Longer days and warmer weather means the arrival of Doors Open Ontario, home, garden and flower shows, street/music festivals, community fairs and staff appreciation events. If your company plans to be represented, sponsoring or exhibiting at these events, there are some recommended insurance and risk management considerations.
According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada1 there are three main areas of risk you should consider related to Special Events: injury risks to staff, public and volunteers; reputational risk if situations are not handled well; and potentially, financial risk.
If your organization is participating in an event being planned by another party, your requirements and responsibilities will typically be specified as part of the registration package. Rules, regulations, health & safety requirements and the need to provide insurance certificates, will typically be provided. MEARIE Liability certificates are available for activities that are part of your Operations Covered. Plan ahead and request your certificate as you submit your event registration application.
For special events, such as an Open House or community fair, the question of whether bucket rides
can be offered to the public is asked frequently. Your MEARIE Liability policy does allow for these events, provided such activities are considered part of your "Operations Covered.” That being said there are approaches which may minimize the potential risks involved:
Ultimately, your organization is responsible for the activity and in control of the equipment; therefore, you are responsible for setting the rules to protect the public as well as your company.
Tips for reducing risk while organizing or participating in Special Events:
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On occasion you may be asked by a local charity for the use of your parking lot as a checkpoint during a walk, run or ride fundraising event. While this may seem like a simple, no risk, request, it’s helpful to remember if someone is injured on your property, you are at risk4. MEARIE recommends you request a certificate of insurance with your company added as an Additional Insured from the organization requesting to use your property. The certificate should have a minimum $5,000,000 limit of liability. Your MEARIE Liability policy will protect your organization for your Operations Covered, including activities in your parking lot, but the operations of the outside user would not be included in this coverage.
Staff Appreciation Events sometimes create another risk exposure, related to both alcohol and food service. The serving of alcohol at a private function, under a Special Occasion Permit, by servers who have “smart serve training” would be considered part of your Operations Covered and therefore, included under your MEARIE Liability policy. Food service should be done with proper food handling standards as required by your local health department. Proper refrigeration and sanitary food preparation will help to reduce the potential hazards. It is advisable to contract out the preparation, handling and serving of food and alcohol, ensuring adequate insurance is provided by the caterer. Any time you contract for services, requesting adequate proof of insurance, including being added as an additional insured, should be a requirement in the service contract.
By planning ahead, identifying the potential risks and taking the necessary precautions everyone can have a safe and enjoyable time without incident.
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This Reciprocal Newsletter is an electronic publication intended for Subscribers of The MEARIE Group’s Insurance programs. It is published on a periodic basis and intended for information purposes only. In the event of specific claims, incidents or legal actions against the Subscriber, coverage will be determined by MEARIE policy interpretation. |