteliers should suggest rooms that are closer to the elevators to prevent women from walking down long halls or corridors. Women should be given rooms that are not on the first floor with a window or sliding glass door.
  • Place a card in each guest’s room with safety tips, like “Never place your room key card down unattended. If you do notice that the card is missing, you should contact the front desk immediately.” This is a very inexpensive way to inform women travelers that the hotel is focused on their security.
  • For the safety of your establishment, discourage employees from fraternizing with guests. This opens a huge door for liability lawsuits, and it is just not professional.
  • If the hotel doesn’t have valet service, female guests should be escorted to their vehicle, especially at night. The kind gesture will be appreciated and offer the female guest an added level of security. Additionally, it will add a significant amount of value to her stay with the hotel.
  • When a female guest checks-in, the bellhop should perform a brief security check of the room with the female guest standing in the doorway or where she feels comfortable. This quick check includes testing the windows to make sure they are locked and an explanation of the emergency exits and how to contact the hotel staff for help.

For more:  http://www.expertclick.com/NRWire/Releasedetails.aspx?id=46609

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by | July 28, 2013 · 6:25 am

Hospitality Industry Safety Risks: Ohio Hotel Sued For “Negligence” By Family Of Security Guard Stabbed To Death By Homeless Man; “Unlocked Outside Stairwell Doors” Posed Safety Threat

“…(the suit claims) the  hotel was obligated to provide a safe place for its employees to work, (but) the outside stairwell doors were left unlocked as Hotel Wrongful Death Lawsuitspart of hotel  policy…the suit claims the  hotel’s employees routinely left exit doors to the stairwells unlocked from the  outside, and the family’s attorney said this allowed the homeless (man) to come inside and sleep…the  safety threat posed by the unlocked doors was foreseeable and should have been  prevented…”

The family of a security guard who was stabbed to death while on duty has sued  the hotel where he worked. Richard Campbell was  stabbed to death on his 58th birthday, Dec. 7, when he confronted a man in the  stairwell of the Hilton Netherland Plaza in downtown Cincinnati. Joseph Tucker pleaded  guilty last month to one count of murder in the slaying and was sentenced to 15  years to life in prison.

Tucker said he was high on  marijuana and drunk at the time, and he said he’s not sure why he stabbed  Campbell. Police said Tucker was in  the process of stealing something when the security guard confronted  him. Campbell’s brothers and  sisters filed a lawsuit Tuesday in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, claiming  the hotel was negligent.

Read more: http://www.wlwt.com/news/local-news/cincinnati/family-of-slain-security-guard-sues-hotel/-/13549970/21181176/-/qbalbyz/-/index.html#ixzz2aLjd0nBP

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by | July 25, 2013 · 1:46 am

P3 Hospitality Industry Risk Report: “Globally Harmonized System (GHS)” By Petra Risk Solutions’ Director Of Risk Management Todd Seiders, CLSD

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/68627105]

P3Petra Risk Solutions’ Director Of Risk Management, Todd Seiders, CLSD , offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Update – ‘Globally Harmonized System (GHS)’.

P3 (Petra Plus Process) is the Risk Management Division of Petra Risk Solutions – America’s largest independent insurance brokerage devoted exclusively to the hospitality marketplace.

For more information on Petra and P3 visit petrarisksolutions.com or call 800.466.8951.

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by | July 23, 2013 · 6:20 am

Hospitality Industry Safety Issues: Private-Sector Workplace Injuries Fall 30% From 2003-2011; Workers’ Compensation Claims And Premiums Decline As Safety Progams Pay Off

“…For private-sector employers, the number of injuries involving missed work days, job restrictions or transfers to different chores dropped to 1.8 per 100 full-time workers in 2011 from 2.6 in 2003…safety experts say OSHA crackdowns and more corporate focus on OSHA Safety And Health It's The Law-page-001reducing hazards helped cut the injury rate. Also, legislation in many states has made it harder to qualify for workers’ compensation, which has reduced the number of claims…a benefit of the decline is that the average cost of workers’ compensation per $100 of payroll fell to $1.79 last year from $2.67 in 1994…”

About 100 federal and state court cases involving retaliation for workers’ compensation claims were decided last year, roughly double the number a decade before, estimates Lex Larson, president of Employment Law Research Inc. Some lawyers attribute the increase to growing awareness among workers that they can seek redress in court.

While employers say the decline in injuries shows that safety programs are paying off, unions and plaintiffs’ lawyers counter that companies sometimes discourage workers from speaking up.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is taking a tougher line with employers and says too many injuries go unreported. The agency last year reminded employers that federal law bars them from retaliating against employees for reporting injuries. It also warned employers against offering bonuses or prizes for meeting safety goals if those incentives deter workers from reporting injuries.

For more:  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323664204578610133657300940.html

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by | July 22, 2013 · 6:35 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Nebraska Restaurant Fire Starts Near Cooler’s Condenser, Spreading Upstairs; Heavy Heat Results In Complete Loss

“…the blaze most likely started near the cooler’s condenser which was under repair and then spread to the NAPA auto store next door, only causing smoke damage while resulting in a complete loss for the restaurant…when the cook went to open the door, flames shot out…the whole Restaurant Fire Risksentire upstairs was probably involved in heavy fire. Made entry and attempted to extinguish that and due to extreme heat (the firefighters) were driven out and changed to a defensive mode…”

An iconic family restaurant in McCook destroyed by fire late Saturday evening must now decide how to move forward. Fullers Restaurant was more than a business, it was a part of the community and something everyone will miss.

“Tried to put it out with a hand extinguisher and then called the fire department and by the time they got set up and everything it was a little later,” said Val Fuller, the owner.

Fuller’s Restaurant employees recount the scene that led to the building’s evacuation late Saturday evening when the McCook Fire Department responded to a call for a structure fire shortly after 8:40 PM. “All of the employees, all of the customers were out and across the alley from the structure,” said Chief Marc Harpham with the McCook Fire Department.

“It was our supper hour, so we had a fairly decent crowd in there and we told them what the situation was and they left,” said Thayer.

Now, owner Fuller must decide how to move forward after losing the restaurant his parents started in 1946.

For more:  http://www.knopnews2.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=8332:more-than-a-restaurant&Itemid=105

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by | July 9, 2013 · 5:28 am

Hospitality Industry Insurance And Legal Solutions: “Live Webinar” On “Lodging And The ADA” Presented By HospitalityLawyer.com On July 17

HospitalityLawyer Lodging and the ADA WebinarHospitalityLawyer Lodging and the ADA Webinar 2HospitalityLawyer Lodging and the ADA Webinar 3

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by | July 5, 2013 · 12:25 pm

Hospitality Industry Insurance Risks: Hotel And Restaurant Owners Relieved By Obama Administration’s One-Year Delay Of “Affordable Care Act (ACA)”; “Law Is Too Complicated And Costly”

“…employers are relieved that federal officials are delaying penalties for businesses that fail to provide health insurance for their workers, but they say the reprieve does not clear up worries that the requirement is too complicated and too costly…the hotel has 70 employees, many of health insurance nationalwhom do not buy the insurance coverage the hotel offers. The Ramada Inn pays half the cost of the insurance. Business leaders said the delay was inevitable…(employers) have not seen this big a change this ill-defined this close to the deadline…the question still is how this works, what we have to pay and what are the options…it’s just in terms of whether (employers are) going to be able to understand it…”

Businesses with more than 50 employees were to face escalating tax penalties if they did not provide workers with acceptable health insurance coverage by January 2014 as required in the national health overhaul law. President Barack Obama’s administration announced Tuesday it was pushing the deadline back to January 2015 because of confusion about the requirement.

The one-year reprieve is only for businesses. Individuals still must have insurance by 2014 or face penalties, and new online marketplaces called exchanges will help them find coverage, often at subsidized rates.

For more:  http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/businesses-relieved-by-insurance-delay/article_88b8e75c-e4fc-11e2-9b88-001a4bcf887a.html

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by | July 4, 2013 · 10:02 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Kansas Restaurant Kitchen Fire Caused By “Grease Build-Up In Duct Work”

“…fire was found in the grease duct…water (could not be put) on it, in that the grease will spread the fire even more…several specialized Restaurant Fire Risksextinguishers (had to be used) since the duct work is so big, and there was a lot of grease in the duct work, which led to the fire…” 

A buildup of grease caused a fire at the New China Buffet in the 4800 block of S. Broadway. Wichita Fire Department Battalion Chief John Turner said firefighters saw smoke from the highway as they responded to the call around 4:30 p.m. A second alarm was called because the restaurant is in a strip mall.

“We do have to protect not only the occupancy that is on fire, but the two neighboring occupancies are a concern for smoke extension and also fire extension,” Turner said.

Damage was mostly contained to the New China Buffet. The kitchen is a “total loss,” Turner said. No one was hurt. About 10 people were evacuated from the restaurant, with most being employees.

New China Buffet will be closed at least through Thursday, Turner said. The health department will inspect food and working conditions.

For more:  http://www.kfdi.com/news/local/214226361.html

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by | July 1, 2013 · 12:08 pm

Hospitality Industry Insurance Solutions: “HospitalityLawyer.com” Presents “Live Webinar” On “The Healthcare Act” On July 10

HospitalityLawyer Live Webinar July 10 Healthcare Act

HospitalityLawyer Live Webinar July 10 Healthcare Act page 2

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