by Matthew Davis MBA, CPCU, AAI | Business Insurance, Cyber Liability, Insurance
Internet-related liabilities are present whether your company simply has e-mail or is actively involved in e-commerce. Do you have the appropriate e-liability insurance coverage?
Who Needs a Cyber Liability Plan or E-Liability Insurance? Almost EVERYONE!
Assumptions have been made that a traditional comprehensive Commercial General Liability (CGL) policy will afford you coverage for business interruption, intellectual property damage and similar losses. And because “property damage,” covered under CGL policies, has been traditionally defined as a physical injury to tangible property, some courts have even ruled that “physical loss or damage” includes computer-information related losses. Insurers are avoiding liability by including specific exclusions and requiring endorsements for this coverage.
However, insurance carriers are now becoming savvy in the technology industry. Product offerings are greater. We are seeing a plethora of cyber insurance and e-liability insurance products. Knowing the ins and outs of each product will be key in proper policy selection. That’s where GDI Insurance Agency, Inc. can assist you, providing its expertise so you have the appropriate coverage to match your risk management needs.
What is Cyber Liability Insurance?
Cyber liability coverage may include an e-comprehensive policy. This policy may cover losses caused by fraudulent modification, accidental alteration or destruction to all electronically stored information. In addition, losses caused by malicious copying of trade secrets, extortion and introduction of a virus could be covered.
Media liability addresses the losses associated with libel, slander, and invasion of privacy and infringement of copyrights.
This may be needed, especially if your employees are given access to e-mail capabilities and Internet access. E-mail is an essential tool of today’s fast-paced business culture. However, messages taken out of context may cause difficulty. Establish an e-mail usage policy and educate employees on the proper use of e-mails and surfing the Net.
Defend against loss or damage caused by viruses with specialty computer virus transmission coverage. Along these lines, there is unauthorized access and use coverage, which insures against losses when third party information is stolen.
Each carrier’s Internet-related insurance products need to be closely scrutinized to determine what they will and will not cover, and who will pay the defense expenses.
Your company may also be entitled to rehabilitation expenses to re-establish your reputation and market share after a loss.
One other detail that we look at is whether the policy itself is a claims made or an occurrence policy. Claims made policies will only cover losses that are made and reported during that policy period. If this is the case, an extended reporting period (ERP) may need to be negotiated.
E-commerce presents today’s risk managers with new challenges—this brochure only scratches the surface. To ensure the success of your e-commerce initiatives, GDI Insurance Agency, Inc. recommends a comprehensive risk assessment be conducted to identify potential gaps and inappropriate levels of coverage.
Contact GDI Insurance Agency, Inc. to further discuss your e-liability insurance and the products available to minimize your risk. 1-209-634-2929
by Grant Davis | Insurance, Safety Tips
Auto Refinishing Shop Safety
Auto refinishers use many potentially harmful chemicals when painting vehicles and auto parts. In particular, auto shops use solvents, isocyanates, pigments and other additives in paints and coatings that can present serious risks to your employee’s health and the environment as well. In conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Design for the Environment (DfE) Program, the agency launched the Auto Refinish Project to provide health and safety recommendations for reducing employee injuries and illnesses in auto body shops around the U.S.
This program was created partially because workers tend to overlook their safety when mixing paint and during cleanup tasks. In fact, many workers perform paint mixing and cleanup duties in small, enclosed rooms with little or no ventilation or with ventilation that works improperly. This often increases their exposure to dangerous chemicals. However, a properly installed ventilation system will remove harmful vapors from the air and will provide a healthy working environment for employees.
TYPES OF VENTILATION SYSTEMS
General Exhaust Systems:
- Typically consist of an exhaust fan, mounted in a ceiling or wall that pulls air out of the workroom and discharges it outdoors.
- Replacement air is brought into the work area by either natural means (windows or vents) or by a more sophisticated setup that includes a separate make-up air fan, duct work and air registers that provide clean air to the work space.
- Systems are not recommended as the sole source of ventilation when hazardous vapors are present because they do not immediately remove vapors from the work space.
Local Exhaust Ventilation Systems:
- Remove chemicals and other contaminants at their source.
- Systems are recommended for controlling hazardous vapors because they remove vapors before workers are exposed to them.
- Systems consist of the following: a hood installed close to where the work is performed to capture vapors, ductwork to transport vapors from the hood to the outdoors and a fan located downstream of the hood to draw air away from the work area.
Combination Systems:
The most effective means of ventilating your paint mixing room is to use both local and general exhaust ventilation systems together. A local exhaust system installed at the work bench as close to the mixing operation as possible will capture most hazardous vapors before they can escape into the air. General ventilation systems, on the other hand, for rooms with floor level exhaust vents, will remove low-lying vapors that are not captured by the local exhaust system or are generated from other sources of vapor in the room.
Make Wise Decisions
An improperly designed system will do little to improve your current workplace conditions and will not protect your workers from hazards. For this very reason, it is important to make sure your system is designed and installed by properly trained individuals, such as a qualified ventilation contractor or an industrial hygienist. As an alternative, prefabricated paint mixing rooms are currently on the market and typically provide spill protection, explosion-proof electrical installation and general ventilation.
Design Considerations
Regardless of what type of ventilation system that you choose, keep in mind that vapors produced in paint mixing rooms are extremely flammable and can produce explosive environments. For this reason, all electrical equipment that you place or install in this room (including ventilation fans, wiring and switches) must be specifically designed and approved for use in explosive atmospheres. Ventilation equipment manufacturers should also be able to tell you what types of environments their equipment can be used in properly. Beyond that, it is wise to contact your local Fire Marshall to learn more about applicable electrical requirements.
Keeping your workers safe is not only your obligation, it is the law. Visit www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/projects/auto/index.htm for more information on how you can protect your auto body workers from the occupational hazards they encounter each and every day.
California’s Leader in Insurance and Risk Management
As one of the fastest growing agencies in California, GDI Insurance Agency, Inc. is able to provide its clients with the latest and greatest of what the insurance industry has to offer and much, much more. With locations across the heart of California’s Central Valley and beyond to provide a local feel to the solutions and services we provide our clients. We pride ourselves on exceeding our client’s expectations in every interaction to make sure that our client’s know how much we value and appreciate their business.
For more information on Auto Body Safety and saving on your Auto Shop insurance CALL GDI Insurance Agency, Inc. at 1-209-634-2929
by Grant Davis | Business Insurance, Construction, GDI Insurance, Human Resources, Insurance
Contractors Insurance Program
I always tell my clients, remember this, is it if you’re using your insurance, something already has gone terribly wrong. If your contractual transfers are incorrect, that’s if you’re the developer, you didn’t transfer it on down to your subcontractors or if you’re a subcontractor, you took on more responsibility than you should have and you’re in trouble now. Find out more on our Contractors Insurance Program!
You can buy general liability insurance, or builders risk insurance or workers compensation insurance and get just that. Or you can call GDI Insurance Agency, Inc. and get the entire package of insurance policies and benefits we have put together to assure your construction business isn’t just insured, but assured they have the right coverage, at the lowest rates with all the compliance needed. From OSHA Safety programs, to up to date HR systems with live attorneys to answer questions.
It Starts With Being Safe
There’s a lot to this so we’ve got to remember, it starts with being safe on the job site. Safety, human resource, wellness plans, property and liability, transfers and protection, we can help you with all of that. This is just the tip of the iceberg here.
GDI Insurance Agency, Inc. has volumes and volumes of material to help contractors secure their business. Everything you could imagine for contractors. GDI Insurance spends a lot of time working with developers and subcontractors and their attorneys. We help them with the indemnification clauses, letters for certificates of insurance and proper Additional insured statuses. From certificate tracking programs and management, additional insured contract reading, the insurance service office ISO has a lot of variations of additional insured and a lot of people will say, “Oh, this is an equivalent to the 1185 which we’re all looking for.” If it’s equivalent to, why don’t they just use the same wording, right?
You build a quality house, my clients all build quality houses and we try to make sure that the contractual transfers are done properly. Either way, I represent subcontractors, and I represent developers, and I represent commercial developers, and commercial property owners, sub contractors, solar installers and heavy iron workers, the whole shot,
I am happy to help you. If you also look at all the companies we have, no one has any better rates, no one has any companies we don’t have, so it’s really a matter of just trying to stay out of trouble in the first place. Smaller and fewer claims is the ticket.
Call and ask for Grant Davis 888-991-2929 at GDI Insurance Agency, Inc.
I am your construction expert and I can help! I hope you got the information you needed. By the way, if you want something else, just ask me. Call Grant Davis, whether you’re our client or not. I will do what I can to help you.
If you’re not our client, we’ll give a couple of things to help you out. If you’re looking for an employee manual or a safety manual, no problem, we’ll just give it to you and you’re good to go. We do ask you to be our client because if you would like full OSHA compliance, your 300 logs and all of that, we do all of that for free for our clients as part of our Contractors Insurance Program.
Thanks a lot for reading this. Call me anytime Grant Davis GDI 1-888-991-2929.
by Grant Davis | Driving School Insurance, Insurance
Protect Your Driving School and Save
Owning a driving school is a great way to make a living helping teach people how to drive safely. Protecting your driving school business with the appropriate insurance is vital. Driving School insurance consists of coverage for your cars in the even they are in an accident you need liability insurance to protect your driving school from claims when someone is injured as well as to repair your car.
But What Other Insurance Might You Need?
What about workers compensation to cover your instructors? Have you considered what happens if while instructing a student the student causes an accident and hurts others, the student themselves, as well as your instructor? Having insured driving school for 30 years now all I can say is what you least expect happens!
Do you offer class room training, or have an office you run your school out of? Even your home? It is important to also have business liability insurance even if you have just one car, and run your school from your home. Your personal insurance excludes coverage for business activities. So if you meet a student at Starbucks for coffee and to discuss the basics, and that student trips and falls over your laptop case, who pays for that? Your business liability insurance does.
GDI Insurance Agency, Inc. brokers have access to over 100 insurance companies we can check rates for you, and save you money on your driving school insurance.
A GDI Insurance Agency, Inc. broker can save you as much as almost 70% off your driving school insurance! Take a look at Spencer’s Driving Schools Testimonial. In most cases we have found we can save up to 37% off the cost of driving school insurance for your cars. We also add a business owner’s policy and workers compensation to complete your coverage.
How Do We Do It?
First we have access to the insurance companies that insure driving schools. Then we give you all your Human Resource material, Illness and injury prevention plans, OSHA compliant safety programs, as well as fleet auto safety plans. All these things help you run a safer driving school, and get you premium discounts on your driving school insurance!
Just call a GDI Insurance Agency Broker 888-991-2929 or fill out the contact form under the driving school tab to Save on driving school insurance! Or just click here and go right to the page
by Grant Davis | Insurance, Umbrella Insurance
Why a Business Umbrella Insurance Policy is Necessary
A stack of money! The only question you need to ask yourself is this. If you or your employee hurt someone, do you want to pay for that from your stack of money? Or do you want your insurance company to pay for it from their stack of money? If you want your insurance company to be the one paying, a business umbrella insurance policy is necessary.
From what I see everyday I will bet you that you don’t have enough insurance to cover your business, farm or dairy if you or your employees hurt someone. Unless you are already a GDI Insurance Agency client. Call Grant Davis GDI and let me help. You will be surprised how reasonably you can get the right coverage and protect your assets! 1-888-991-2929
What is a Business Umbrella Insurance Policy?
First let’s start with talking about what an “Umbrella” is as it pertains to insurance.An umbrella is a extra layer of liability insurance that goes over your home, autos, cabins, boats, and other toys. For business owners a business umbrella insurance policy goes over their workers compensation and general liability insurance.
I have been working as an insurance broker for about 37ish years now. Long enough to have lost count!I have seen companies come and go and met with clients many times after the fact. By after the fact I mean after they have sustained a loss that is larger than they have insurance for.
I can remember the first client I met back in the early 80’s that was in the process of selling of the rentals they had purchased to fund their retirement. They were in their late 60’s and retired, but had gotten into a car accident with a motorcycle and didn’t have enough insurance and no umbrella (that extra layer of insurance to protect them from the larger losses).They lost everything including their home.
I can also recall meeting with business clients before they had losses, and seeing that their current broker didn’t understand the basic concepts of risk management, and or didn’t care enough to make sure they had adequate umbrellas.I can think of many cases to share with you, but one strikes my right now. They had $1 million limit on their company cars, and a $1 million umbrella.Their net worth was in the 8 figure range so they would be considered well off.We raised the umbrella to $10,000,000. A few years latter one of their employees driving to a job site caused a major car accident, killing and disabling others in their cars. One of my proudest days was when I met with the owner of this business and he thanked me for saving his business. Had he had the small limits the other broker had given him he would have lost everything as this loss was well over the $2 million dollar limit he had prior to meeting with me.
With all the clients GDI Insurance Agency, Inc. has each year we have clients that have large losses. It is just a function of having a lot of clients. Also we see losses around our community that are serious, so we are always reminded of the importance of having the right limits of liability and a business umbrella insurance policy.
One of the hardest things I ever have to do is get a call from a business or farmer that has had a large loss and they realize they are under insured.I go speak with them about what they should have had, and start talking about asset preservation techniques.
What should you do right now?
Just call me and let’s talk about protecting your home, business and estate. The funny thing is the last one I just completed was a week ago.We redid everything for them, and while it doesn’t happen every time we raised their umbrella 20 times what it was, earned premium credits for safety programs and risk reduction techniques and actually got them the insurance they should have had for less than they had been paying!The fun part for me is we did it with the same insurance company they were already insured with!That’s right!If you do the work to reduce risk, and get the right limits many times we can cut your costs at the same time.Now most of the time it may cost a little more to get the right limits of insurance.But compared to losing everything, and what you pay for all the basic policies you have I do mean an umbrella can cost “a little” more.
California’s Leader in Insurance and Risk Management
As one of the fastest growing agencies in California, GDI Insurance Agency, Inc. is able to provide its clients with the latest and greatest of what the insurance industry has to offer and much, much more. With locations across the heart of California’s Central Valley and beyond to provide a local feel to the solutions and services we provide our clients. We pride ourselves on exceeding our client’s expectations in every interaction to make sure that our client’s know how much we value and appreciate their business. Contact us today 1-209-634-2929 for more information on a business umbrella insurance quote!
