Premises liability exposure is slight at the janitorial service's premises due to lack of public access to the premises, but moderate away from the premises due to hazards at the job site. When cleaning building interiors, there is some potential for slip and fall injuries to the client's employees or customers due to wet, slippery floors, spills and equipment and supplies impeding access. The absence of basic controls (e.g., scheduling to minimize any work done while the premises are open for business, proper caution signs, the use of non-slip finishes, etc.) may indicate a morale hazard. There is also the risk of injury or damage to customers' property from spills, marring, scratched surfaces, and the upset or dropping of breakables.
Many of these fall under the care, custody and control exclusion, and should be covered under inland marine bailees' forms. All agreements regarding responsibility for the property in the insured's care need careful review and evaluation. Janitorial services typically employ casual labor and have high turnover, with minimal time or budget for training, which can increase the loss potential. Pre employment background checks and reference checks should be a part of the hiring process in order to protect clients. A major concern is failure to secure the premises during cleaning and especially upon completion of the work. This hazard increases with high employee turnover.
The cleaning service should have specific procedures addressing lockup and key control that include a final checklist by the supervisor of a particular client when the job is completed. Some areas of customers' premises may need to remain closed because they contain property susceptible to damage or contamination, dangerous materials, or confidential information.
Personal Injury exposures include invasion of privacy and even assault to the customers' employees. Failure to run background checks and review references on employees increases the hazard and reduces available defenses.
Workers compensation exposure can be high. Casual labor, high turnover and minimal training time are all factors affecting losses. Work is also frequently performed under time constraints, which can encourage workers to cut corners. Lung, eye, or skin irritations and reactions can result from cleaning chemicals. Slips and falls can occur during cleaning operations. Back injuries, hernias, sprains and strains can result from lifting. Employees can be assaulted while working "off hours" in empty buildings. Close supervision is needed. Workers may be injured in auto accidents during transportation to and from job sites.
Property exposures at the janitorial service's premises are usually limited to an office and storage of equipment, supplies, and vehicles. Cleaning supplies may contain flammable chemicals that require proper labeling, separation, and storage in approved containers and cabinets to reduce the potential for fire. There may be a garage area for vehicles transporting equipment and crew to job sites.
Crime exposure is from employee dishonesty, including theft of clients' property. Background checks, including criminal history, should be performed on all employees handling money. All ordering, billing and disbursement should be handled as separate duties with reconciliations occurring regularly. Supervision, monitoring and regular crew changes are all used to minimize the exposure.
Inland marine exposure includes accounts receivable if the janitorial service offers credit to customers, and valuable papers and records for customers' and suppliers' information. Contractors' equipment is limited to janitorial supplies and equipment, such as vacuum cleaners taken to the customer's premises. Some contractors may store some of their equipment on the customer's premises; others do their work with equipment provided by the client.
There may be a bailee's exposure for customers' property in the janitorial service's care, custody and control. Damage to high-valued items like carpeting and draperies could result in a sizable loss because a small spill or other damage could result in the entire item being unusable.
Automobile exposures are generally limited to driving to and from clients' premises with crew, equipment, and supplies. All drivers must be well trained and have valid licenses for the type of vehicle being driven. MVRs must be run on a regular basis. Random drug and alcohol testing should be conducted. Vehicles must be well maintained with records kept in a central location. If employees provide their own transportation to worksites, the exposure is limited to nonowned for work-related errands. If workers transport coworkers in personal autos, the cleaning service should verify that personal automobile insurance has been purchased.