Insurable Hot Spots
Tap Room
Your Tap Room is seemingly the safest part of your brewery, but common risks include safe service of alcohol, slips & falls inside or outside, theft, employee dishonesty, loss of refrigeration, interruption of phone, power or water, and cyber exposures of customer data and POS systems, to name a few.
What should your tap room staff do if customers appear inebriated? Or if your servers don’t check IDs of underage patrons? If someone trips and falls resulting in an injury, does your staff have training to respond to this type of accident? What if a customer’s dog bites another customer or worse, a customer’s child? Are exit signs clearly marked in case of an emergency? There are countless scenarios that can create liability for you as the owner of the property.
Spam filters and firewalls are not enough to protect your data these days; cyber crime is becoming incredibly sophisticated. If your computer system or network were targeted by ransomeware, your business could come to a screeching halt until you paid the ransom or engaged a cyber security firm to remediate. Not to mention your responsibility to protect client and employee Personally Identifiable Information (PII) housed in your network. Failure to provide proper protection can result in fines and penalties and this can be subject to a variety of state laws depending on where your clients are located.
We offer a variety of training programs for you and your staff including an Alcohol Server Certification and Accident Investigation Protocol. We can also assist in selecting coverage limits based on your exposure. Our Cyber Liability Coverage is specialized for brewery operations and general liability covers you in cases of slips and falls (and even dog bites!)
Kitchen
Whether you are offering your guests light snacks or a full menu, be aware of your risk exposures related to food service.
Food allergies are a dangerous exposure. If a customer states their allergy and they are mistakenly served cross-contaminated food or food with the allergen, the brewery could be held liable for the damages.
Make sure your staff follows best practices for maintaining a safe kitchen with regular hood and duct cleaning; Ansul system maintenance to ensure the property is fire-safe using detectors and fire extinguishers; and of course proper food preparation standards. At minimum, they should be wearing gloves and regularly cleaning surfaces with approved cleaners. Food poisoning and other issues can prove extremely damaging to a taproom’s reputation and cause considerable financial damage.
Patio
Beer Hounds! As of 2020, 17 states allow dogs in outdoor patio areas. If your brewery is located in an approved state and you have a pet-friendly policy, make sure your staff is aware of the restrictions, which include:
1. People with pets must enter and exit through outdoor entrances to the patio dining areas, keeping the pet from entering the main dining facility.
2. Employees must wash their hands after touching pets and cannot do so while in the process of preparing or serving food.
3. Pet owners must keep their pets on leashes so they can be held under control at all times.
4. Pets cannot sit on furniture at the venue, including chairs and tables on the patio.
5. Pets must not be permitted in any area where food is prepared.
Second, before allowing pets on the premises, business owners must be aware of potential health concerns. True story: a patron allowed his very large dog to relieve himself on a flower planter right outside the taproom door and next to the food truck. Eeew.
Defensible Space
Pallets and Barrels leaning against buildings can lead to the spread of wildfires. And that wonderful old oak providing shade to your taproom patio also increases your wildfire risk.
Topography, slope and fuel analysis for wildfire defensible space should be conducted as best practices. iRAD™, Brewery PAK’s Insurance Risk Assessment Drone technology assesses your brewery’s wildfire risk and makes recommendations for ensuring your structures have adequate defensible space around them. iRAD creates a 3D model of structures and property features to capture exact measurements (square feet, acreages, volume, distance) so you will be fully covered in the event of a loss.
Events
Trivia Nights, Parties, Oktoberfest, Game Nights & Tournaments, Charity Events – all great ways to create more brand exposure for your brewery and your beers, and they’re simple, fun, and not too difficult to set up. But you’ll want to make sure you minimize your exposure to the unique risks associated with these events. And if you’re planning an event that involves high risk activities like fireworks, polar plunges or sumo wrestling or axe throwing (yes, that’s a thing!), know what your insurance policy covers before you add these to your event!
For large events, make safety a top priority with a First Aid tent, table, or area and consider hiring a Security Service.
Brewing Facility
Your Brewery Operations carry the highest risks overall — slips and falls, proper stacking of kegs and other equipment, clutter control, and proper securement of hazardous materials. One mistake, such as opening a tank valve before the pressure has been released, can be catastrophic.
If you offer tours to the public, you need to be extremely vigilant about safety precautions. Our knowledge and expertise ensure your exposures are accurately identified and addressed on site and off site.
Fire, wind, water damage, leakage and tank collapse, contamination, equipment breakdown – our industry leading coverages are customized to your unique operations.
Mechanicals
Chillers, boilers, HVAC, glycol systems, backup power and water treatment systems are all critical elements of processing operations. Brewery PAK provides accurate replacement cost evaluations, Equipment Breakdown Coverage and potential code or ordinance considerations.
Auto
If operating vehicles is required in your business – transporting beer on the brewery premises and off, there are many hazards that you face when driving. One example is distracted driving – let’s say your brewer answers a call on his/her mobile phone when pulling the Brewery vehicle up to the Processing Facility, accidentally hitting a stack of kegs, launching them into the air and damaging them and the nearby forklift.
Brewery PAK’s Commercial Auto Coverage is comprehensive and tailored to the needs of your operation. We can provide coverage for your vehicles as well as hired and borrowed vehicles.
