Getting cheap Recycling Insurance is not impossible! As Insurers continue to increase Insurance prices for Recycling operations, many small recycling businesses are looking at falling profits and wondering if it is worth continuing the struggle to make ends meet. Fire risk management is the key!
Concerns of Insurers can be mostly eliminated by a good Fire Risk Assessment and Risk control program. The good news is that most measures are either low cost or cost free so there is no need to break your bank.
Here are a few tips for small recyclers to implement which will help reduce Recycling lnsurance costs:
Management Culture
The first priority is for the owner and key business managers to make a commitment to the new culture. This means documenting the plan and communicating to employees the reason for change and encouraging engagement.
Process Management
A common sense approach is to start with elimination or substitution of fire hazards and hazardous processes. Areas to consider in the Recycling sector include:
- High speed granulating & shredding.
- Storage of stocks
- Process separations
If a hazard cannot be eliminated, look at how to reduce exposure, perhaps by moving away from areas of stock storage or shortening the time a process is used.
Housekeeping
Good housekeeping is central to a well-managed risk culture:
Housekeeping includes the following area
- Maintenance of plant & equipment
- Inspection of Electrical Installations
- Removal of waste including dust & fibres
- Servicing of fire detection & extinguishing equipment
- Auditing & Monitoring
Finally a plan should include a system that helps the business managers monitor the effectiveness of the plan and audit key control measures.
Fire detection and suppression
Since fires can still happen despite all the best efforts of fire risk management, it is essential to have a robust detection and suppression system. These can include:
- Fire extinguisher to British Standard minimum requirements
- Smoke/heat detection, either beam detectors or an air sampling detector are essential in Recycling operations.
- Monitored fire alarm
- Monitored CCTV
- Fire suppression systems on mobile plant and high energy static plant