Insights

Keeping Shepherd’s Huts Warm in Winter: Insulation and Heating Options
Keeping Shepherd’s Huts Warm in Winter: Insulation and Heating Options 1000 750 James Hallam

With the right design, heating, and insulation, a shepherd’s hut can remain warm and toasty even through the coldest winter months.

In this post we will outline the best and most efficient ways to keep your shepherd’s hut warm in winter.

Insulating Your Sheperd’s Hut For Winter

If you invest in proper insulation for your shepherd’s hut, you can attain a steady and comfortable indoor temperature all year round. This means that, as well as keeping your hut warm in winter, good insulation can also keep your hut cool in the summer.

Insulation works through trapping warm air inside the hut. Without insulation, it will take much longer to heat your hut to a comfortable temperature, as a lot of the warm air will leak to the outside. Also, without adequate insulation, the hut will get cold again pretty quickly the moment you turn the heating off.

Ways to Insulate Your Shepherd’s Hut

You have a number of options for insulating your shepherd’s hut:

  • Foam – Rigid foam boards may offer the highest thermal resistance of any insulation. But this may cost more than other options.
  • Fibreglass – This may be the most affordable insulation choice, as well as the easiest to install.
  • Sheep’s wool – The most eco-friendly insulation option. Sheep’s wool is breathable, meaning it will retain moisture as well as heat. This can help prevent dampness in your hut, which can greatly improve your hut’s thermal performance.

Eliminating Heat Loss – Floor, Walls, and Roof

When it comes to insulation, most people will target the hut’s walls. This makes sense, as the walls have the greatest surface area, and thus may contribute the most to heat loss. But remember that heat rises, which is why it is equally important to insulate the hut’s roof.

Multi-layer insulation can help prevent heat from escaping through the hut’s roof. For a greener option that can also add a touch of character, you could consider applying a layer of sustainable turf to your hut’s roof.

Heat can also escape through the hut’s floor. A layer of underfloor insulation can help prevent this. But insulated mats, or even thick rugs or carpets, can also help.

Draught-Proofing Your Shepherd’s Hut

Your hut’s windows and doors will also contribute to heat loss. Insulated doors and double-glazed windows can make a huge difference.

If your hut is a new build, it may already have double-glazed windows fitted. But if it is an older model, it may still have single-glazed windows. These can let in drafts while allowing heat to escape, which can make it much harder to heat your hut and to keep it warm. Replacing single-glazed panes with double-glazed will make a noticeable difference.

How to Heat Your Shepherd’s Hut in Winter

You have a range of options for heating your shepherd’s hut:

  • Stoves – Many will choose the rustic charm of a traditional wood-burning stove. But for a more versatile option, choose a multi-fuel stove. This will give you the ability to burn a number of different fuels, which can help you manage your hut’s running costs.
  • Electric heaters – An electric heater can quickly warm your hut at the touch of a button. These are only really an option if the hut is connected to the grid, though. Plus, they can use up a lot of power, which means you might be looking at relatively high running costs compared to a stove.
  • Underfloor heating – This might be more difficult and expensive to install than other heating options. But an underfloor heating system is unobtrusive, which could help you make the most of the limited space inside your hut.

The combination of a heating system and good insulation will help keep your hut warm even on the coldest days of the year.

Whichever heating system you choose, make sure it is properly installed, with adequate ventilation where necessary. It is also important to keep on top of maintenance.

It’s also important to be aware that a number of insurance exclusions and conditions apply to the use of open fires and barbeques, and leaving a shepherd’s hut empty over the winter months.*

The Cosy Touch For A Cosy Shepherd’s Hut Experience

Finally, there are a few finishing touches that will make your hut feel extra cosy in the winter.

A heated towel rack can provide its own source of heat, while also giving you somewhere to warm your socks and other items of clothing, so that they feel extra toasty when you put them on.

If you rent your shepherd’s hut to guests, you could provide blankets, sachets of hot chocolate, and even jumpers and slippers.

Get The Insurance You Need For Your Shepherd’s Hut

James Hallam is an independent Lloyd’s broker with a dedicated team of experienced insurance professionals who specialise in getting you the cover you need at a competitive price.

We will ensure you get full cover for your shepherd’s hut, whether you use it yourself, or you let it out to holidaymakers.

Learn more about our specialist shepherd’s hut insurance and get a free quote today.

*Insurance Exclusions and Conditions

Open Fires and Barbeques 

We will not pay any loss or damage as a result of you using a barbeque, wood or log burner, or any other form of open fire within 3 feet of the shepherd’s hut. You must ensure that all sources of ignition are removed from the shepherd’s hut whilst unattended.

 

Draining Down – Water 

From 1 November to 31March (both dates inclusive), when the shepherds hut has been unattended for more than 7 consecutive days, we will not pay for loss or damage unless the water has been turned off at the stopcock within the shepherd’s hut and the water system drained down.

 

Shepherds’ Huts Fire Protection 

  • We will not pay for any loss or damage to your building unless:
  • Wood / log burners are installed by a HETAS approved person.
  • Chimneys and flues are kept clean and well maintained as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • Chimneys are to be swept at least twice per year by an approved person.
  • A fireguard is always used to protect against flying sparks and hot embers.
  • Logs are stored at least 6 feet away from the wood burner.
  • Wood burner is extinguished and left to cool for a period of 30 minutes prior to the building becoming unattended.
  • All clothing, fabric and other flammable items are always kept at least 3 feet away.
  • All shepherds huts have a fire extinguisher and fire blanket installed.

 

Quad Bike & ATV Maintenance Tasks
Quad Bike & ATV Maintenance Tasks 1000 667 James Hallam

If you own a quad bike or ATV, and you use it for agricultural purposes, then you may choose to carry out your own servicing and maintenance.

In this post we will outline some key quad bike and ATV maintenance tasks, to help you design and implement your own ongoing servicing and maintenance schedule.

Benefits of Regular Quad Bike & ATV Maintenance

There are a number of reasons why you should commit to regular servicing and maintenance:

  • Prevent breakdowns – Ongoing servicing and maintenance will keep your quad bike or ATV running at its best. You will spot potential problems as early as possible, which means you can fix them long before they cause you any real issues.
  • Boost safety – Regular maintenance will help prevent tyre blowouts, engine overheating, and other potentially dangerous issues that could jeopardise your safety as a rider.
  • Increase longevity – Staying on top of servicing and maintenance will help prolong the lifetime of your vehicle. You can enjoy years of reliable service while saving money on costly repairs and replacements.

How Often Should You Service Your Quad Bike or ATV?

There is no set period of time when you have to have your ATV serviced but there are some checks you should perform every day, or at least, each time you use your quad bike. There are other checks that you should perform monthly, quarterly, or annually.

But your specific servicing and maintenance schedule could vary depending on:

  • The specific vehicle you are using – an older model might require more servicing than a new model, for example.
  • How often you ride.
  • Your riding conditions – for instance, extreme temperatures, muddy fields, and inclement weather could make more frequent services necessary.

Daily Quad Bike & ATV Maintenance Tasks

You do not necessarily have to perform these checks every single day. Rather, these are the sort of checks you should make every time you use your quad bike or ATV, before you set out.

  • Check the vehicle from every angle for any signs of wear and tear, paying particular attention to the tyres for punctures, gouges, or swelling.
  • Check the tyre pressure before every ride, and adjust it accordingly in line with the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • Listen to the engine for any unusual noises, and monitor the exhaust fumes for any unusual emissions or smells.

Monthly Quad Bike & ATV Maintenance Checks

  • Check the oil levels, and top them up if necessary.
  • Check the air filter, and aim to clean it or replace it every 500 miles or 25 hours of use.
  • Inspect all of the vehicle’s bolts and hinges, and tighten them where necessary.
  • Check the tension and lubrication of any of the vehicle’s chains and belts, and adjust and lubricate accordingly.

Quarterly Quad Bike & ATV Maintenance Checks

  • Lubricate all chains and cables.
  • Inspect the brakes for tension, and for any signs of wear.
  • Check the spark plugs, and aim to replace them after every 1,000 miles of riding.
  • Inspect the shock and suspension components, and look out for any leaks or cracks.

Annual Quad Bike & ATV Maintenance

  • Get a full oil change at least once a year. Oil can break down over time, which can increase the wear on your quad or ATV’s engine.
  • It is also a good idea to fully replace the vehicle’s transmission fluid at least once a year.
  • You should also aim to fully clean or replace the air filter and spark plugs at least once a year, if not sooner, depending on how often you ride.
  • Inspect the vehicle’s carburettor, and adjust the air-fuel mixture screw as necessary.

Get Specialist Quad Bike Insurance From James Hallam

James Hallam is an independent Lloyd’s broker with a dedicated team of experienced insurance professionals who care about protecting your assets.

If you use your vehicle in connection with agricultural work or shoots, we can provide specialist ATV insurance that will cover you for all risks at a competitive price. You can also get additional benefits if you are a BASC member.

Learn more about our dedicated ATV and quad bike insurance services.

 

The Role of Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Clubs In Global Shipping
The Role of Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Clubs In Global Shipping 1000 562 James Hallam

P&I Clubs are indispensable to the maritime industry. They play a crucial role in offering comprehensive liability coverage, financial security, and expert support, which enables shipowners and operators to manage risks effectively and maintain compliance in an increasingly complex regulatory environment.

What is a P&I Club?

Protection and Indemnity Clubs, commonly known as P&I Clubs, are mutual insurance associations that provide liability cover to shipowners and operators. Unlike commercial insurers, they are owned and controlled by their members  so they operate on a mutual, non-profit basis.

Surplus funds are returned to members or used to reduce future premiums. Collectively, P&I Clubs participate in pooling arrangements and excess of loss reinsurance programs, which allow them to share large claims and secure additional protection against catastrophic losses.

How Do P&I Clubs Work?

The fundamental principles of P&I Clubs are:

  • Mutual ownership
  • Risk pooling
  • Non-profit operation

Members share the costs of claims and expenses, creating a system that is both collaborative and cost-effective.

What Cover Do P&I Clubs Offer?

Coverage provided by P&I Clubs is extensive and tailored to the unique risks of maritime operations. It includes liabilities for:

  • Cargo loss or damage
  • Collision damage to other vessels or property
  • Injury or death of crew and passengers
  • Environmental damage such as oil spills
  • Wreck removal costs
  • Fines and penalties imposed by authorities
  • Legal expenses associated with defending clams or pursuing recovery

How Are P&I Clubs Run?

Governance within P&I Clubs is typically managed by a board of directors or a management committee.

This board sets the club’s strategic direction and ensures operations align with the interests of its members. It is usually composed of representatives from member shipowners or operators and industry experts in maritime law, insurance, and shipping. Boards often also include independent directors who provide external perspectives.

The board’s responsibilities include overseeing risk management policies, making investment decisions, and maintaining strong relationships with members to ensure the club delivers value and meets their needs.

Key Benefits and The Role of P&I Clubs in Global Shipping

Covering Liability for Third Party Damage in Collisions
P&I Clubs specialise in handling third-party liabilities, including collision claims, which often involve complex negotiations and legal considerations.

Traditionally, Hull & Machinery policies include three-fourths collision liability as part of their basic form. However, in practice, this provision is usually transferred from the hull policy to the P&I Club.

By moving this coverage to the P&I Club, shipowners benefit from:

  • The club’s expertise in managing such liabilities
  • Its ability to provide security and support during claims handling

Under this arrangement, the P&I Club covers the member’s liability for damage to another vessel following a collision, excluding the insured vessel’s own damage, which remains under the hull policy. This division ensures that collision liabilities are managed by the party best equipped to handle third-party claims and associated legal complexities.

Financial Stability and Flexibility
Financial contributions from members are made through calls, which are premiums used to fund claims and operating costs. These include:

  • An estimated total cost paid at the start of the policy period
  • Supplementary calls if additional funds are required
  • Release calls when a member leaves the club

Policy years typically close after thirty-six months. This structure ensures flexibility and financial stability while maintaining transparency for members.

Claims Handling
Beyond insurance coverage, P&I Clubs play a vital role in claims handling and member support. They:

  • Manage claims on behalf of members
  • Negotiate settlements
  • Provide guidance on operational safety and regulatory compliance

Their expertise in maritime law and insurance, combined with their global network (often through the International Group of P&I Clubs) offers members access to resources and knowledge worldwide.

Trade Security and Dispute Management
Another important function of P&I Clubs is providing security to facilitate trade and manage claims. They can help members release detained vessels or cargo, minimize financial impact, and manage disputes effectively by offering:

  • Letters of undertaking
  • Bonds or guarantees
  • Cash deposits

Everard Insurance Brokers has long-standing relationships with both P&I Clubs and fixed-price insurers, ensuring clients receive tailored solutions that meet their operational needs.

Find out how we can help you today.

In addition to P&I Clubs, our future blogs will include topics such as Freight, Demurrage and Defence (FD&D) protection.

Marine Cyber Insurance: Do You Have Cybersecurity Cover?
Marine Cyber Insurance: Do You Have Cybersecurity Cover? 1000 750 James Hallam

Cybersecurity cover is an essential insurance product for all businesses in the marine industries.

In this post, we’ll outline what marine cyber insurance is, what it covers, and how you can determine if you have the right level of protection. If you already have marine cyber insurance, how can you tell if it’s enough?

Cyber Threats for the Marine Industries

There are a number of cyber threats to the marine industry, with cyber criminals often targeting:

  • Onshore maritime IT systems or onboard OT systems.
  • Data breaches which could expose sensitive information such as accounts, crew lists, staff rotas, and payroll details. Criminals might sell this data for profit or encrypt it as part of a ransomware attack.
  • Onboard systems, including PLCs, SCADA, GPS, and remote engine or cargo controls. If attackers gain control of these systems, they could disrupt operations and cause significant damage.

Even a small cyberattack can lead to staggering costs and reputational harm. This is why all maritime businesses should take cybersecurity seriously.

You can read our full guide to marine cyber security threats.

What Can Marine Cyber Insurance Cover?

Marine cyber insurance can protect you against financial losses resulting from a cyberattack. Coverage may include:

  • Data breaches and data loss
  • Extortion – for example, following a ransomware attack
  • Physical damage – to vessels and other assets
  • Loss of hire – covering downtime caused by a cyber incident

It can also cover your response to an attack, including expert support to contain the breach and outreach to notify clients or crew members of a data compromise.

For more information, read about our dedicated marine insurance services.

Do You Have Cybersecurity Cover?

According to DNV’s Maritime Cyber Priority report, only 40% of surveyed marine organisations invest sufficiently in IT and cybersecurity.

You might already have some form of cyber cover. But given the scale of the threat, underinsurance is a serious risk. Assess whether you have specialist cover for all potential scenarios.

Is Cybersecurity Required For Seaworthiness – An Overlooked Aspect?

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) treats cybersecurity as a core safety requirement. A cyberattack can disable critical digital systems for navigation, propulsion, and cargo management.

As a result, IMO may consider any vessel without adequate cyber protection as unseaworthy. This could invalidate other marine insurance policies, as insufficient cyber measures may demonstrate a failure to secure your digital infrastructure.

Under current IMO rules, every vessel must include a thorough cyber risk management process as part of its Safety Management System (SMS). The ISM Code outlines a five-step approach: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. Marine cyber insurance plays a vital role in the response and recovery stages, making it a key component of risk management.

How to Ensure You Have the Right Level of Cybersecurity Cover

  • Check the policy wording – Ensure it specifies what’s covered and any exclusions. Coverage for response and recovery is as important as financial loss protection.
  • Check the limits – Confirm whether the limits are sufficient for potential losses and downtime.
  • Talk to an insurance broker – A specialist broker can assess your unique risks and secure the right cover at the right price, avoiding both underinsurance and unnecessary costs.

Specialist Cyber Insurance for Marine Businesses

Everard Insurance Brokers are the specialist marine division of accredited Lloyd’s brokers James Hallam Limited. We can help you secure comprehensive protection against cybersecurity risks, whether onshore or at sea.

Learn more about our dedicated marine insurance services.

 

Residential Management Company Director Responsibilities
Residential Management Company Director Responsibilities 1000 667 James Hallam

If you are the director or the manager of a residential management company, then you will undertake certain legal responsibilities while carrying out your duties.

In this post, we will explore what these responsibilities are, along with some ideas on how you can ensure you stay compliant in your role.

What Does a Residential Management Company Director Do?

The director or a residential management company (RMC) or a right to manage (RTM) company is chiefly responsible for overseeing the daily operations of a property. This can include making key decisions about finances and governance, while also liaising with contractors, residents, owners, and other concerned parties.

How Many Managers or Directors Should a Property Have?

A property may have a single manager or director, or it might appoint a committee of multiple managers or directors, who will share the responsibilities between them. The company’s articles of association should specify the correct procedures for appointing managers or directors, and for challenging them or removing them when necessary.

Key Responsibilities of Residential Management Company Directors

Below we will outline some of the key responsibilities of a residential management company director, in turn.

Company Finances

The company’s director or manager is responsible for ensuring the company’s funds are properly managed, and allocated accordingly.

Key responsibilities may include:

  • Budget planning and record keeping.
  • Setting, collecting, and recording service charges.
  • Holding all collected service charges in trust.
  • Allocating budgets to maintain the property while enhancing its value.
  • Maintaining and filing annual accounts, along with a confirmation statement, with Companies House.

Communal Area Maintenance

The company’s director or manager is responsible for overseeing the maintenance and development of all communal areas of the property. This means ensuring that they are clean, well-lit, and maintained to regulatory standards.

This may include:

  • Entrance doors and hallways.
  • Stairs, elevators, and fire escapes.
  • Outdoor areas, including gardens, pathways, and car parks.
  • Fencing and boundary walls.

Governance

The company’s director or manager will ensure that the property operates in compliance with all applicable leasehold regulations and legal requirements (Companies Act 2006). They must remain totally impartial. Among other things, this means they must not accept any benefits from any third parties as a result of their work.

Key responsibilities may include:

  • Staying up to date with the legislative landscape, to ensure that there are no inadvertent breaches.
  • Communicating all legislative requirements, along with any changes, with all relevant stakeholders.
  • Hosting up to four directors’ meetings a year, along with an AGM.
  • Representing the best interests of leaseholders when making decisions, setting charges, or allocating budgets.
  • Creating a culture of transparency and impartiality in all communications and decision-making procedures. The director will also have a legal responsibility “to exercise reasonable care, skill, and diligence” in their role.
  • Avoiding conflicts of interest – i.e. situations where the manager or director’s own interests may conflict with the company’s overall interests, such as appointing a contractor in which they have a financial interest.

Engagement and Communication

Finally, the company’s director or manager will liaise between any parties who may have a stake in the property. This may include leaseholders, residents, property owners, management teams, and contractors.

If conflicts arise, the director or manager may act as a mediator. And as we mentioned above, they have a legal duty to ensure that any decisions made or actions taken are in the best interests of the leaseholders.

Personal Liabilities For Residential Management Company Director

Just like any director for any other company, RMC and RTM directors can incur civil and criminal personal liability for their acts or omissions when running the company. Any failures, oversights, or breaches could result in prosecution, or in costly claims from leaseholders or other stakeholders.

The right insurance can cover you for these personal liabilities, along with any claims that may arise.

James Hallam is an independent Lloyd’s broker with a dedicated team of experienced insurance professionals who care about protecting your assets.

If you are a RMC or RTM manager or director, we can help you get the specialist cover you need at a competitive price. This can include dedicated Directors and Officers (D&O) or Management Liability insurance, to cover you for the unique risks you will face as a RMC or RTM director.

Find out how we can help you today.

Buying a Restaurant – Four Important Considerations
Buying a Restaurant – Four Important Considerations 1000 667 James Hallam

If you are looking to buy a restaurant, in this post we will explore four important considerations that may help you make a good investment while avoiding certain costly mistakes.

Four key considerations we’ll be exploring are:

  • Location
  • Licensing
  • Employees
  • Financing

We’ll explore each of these in more detail below including what you need to be looking for and the questions you should be asking yourself.

Restaurant Location

There are three main approaches to buying a restaurant:

  • Buying an existing restaurant, and taking over as the new owner
  • Buying a vacant commercial property, and converting it into a restaurant
  • Building a new restaurant from scratch on an empty plot of land

Whichever approach you take, location is one of the most important factors for your restaurant’s future success. When it comes to location, there are a number of questions you should ask yourself:

  • Accessibility and footfall
    How will customers get to your restaurant? Is it on a busy high street with lots of footfall? And if not, is there any nearby parking, or public transport links?
  • Location prices
    What are the property prices like in the area? You could make a saving by investing in an area with lower prices. But you might then get a lower footfall.
  • Crime rates
    It is also worth researching the crime rates in the area. Open a restaurant in an area with high crime rates and you could deter many potential customers. You may also have to invest in extra security to deal with the increased risk of break-ins and theft.
  • Local competition
    What is the local competition like? Will your restaurant be one of many, or will it be one of the few eating options in the area?

Licensing for Food Safety and Alcohol

You will need to register your restaurant with the local authority in the area at least 28 days before you start trading. As part of this, you will have to establish and document your food safety procedures. You will also have to provide allergen information, and follow all relevant labelling guidelines.

Read a full guide to registering your restaurant on this government page.

You will need to get a separate premises licence if you wish to serve alcohol at your restaurant. Some establishments choose to forego this step, and instead implement a “BYOB” policy, in which customers are free to bring and consume their own alcohol.

Employee Needs and Recruitment

You will of course need a team of employees to help you run your restaurant. The number of employees you need will depend on the size of the establishment.

If you are buying an existing restaurant and taking over as manager, then you may already have a team of employees in place. If not, you should consider your staffing requirements carefully.

You will likely need:

  • Kitchen staff, including dishwashers
  • Front of house staff, including waiters, bartenders, and hosts
  • Management staff, if you do not intend to manage yourself
  • If you want to offer delivery services, you may also want to appoint your own drivers

There are multiple avenues you can use to recruit staff. You can ask around your friends or family. You can place an ad on an online job listings site, such as Reed or Indeed, or a specialist hospitality site like Caterer or Restaurant Jobs UK. And you could even do things the old fashioned way, with an ad in a local paper.

If you need a trained workforce as soon as possible, you could also turn to a temping or recruitment agency.

Financing, Investment and Overheads

If you are thinking about opening a restaurant, it is likely that you will have already considered your finances. You know you will need a significant financial investment in order to open your restaurant. You also know you will need an additional sum to cover your overheads once you open: staff wages, stock orders, maintenance and repairs, utility costs, and so on.

But when it comes to finances, one thing you may not have considered is insurance. There are certain insurance products that you will be required to get, by law. For example, if you employ any staff, then you have a legal duty to get employer’s liability insurance. You may also need to get some form of buildings cover as part of your leasing arrangement.

Beyond this, there are a range of insurance products that will give you essential cover should anything go wrong. These include public and product liability insurance, contents insurance, and business interruption insurance.

Read our full guide to the many types of insurance a restaurant may need. We also have a guide to how much you might expect to pay for your restaurant insurance.

Get Specialist Restaurant Insurance From James Hallam

James Hallam is an independent Lloyd’s broker with access to a hand-picked selection of A-rated insurance providers.

If you are looking to open a restaurant, we are here to help. Whether this is your first restaurant, or you are adding another establishment to an existing portfolio, we can help you get the specialist cover you need at a competitive price.

Get in touch for a free quote today.

Manufacturing Sustainability: Ideas and Strategies
Manufacturing Sustainability: Ideas and Strategies 1000 530 James Hallam

If you own or manage a manufacturing business, then you are likely aware of how heavy on resources your operations can be. In this post, we will explore some ideas and strategies that may help you make your manufacturing business more sustainable.

Why Sustainability Matters in Manufacturing

Sustainability in manufacturing means moving to a cleaner, more efficient, and less wasteful model. There are a number of benefits to working towards sustainability:

  • Reduce costs – Sustainable manufacturing processes generally use less energy while producing less waste. This can lead to lower running costs across your entire manufacturing operation.
  • More efficient processes – Through reducing waste and inefficiency across your production line, sustainable manufacturing processes can lead to higher throughputs and outputs.
  • Regulatory compliance – Investing in sustainability will help you stay in line with national and global sustainability regulations. The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), for example, will require manufacturing businesses across the world to report certain sustainability data. Investing in sustainability now will help to future proof your business, as you may not have to make too many major adjustments as the regulatory landscape evolves.
  • Competitive advantage – One recent study found that 79% of consumers actively choose to work with businesses that make sustainability a priority. Investing in sustainability could help you attract and retain new clients and customers. Employees tend to prefer to work for sustainable companies too. Your sustainability efforts, then, could also help with your recruitment and staff retention.

Key Aims of Sustainable Manufacturing Practices

There are many aspects to a sustainable manufacturing strategy. These include:

  • Reducing emissions and pollution levels.
  • Reducing waste while investing in recycling.
  • Prioritising efficiency and moving towards “lean” manufacturing procedures.

What is Lean Manufacturing?

Sustainable manufacturing is lean manufacturing. This means that every aspect of the operation has been optimised to maximise efficiency while reducing waste.

As an example of lean manufacturing in action, think about Toyota’s “just-in-time” production principles.

Previously, Toyota would manufacture every part and component they could possibly need, in bulk. With “just-in-time” production, though, they only made the parts that they really needed, and only when they really needed them. In this way, they managed to boost their output and their speed while also dramatically reducing waste.

Lean manufacturing can lead to improvements across your entire manufacturing business. For instance, it can lead to a happier and more productive workforce, as “lean” production lines tend to be cleaner, less cluttered, and generally more pleasant places to work.

Key Ideas and Strategies For Sustainable Manufacturing

  • Perform a thorough audit of your operations
    Identify any sources of waste and inefficiency. Be sure to talk to your employees, too. They are sure to have some ideas on how certain processes might be improved.
  • Audit your tools and equipment
    Older equipment might use more power to produce less. And when inspecting your machinery, you could identify certain sources of pollution, along with some quick fixes: Exhaust filters that need cleaning, air hoses that need sealing, heat that could be recovered and reused, and so on.
  • Upgrade your raw materials
    Switch to recycled, biodegradable, plant-based, and low-impact alternatives wherever possible. Also consider whether any of your current “waste” could actually be recycled and reused, such as scrap metal, packaging, and paper.
  • Think about circular economy practices
    What can you do to extend the life cycle of your products, or to make it easier for your clients and customers to dispose of or recycle your products? Solutions could include switching to sustainable packaging, and making your products easier to disassemble for reuse or recycling.
  • Think About Your Partners and Suppliers
    Finally, as well as auditing your processes, equipment, stock, and materials, you should also audit the partners and suppliers you work with. In short, you should only partner with businesses that take sustainability as seriously as you do. The right suppliers and logistics firms, for instance, can help you reduce lead and delivery times while also cutting down on emissions.

Your commitment to sustainability can even extend to the professional services you work with, such as your insurer. And this is where we come in.

Specialist Manufacturers Insurance from a Broker Committed to Sustainability

James Hallam is an independent Lloyd’s broker with access to a hand-picked selection of A-rated insurance providers. We can help you access specialist manufacturers insurance, and you can rest assured that we share your commitment to sustainability. You can read more about our environmental policy.

Find out how we can help you today.

 

Warehouse Health and Safety Policy Checklist
Warehouse Health and Safety Policy Checklist 1000 667 James Hallam

If you are a warehouse manager, health and safety should be your priority. You have a duty of care to your staff, and a legal responsibility for keeping them safe. Yet even beyond this, any accidents and incidents in the warehouse will lead to costly delays with repercussions that could be felt across the entire organisation.

In this post we will highlight some major health and safety risks for warehouses, before listing the key areas of focus for a warehouse health and safety policy.

Health and Safety Risks For Warehouses

There are a number of major health and safety risks for warehouses, including:

  • Employee injuries
  • Fire and flood
  • Theft
  • Cyber risks

We’ll go through each of these in more detail to explore exactly what these risks are and how they can affect you and your employees.

Employee injuries

Warehouses may be among the most hazardous of all working environments.

Employees may slip, trip, or fall, or they may get injured by a falling object. Depending on what you store in your warehouse, there may be a risk of exposure to hazardous substances.

Also, without the proper training and equipment, they could even injure themselves while doing the daily tasks that their job requires – such as through spraining their back while lifting a heavy object.

And of course, many of the injury risks that exist for your employees will also exist for visiting clients, delivery drivers, contractors, and other members of the public.

Fire and Flood

Warehouses are full of flammable substances, including cardboard boxes, packing materials, and cleaning substances. This means that even a small outbreak of fire could quickly spread.

You should also be aware of the risks of flood. Even if your warehouse is not located near a body of water, a burst pipe could still do a lot of damage.

Theft

Thieves actively target warehouses, and a break-in could result in significant inventory losses. If your organisation or your clients experience financial losses as a result of a preventable theft, it could cause liability issues for you, as the warehouse manager.

Cyber Risks

Finally, all organisations are vulnerable to cyberattacks, and warehouses are no exception.

As a warehouse manager, you will have a lot of valuable data stored on your devices, and you may use dedicated warehouse management systems to keep everything running. Cybercriminals may actively target your warehouse, either to steal your valuable data outright, or to encrypt it as part of a ransomware attack. Or they may target your management system simply to cause some chaos.

A cyberattack of any size could result in severe disruption and serious losses across the whole organisation. And on top of this, you could experience significant reputational damages if a client’s data is leaked as a result of the attack.

Warehouse Health and Safety Policy Checklist

There are a number of key areas of focus to make an effective warehouse health and safety policy, including:

  • Risk assessment
  • Employee awareness and training
  • Cleaning and decluttering
  • Safe storage
  • Flood preparedness
  • Equipment audit

We’ll explore these in more detail, to look at what they entail and how to work through each of these steps.

Warehouse Risk Assessment

To begin with, you should perform a thorough risk assessment for your whole warehouse, and the surrounding areas to identify:

  • All the things that could go wrong.
  • Assess how likely it is that each incident will occur
  • How costly each incident could potentially be

This risk assessment should form the basis of your warehouse health and safety policy. Once you have identified every possible risk that you, your employees, and other members of the public could face, you will have a good idea of the steps you should take to address these risks.

Employee Awareness and Training

Your next step is to ensure that every employee understands:

  • The risks they may face in their work
  • How they should protect themselves against these risks (such as with PPE)
  • The actions they should take should anything ever go wrong (such as essential first aid and incident reporting procedures)

You should also invest in ongoing staff training. Every member of warehouse staff will likely receive induction training. But you could offer periodic refresher sessions to keep everyone updated.

The training should of course cover how employees can do their jobs without injuring themselves, which may include guidance on proper lifting techniques, or on how to safely use certain pieces of equipment. Some members of the team will likely need additional specialist training, such as your appointed first aiders, and your forklift drivers.

And of course, all members of staff should receive training in spotting and responding to cybersecurity risks.

Cleaning and Decluttering the Warehouse Environment

Simply endeavouring to keep the warehouse environment clean and decluttered could help prevent many slips, trips, and falls. Cleaning and decluttering are also vital for reducing the risk of fires, and of ensuring that any fire that breaks out can be safely contained without spreading.

There should be a policy to immediately clean any spillage, clutter, or mess. There should be no obstructions to any doorways, walkways, corridors, or pathways. Everywhere should be lit appropriately, and you should change any broken lights as soon as they are spotted.

Safe Storage

Implement a policy of never storing heavy objects on high shelves. This can help reduce the potential injuries from falling injuries, as well as any potential accidents as a result of lifting a heavy object too high.

Any potentially harmful substances should be stored, handled, and disposed of in accordance with all relevant guidelines. The warehouse environment should be well ventilated to prevent the spread of harmful vapours. And in the event of a spillage, it should be cleared up as soon as possible, by trained staff in line with the applicable HSE guidance.

If you store potentially hazardous substances, your warehouse health and safety policy should outline the evacuation procedure in the event of a spillage, along with the procedures for addressing potential medical emergencies.

Flood Preparedness

Consider your flood risks, and determine how you would respond to a flood outbreak to limit the potential water damage, and to keep everyone safe.

Depending on your location, flood risk management may involve keeping an eye on weather conditions and looking out for government weather warnings. Or it might be that your only risk of flood is from leaks and burst pipes, in which case all members of staff should know how to spot the early signs.

Equipment Audit

Do you have all of the right safety and security equipment to prevent or respond to potential hazards? This might include:

  • Fire alarms, fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems, fire doors, and smoke ventilation systems.
  • CCTV, security alarms, security fences, and automatic floodlights.
  • Equipment for safe lifting and handling, including forklifts and employee PPE.

You should regularly inspect all equipment for any faults, or any signs of wear and tear. You should also ensure that any perishable equipment is in code. If anything needs repairing or replacing, do so as soon as possible.

Reviewing Your Warehouse Health and Safety Policy

Your warehouse health and safety policy is not the sort of document that you can finish and then never think about again. Health and safety is an ongoing commitment, and as part of this you should regularly review your health and safety policy.

This means new risk assessments, to ensure that you are staying on top of all existing risks, and to help you keep abreast of any emerging risks. It also means ongoing staff training, and ongoing equipment inspections.

Specialist Warehouse Insurance From James Hallam

James Hallam is an independent Lloyd’s broker with access to a hand-picked selection of A-rated insurance providers.

We can help you get specialist stock and warehouse insurance that can help to cover you and your employees for all the risks you face in your work, at a highly competitive price.

Find out how we can help you today.

What Insurance Do Personal Trainers Need?
What Insurance Do Personal Trainers Need? 1000 667 James Hallam

Working as a personal trainer or a fitness instructor can be risky, for both you and your clients.

In this post we will outline all of the insurance you should consider getting as a personal trainer or a fitness instructor.

Do I Need Insurance If I Work For a Gym?

If you work for a gym, they may provide some form of cover to you as an employee. Yet you may not the full cover you need for all risks.

If you are an independent personal trainer or fitness instructor, or if you run online classes, then you will certainly have to arrange for all of your insurance cover.

What Insurance Do Personal Trainers Need?

There are different types of insurance that personal trainers could benefit from to protect them and their clients should the worst happen. This includes:

  • Personal injury insurance
  • Professional liability insurance
  • Public liability insurance
  • Equipment insurance
  • Employer’s liability insurance
  • Cyber insurance

We’ll explore each of these individually, what they cover and how they can help.

Personal Injury Insurance

Working as a personal trainer or fitness instructor can be a lot more physically demanding than other roles.

What this covers: If you ever injure yourself while exercising, or even while performing other daily tasks, and you will not be able to work.

Personal injury insurance can give you a cash injection that will help you make ends meet while you recover from your injury.

You could also get dedicated loss of earnings insurance, which could provide additional cover should a serious injury put you out of action for an extended period.

Professional Liability Insurance

Your clients work with you because they want to see results. If a client does not see the results that they expect to see, then they may make a claim against you. They may allege that you made unrealistic promises, or that you misrepresented your abilities. And they may demand compensation as a result.

This may seem unrealistic, but it happens.

What this covers: Professional liability insurance can cover you for claims of negligence, dishonesty, and other allegations from dissatisfied customers. The insurance can cover your legal fees, should you need to defend yourself in court, along with any compensation that may be due if the court rules in your client’s favour.

Public Liability Insurance

You can do all you can to keep your clients safe during sessions. But accidents happen. And if a client injures themselves during a workout or a class, they may make a claim against you.

What this covers: Public liability insurance can cover any compensation payments that may arise.

Public liability insurance can also cover damage to property. This can include instances where clients damage your property during a session, or the equipment at a gym you work at. If you offer home visits, public liability insurance can also cover any accidental damage to your client’s property.

Some personal trainers run online sessions. Public liability insurance can also cover you should a client injure themselves while taking a digital class in their own home, while you are located elsewhere.

Equipment Insurance

What this covers: Specialist sport equipment insurance can cover your valuable equipment for loss, damage, or theft. You can get cover for when you are storing and transporting your equipment, and for when you are using it, either on your own premises, in a gym, or in a client’s home.

Equipment insurance can also cover the technology you use to run your personal trainer or fitness instructor insurance, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and stereo systems.

Employer’s Liability Insurance

Many personal trainers work alone. But if you hire any staff as part of your work, then you have a legal requirement to get employer’s liability insurance.

What this covers: This will cover your employees for any accidents, injuries, or illnesses they may sustain while working for you.

There are no ifs and buts with employer’s liability insurance. If you employ staff, then you need this cover in place. This is true even if you only employ someone part time to manage your schedule and carry your equipment, and even if you hire a friend or a family member to do so.

Cyber Insurance

Finally, anyone who runs any kind of business should take the risks of cybercrime seriously. Personal trainers and fitness instructors are no exception. If you use a computer to manage your schedule and your clients list, then you are vulnerable to a cyberattack.

Cybercriminals may target you in order to steal your valuable client data. Or they may forcibly encrypt your data as part of a ransomware attack. Cybercriminals will not care if you are “only” a personal trainer with a small handful of clients. Anyone is fair game to them.

What this covers: Cyber insurance can cover you for many of the risks associated with cybercrime, as well as for the costs of responding and recovering to the attack. As such, it is one form of cover that no business owner should do without, and this extends to personal trainers and fitness instructors.

Specialist Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor Insurance From James Hallam

James Hallam is an independent Lloyd’s broker with access to a hand-picked selection of A-rated insurance providers.

If you are a personal trainer or a fitness instructor, we can help you get the specialist cover you need at a competitive price. We can help you whether you work for a gym, or you offer your own independent services, or even if you run online fitness classes.

Get in touch for a free quote today.

What Insurance Does a Recruitment Agency Need?
What Insurance Does a Recruitment Agency Need? 1000 666 James Hallam

Recruitment agencies will contend with many of the same risks as any other business in any other sector. But there are also a number of risks that may be more pronounced or pressing for recruitment agencies.

In this post we will explore the various risks your recruitment agency may face, along with the insurance products that will help you manage and mitigate these risks.

Key Risks For Recruitment Agencies

While recruitment agencies face the same risks as any other business, they also face a very specific set of risks relating to the work they do, including:

  • If an organisation is dissatisfied with an employee you supply, they may make a claim against you on the grounds of negligence, or errors and omissions.
  • An individual could make a similar claim against you, if they feel you misrepresented a position in a listing or an interview.
  • You could also face a negligence claim if you accidentally share confidential client information, either with organisations who are looking for employees, or applicants who are looking for work.
  • While visiting your premises, a client may slip, trip, or fall, resulting in injury, or damage to their property. Or you may accidentally damage a client’s property when visiting their Either situation could result in a compensation claim against you.
  • Cybercriminals may target your business data, either stealing and leaking it outright, or else encrypting it as part of a ransomware attack. As well as the costs associated with data loss and recovery, such a cyberattack could also result in considerable reputational damage.

What Insurance Cover Does a Recruitment Agency need?

There are a number of different types of insurance that recruitment agencies either legally need or would significantly benefit from, including:

  • Professional indemnity insurance
  • Employer’s liability insurance
  • Public liability insurance
  • Business contents and premises insurance
  • Cyber insurance
  • Commercial crime insurance

Below we will explore each of these insurance products with more information and the types of claims they can cover you for.

Professional Indemnity Insurance

Professional indemnity insurance may also be referred to as professional liability insurance. This is cover for any mistakes you or your staff may make in your work, along with any allegations that you may have acted negligently or dishonestly.

As well as covering any financial losses a client may experience as a result of an error, your professional indemnity insurance can also cover your legal fees, along with any financial losses you may incur yourself, such as those associated with lost documents.

Here are some of the claims for which a professional indemnity insurance policy can provide essential cover:

  • Negligence or errors and omissions – such as forgetting to perform or complete a reference check on a candidate, or accidently sharing confidential information.
  • Unintentional intellectual property infringement – such as a claim that your company logo resembles an existing trademark or copyright.
  • Loss of data or documents – such as if an employee accidentally leaves a laptop on a bus or a train.
  • Allegations of dishonesty – such as if a candidate asserts that you misrepresented a role, or if an organisation asserts that you misrepresented a candidate.

Employer’s Liability Insurance

This is one insurance product that you are legally required to have in place. Under the Employer’s Liability Act (1969), if you employ any staff, then you have a legal duty to get insurance for any illnesses, injuries, or other losses or damages an employee may sustain as a result of working for you.

Public Liability Insurance

While employer’s liability insurance can cover your staff for illnesses, injuries, and other damages, public liability insurance can provide similar cover for members of the public. This might include candidates, clients, contractors, delivery drivers, and anyone else who may visit your premises.

As well as covering incidents that occur on your premises, public liability insurance can also cover any losses or damages that you or your employees cause when visiting clients. For example, if you spill a cup of coffee over a client’s computer while meeting them, your public liability insurance can cover the cost of replacing or repairing the device.

Business Contents and Premises Insurance

Business premises insurance can cover your agency’s premises for any loss or damage experienced as a result of fires, floods, break-ins, or other insured events. Meanwhile, contents insurance can cover your equipment for loss or theft, including all of your devices, along with your office furniture, fixtures, and fittings.

Some contents insurance policies will even cover your devices when they are lost or damaged outside of the office.

You should also consider business interruption insurance. If an unexpected event, such as a fire or a flood, ever prevents you from operating your recruitment agency, business interruption insurance can cover your overheads for as long as it takes you and your employees to recover from the setback.

Cyber Insurance

Every business in every sector should be aware of the growing risks of cyberattacks, while taking steps to keep their data and their systems secure. Cyber insurance can cover you for the costs associated with a data breach or a cyberattack, including loss of data, along with your response and recovery from the incident.

For more information, read our full guide to what cyber insurance covers, and why you need it.

Commercial Crime Insurance

While cyber insurance can cover you for the risks posed by third party criminals, commercial crime insurance can cover you for crimes committed by your own employees, including fraud, theft, and embezzlement.

Be sure to read our full guide to commercial crime insurance.

Specialist Insurance For Recruitment Agencies From James Hallam

James Hallam is an independent Lloyd’s broker with a dedicated team of experienced insurance professionals who care about protecting your business. We will help you understand the unique risks you face as a recruitment specialist, before helping you access the specialist cover you need at a competitive price.

Find out how we can help you today.

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