Equipment Breakdown Protection:
Think of the impact of your telephone system or cash registers breaking down, or how a problem with your heating and air-conditioning unit, refrigerator, or electrical panel would affect your business. Without equipment breakdown insurance, your business is at risk of absorbing the full impact of the cost of repairs, replacement parts, as well as a loss of income. This protection gives you some of the broadest protection available, including breakdowns due to:
- Electrical arcing
- Mechanical breakdown
- Pressure explosions
- Centrifugal force
Managing Hoarding Issues:
A person that suffers from this condition feels an emotional attachment to, and an inability to dispose of, unnecessary items. Hoarding is a serious, personal issue that can affect the health and safety of all residents in your building. If the issue is unresolved, it can lead to the disruption of lives, destruction of property, unwanted publicity, and loss of life. Building managers are often aware of the issue but are unsure how to respond.
According to the National Fire Protection Association Journal in January 2012, the average cost of a residential occupancy fire is approximately $12,500; however, a hoarding related fire can cost upwards of $100,000. While 90-percent of residential fires are contained within the room of origin, only 40% of hoarding fires are contained as quickly.
The best way to avoid or manage a serious hoarding issue is by regularly monitoring activities within your building.
- Conduct semiannual inspections of all units as part of your maintenance plan
- View the outside of your building regularly and check for clutter on balconies
- Educate residents about local municipal standards, bylaws, and fire codes, as they apply the maintenance of safe conditions
- Ensure maintenance staff report any excess clutter inside a unit
- Inspect storage lockers regularly, a locker filled to capacity may indicate hoarding
- Engage your local fire department and request assistance with annual fire inspections and enforcement of fire codes as necessary
- Train your staff on how to sensitively deal with a hoarder
Additional Resources (type “hoarding” in the search box):
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