Insurance is one of those things you can’t avoid. You wish you didn’t have to pay it, but if you are ever faced with an injured employee, a crashed vehicle, or a hurricane struck business, you are very glad you have it.
However, there are ways to control the cost of your insurance. By practicing simple safety precautions and procedures, you can end up avoiding a lot of unnecessary costs for your field service management company.
Practice safety in all aspects of your business:
Employee Safety
Provide employees with all of the safety equipment they could possibly need. Things such as helmets, goggles, gloves, boots, etc. should be on every truck. Remind your guys that safety equipment is required and not practicing safety in the field could result in expulsion.
Also be sure your techs are educated about the dangers and risks of the job. A good idea is to have new employees go out in the field with an experienced employee so they can learn first hand where and when they need to practice caution.
When employees are driving, require them to wear seat belts. Also inform them they could face punishment for speeding or distracted driving. Help you guys out by installing a GPS in each truck. Your guys will stay safe because instead of staring at a map or their phone while driving, they'll be listening to directions.
Office Safety
With Hurricane Sandy still a fresh wound, every owner should have safety precautions for their business in case of natural disasters. Take care of your business, instead of just ‘hoping for the best’. Board up windows and place down sand bags. The less damage you have to your physical business, the quicker you are back in business.
Have a fire extinguisher in your office. Fires can be one of the most devastating things to hit a business. While nothing can totally prevent a fire, you can be prepared to handle it quickly should one break out. This will make the damage minimal compared to what it could be waiting for a fire department to come.
Equipment Safety
Equipment safety is one of the easiest ways you can control your insurance cost. You can’t control other people and you can’t control natural disasters, but you can be sure your equipment is working properly.
Have your vehicles serviced regularly. Get tires rotated, oil changed, and any issues with the vehicle fixed immediately. Waiting on vehicle maintenance is not a smart decision as you could be putting your vehicle, your employee, and your equipment in danger.
Check the warranties on your equipment. Know when it is time to replace or update. Not only will this protect the safety of your company, it will also help you to be a more efficient business by having up to date equipment and materials.
You cannot predict every thing that will happen to your business. Disasters will happen, accidents will happen, and mistakes will happen. But you can do your part as an owner to control insurance costs by providing safety equipment, taking time to train employees properly, and ensuring all equipment is running properly. It’s better to be over prepared then to be hit unprepared.