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Haggie Dev

Arnold Fisher becomes James Hallam Travel and Tour
Arnold Fisher becomes James Hallam Travel and Tour 1920 1280 James Hallam

Arnold Fisher became James Hallam Travel and Tour  at The ABTA Travel Convention which took place in the Azores. The Next Chapter was felt to be an appropriate theme for the re-launch of an already established brand.

The official re-launch took place at the Cyber Security and Protection of Data seminar, where Vito Sepe Senior Account Director presented details of their new Cyber and Crime product.

Laundry Fires: Causes and Prevention’s
Laundry Fires: Causes and Prevention’s 1024 683 James Hallam

For those who have businesses in the hospitality or leisure industry, the amount of laundry that is generated can be staggering. Whether you have a restaurant, gym, hotel, organise events or another type of hospitality, there are many considerations that you should be making when it comes to laundry; where to store it when it is both soiled and clean, who will clean it and how, as well as quality control and many other factors.

Preventing laundry fires

One thing that many managers or owners often overlook is reducing the possibility of laundry fires. We are finding that laundry fires are becoming increasingly commonplace in the leisure and hospitality industry and can cause up to thousands of pounds in damages to both property and assets as well as the potential for injury or even death of staff and guests.

This is why the possibility of laundry fires cannot be overlooked. Businesses need to be aware of how to reduce the risk of one occurring in their establishment.

What causes a laundry fire?

Laundry fires are most often caused by the reaction of chemicals and oil with heat. When heat rises through a pile of laundry, it can react with oils or other substances on other pieces of laundry such as aprons, tea towels, table cloths or napkins and cause spontaneous combustion. This means that restaurants and hotels are at greater risk of laundry fires than many other businesses.

How to prevent laundry fires

Whilst it is virtually impossible to completely take out the risk of a laundry fire in an establishment which uses linen, there are several steps that can be taken to help to reduce the risk:

  • Wash cotton laundry at the right temperature by checking the ideal temperature for each fabric and washing each one accordingly. This not only means that the fabric will last longer and look great for longer but also reduces the risk of a laundry fire occurring.
  • Use the cool-down cycle of the dryer to ensure that all of the linen and fabric is cool when it leaves the dryer thus helping to prevent the transfer of heat and ultimately the risk of fire.
  • Avoid leaving your laundry in large stacks or piles as this is where the heat can easily transfer and then combine with oils and other substances which can cause a fire.
  • Avoid leaving damp items in a warm or hot dryer as this can trap the heat and make a fire more likely.
  • Once your laundry is dried, allow time for the heat to evaporate before you fold or store it. By ensuring that your laundry is completely cooled you cut the chance of a laundry fire.
  • Once that the drying cycle is finished never leave large loads inside the dryer. Get the laundry out as quickly as possible and air it so that it cools down straight away, therefore reducing the risk of the transfer of heat that can cause laundry fires.

The steps that you can take to reduce the chance of laundry fires are straightforward and logical but are often overlooked. By being aware of potential issues, hospitality managers or establishment owners can reduce the risks of a laundry fire.

Our experience in the hospitality industry is a valuable resource when we are helping businesses to secure the right insurance for them. If you work in the leisure or hospitality industry and are looking for more information about the prevention of laundry fires or help with your insurance policies, why not get in touch with us today for more information about how we can help you.

Gastroenteritis – Strikes at the heart of IAAF World Athletes Championships
Gastroenteritis – Strikes at the heart of IAAF World Athletes Championships 1920 1281 James Hallam

A major outbreak of gastroenteritis has laid low some of the world’s best athletes participating in this year’s IAAF championship held in London.

Regrettably, this outbreak has already resulted in some of the athletes missing out on what could be have been the pinnacle of their careers with potentially far reaching consequences that will last long after the competition closes.

Whist the precise source remains a mystery, the hospitality sector is bracing itself for the inevitable backlash.

During a busy service, it’s not always easy for chefs or servers to drop their responsibilities and find soap and water and wash their hands, yet these simple procedures can dramatically reduce the chances of an outbreak of the norovirus or gastroenteritis.   

Gastroenteritis and the Norovirus- sometimes referred to as the vomiting bug is more common than you might think with almost one million Brits affected every year. This year outbreaks have risen to their highest level since 2011 with Wahaca’s closure of fourteen of its restaurants being the most high-profile casualty.

As specialists brokers within the Hospitality sector, we at James Hallam are acutely aware of the financial and reputational consequences of such an outbreak and the potential health implications for any sufferers.

As Hospitality & Insurance specialist brokers we know the dangers, and unlike other polices on the market our Gauntlet package contains as standard, cover for loss of income and public liability for the Norovirus ,Gastroenteritis and Legionella. 

Whilst we at James Hallam mitigate against a worst-case scenario we work tirelessly with our clients to minimise the risks. Our philosophy is to work with our clients to build an understanding of risk, by advising our clients on best practice and by ensuring its implementation we keep premiums low and thankfully incidents rare.

In a crisis, you need strong and proactive leadership to implement a resilience strategy that

is based on tried and tested protocols- that’s why James Hallam is the Broker of Choice for the Hospitality Industry.

For more information about James Hallam Hospitality & Leisure and how we can help you avoid becoming just another media statistic please call David Noble on 020 7977 7856 / 07818 036566  david.noble@jameshallam.co.uk

James Hallam Hospitality and Leisure is a trading name of James Hallam Limited who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Third party cyber security: pay attention or pay up
Third party cyber security: pay attention or pay up 1920 1280 James Hallam

When ABTA, the UK’s largest travel association, had its webserver attacked, it hit the headlines. No wonder – it had the potential to directly affect 43,000 people, disclosing their email addresses and in a much smaller number of cases some personal data and financial accounts.

ABTA had outsourced the management of its website to a professional UK specialist agency and they in turn used a well-known third-party server space provider – which is where the vulnerability was identified. How do you protect yourself when you believe you have outsourced to experts the job of getting these things right and to prevent such issues in the first place?

It wasn’t just the fact ABTA had been compromised that rocked the industry, it was how: In this age of digital inter-connectivity no one organisation or entity is an island.

Our reliance on third party service providers, regardless of our own security protocols means we are all susceptible to being innocent victims of third party cyber-crime.

Unfortunately, the EU General Data Protection Regulations or GDPR which comes in to effect from May 2018 makes no distinction or allowances for how a breach occurs. A breach is a breach and according to GDPR regulations and you are potentially liable for some eye-watering fines of up to £15.8m for businesses who fail to comply.

Ignorance is no defence and GDPR regulations are far reaching with businesses having to show exactly how they are keeping in line with the law, and a requirement that data breaches are reported within 72 hours.

Wide open window

ABTA’s experience whilst regrettable was not in the event too damaging because it was handled very well. ABTA’s decision to invest in a comprehensive cyber insurance policy from specialist travel brokers Arnold Fisher was completely vindicated, with the hack being quickly contained and the necessary remedial actions and costs quickly resolved.

Last year, Google’s Gmail was hit by disguised malware on smartphones while the US Navy had a data breach involving over 130,000 personnel, believed to be from a laptop owned by a Hewlett Packard Enterprise employee working on a naval contract so don’t be complacent!

Arnold Fisher, the specialist travel broking division of James Hallam, advises on the very latest in third party cyber insurance. Established for over forty years with more than 400 UK travel business clients, they are at the forefront of incident security.

Vito Sepe, Senior Account Director at Arnold Fisher, believes “complacency about third party security is like going on holiday, leaving every window and door wide open and a note on the front door saying you’ll be back in two weeks!”

If you’re in any doubt about the consequences of a breach or how you can mitigate against an attack then give Arnold Fisher a call. An attack calls for immediate action and you’ll need all the technical, financial, legal and public relations support to minimise the damage.

Support includes: –

  • Legal costs
  • Post attack forensic team
  • Investigation team
  • Crisis management
  • PR & reputational management
  • • Call centre handling

Risky business?

Travel agencies keep a lot of private data including email addresses, credit card numbers and passport details, so they are increasingly the focus of third party hackers. The average cost of a cyber breach is as much as £1.15m for large businesses and £115k for SMEs. Recently:

  • China’s largest online travel company, Ctrip had web and app services interrupted
  • Sabre Corporation, a US travel company processing reservations for airlines and hotels was breached
  • Groupon customers had money stolen from their accounts after a third party gained access to password and log in details from other websites

For the business fraternity, thinking ahead and knowing what to do if the worst happens is key to cyber survival.

“We work closely with leading travel companies,” says Vito Sepe, “and create tailored plans to cover a range of cyber scenarios. There is no room for complacency, everyone should be sure their risk management register is up to date. Traditionally, travel companies have always focused on safety and that should apply online too.”

For more information, call 01923 298 410 or visit www.jameshallam.co.uk/travel

Editor’s Notes

Established for over 40 years, Arnold Fisher is the specialist travel broking division of James Hallam, providing insurance to over 400 UK travel businesses. Endorsed by ABTA and AITO, they are a dedicated insurance broker with close partnerships with Advantage, ABTOI and ITT. Clients include sole traders, small independents and large corporates with over 1,000 employees.

James Hallam Meridien House, 71 Clarendon Road, Watford, Herts WD17 1DS

01923 298 410 www.jameshallam.co.uk/travel LinkedIn: James Hallam Limited

2017 Independent Hotel Show
2017 Independent Hotel Show 1920 1280 James Hallam

James Hallam will once again be sponsoring the Independent Hotel Show, which takes place on 17th and 18th October 2017 at Olympia in London.

Inspiring and informative, the Independent Hotel Show is the UK’s largest and best-established business event in support of the luxury, boutique and independent hotel sector.

A firm fixture in the calendar of independent hoteliers and industry professionals alike, the show presents a curated collection of over 300 innovative product and service providers together with expert insight from our Seminar Programme and multiple networking opportunities.

Come and meet the team in the Guest Lounge or why not attend one of the seminars that we will be hosting during the show?

David Noble, Director of Hospitality and Leisure at James Hallam said,

James Hallam are delighted to renew our sponsorship of the 2017 Independent Hotel Show. The show is the event of choice for the hotel industry so as its broker of choice it is the perfect event for us to support.

Seventeen Group announces further Scottish Acquisition
Seventeen Group announces further Scottish Acquisition 1310 776 James Hallam

Seventeen Group has acquired Westscott Insurance Brokers Limited of Dumfries for an undisclosed sum on the 24th March 2017. ‘Westscott’ was established in 1973 and controls circa £2.5 million Gross Written Premium, split 75% Commercial and 25% Personal Lines. The business will be integrated into Seventeen Group’s broking subsidiary James Hallam Limited, which already has a presence in Dumfries under the Annandale brand, which was acquired in March 2016. Sandra Murphy, who joined Westscott in 1997, joins the James Hallam team in Scotland and will focus on client servicing within the new structure.

Seventeen Group is a privately owned insurance Group, which includes James Hallam Insurance Brokers, Touchstone Underwriting and 4Sight Risk Management.

Paul Anscombe, Chief Executive Officer of Seventeen Group comments, “Westscott is very well known to our Annandale team and it was felt to be a ‘perfect fit’ by both Companies in terms of culture and location. We have plans to grow in Dumfries and have a fantastic team now to build upon for the future. We will also seek to roll out our apprenticeship scheme in order to support the local Dumfries community”.

James Hallam Limited purchase Motor Race Consultants Insurance Services Limited
James Hallam Limited purchase Motor Race Consultants Insurance Services Limited 1920 1280 James Hallam

James Hallam Ltd. has completed the purchase of Motor Race Consultants Insurance Services Ltd. (MRC). MRC was formed in 1972 by Barry Bland and is a business with whom the Sports Team has worked very closely over a period of the last 20 years.

Based in Dorking, and closely connected to the Motorsport world through their relationships with Drivers, Managers, Sponsors and Governing Bodies, their current portfolio complements our core business areas of Personal Accident, On Track, Team Equipment and Liability insurance.
James Hallam Sport will be drawing on the strength of the MRC brand to enhance their existing offering.

Paul Anscombe CEO says “I am really pleased to welcome MRC into our Group. The opportunity to expand one of our existing specialist areas is very exciting. It is a sector of business where the broker adds enormous value through sector knowledge and market relationships”

Christmas Q & A with Paul Anscombe
Christmas Q & A with Paul Anscombe 1920 1280 James Hallam

Insurance Age invited Seventeen Group CEO  Paul Anscombe for a Christmas Q&A. Click here to read all about it.

Increase in IPT
Increase in IPT 1920 1346 James Hallam

The new chancellor Phillip Hammond has announced a rise in insurance premium tax from 10% to 12% and this will take effect from June 2017.

This is the third increase to the rate of IPT in less than 2 years and affects general insurance policies including private medical insurance. Travel Insurance IPT will remain at 20%.

It is worth noting that insurance premium tax in the UK is still lower than many other European countries and half the rate of VAT so expect further increases in the future as the Government clearly see IPT as a significant revenue generator for them going forward.

Our view is that increased IPT is bad for the UK economy as increased tax can result in some individuals or companies being tempted to under-insure or even non-insure.

James Hallam Hospitality and Leisure Sponsors of Springboard Awards 2016
James Hallam Hospitality and Leisure Sponsors of Springboard Awards 2016 1920 1346 James Hallam

We are proud to be sponsoring the Springboard Awards for Excellence 2016 on 24 November. Sanjay, Jackie and I are looking forward to welcoming our guests on the night. These include Martin Johnstone (Lester Hotels), Paul Fuykschot (The Stafford), Ruth Hansom (The Ritz), Gary King (Collins King), Dominika Kurowska (Harbour and Jones), Jeff Walker and Jason Leist (NIG).

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