Summer risk management guidance
Welcome to summer
What are the common risks during the summer months? From summer fires to sun exposure for outdoor workers and the dangers associated with summer driving, there's plenty to be aware of. Taking precautions and carrying out the right checks now will help protect your business this season.
Chris Andrews, Director of Risk Management Solutions
“At Aviva, our proactive prevention philosophy to risk management allows us to help you effectively manage the types of risk that heighten during the summer months. By sharing information and advice on how to approach this, we hope we can help you continue to protect your people and your business from these common issues.”
Arson
Arson is an issue and needs to be considered as part of your overall fire prevention strategy. Any fire has the potential to spread at great speed, endangering equipment, stock, people and property. Even fires started in remote, outlying areas have the potential to affect working operations such as if they cut off access to roads or the rest of your business.
Driven to distraction
When a driver’s attention is diverted from activities critical for safe driving towards another activity, they become distracted, which could result in loss of control of the vehicle leading to a collision. As employers, provide your employees with information on the cause and effects of distraction while driving, how to recognise when they are distracted, have a greater awareness of driving in a shared space and the impact on other road users (in particular, vulnerable road users).
Drug driving
The law on drug driving in England and Wales was introduced in 2015 where new legal limits for a range of the most common illegal drugs, including cannabis, cocaine and MDMA, can be tested at roadside.* Any business with a fleet of drivers could benefit from a comprehensive drug testing policy alongside support for employees with substance abuse problems. Employers must explain their disciplinary procedure and be regular and consistent with the enforcement.
Smoke contamination
Smoke damage can cause corrosion, discolouration and lingering odour – all of which can be expensive and time-consuming to deal with. Because smoke is so easily transmitted, the area affected by a fire is often significantly larger than you first think and can compromise the running of your business for much longer than you’d expect. What can you do to protect your business from smoke contamination?
Summer fires
From long dry spells and weekend BBQs to glass-magnified sun rays on dry grassland, the summer months may bring situations which can lead to fire. You might have equipment which operates in direct sunlight which means it might need to work harder to stay cool. During long dry spells, decreased water levels could also affect the supply of firefighting water. How can you help prevent the risk of summer fires?
Summer sun
Longer, sunnier summer days bring with them a higher risk of unprotected exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun, which could lead to an increased chance of developing skin cancer.** Make sure you and your employees are fully aware of the dangers, as well as the precautions you can take.
Contains public sector information published by the Health and Safety Executive and licensed under the Open Government Licence.
Help minimise risks with our Specialist Partners
We have a wealth of experience in helping customers protect their business. As well as insurance, we provide a vast offering of other products and services to help prevent accidents and losses. As an Aviva policyholder, these products and services are available to you at preferential rates, helping you reduce risk in your business. From fire to escape of water, security to motor, health and safety to business resilience – all our partners have an established pedigree in the risk management sector.
Need further help or assistance?
Call our Risk Help Line to speak to our Risk Management Solutions team for help and advice on
0345 366 6666
Opening times: Monday - Friday* 9:00am - 5:00pm
Email us at: riskadvice@aviva.com
* Excludes Bank Holidays. The cost of calls to 03 prefixed numbers are charged at national call rates (charges may vary dependent on your network provider) and are usually included in inclusive minute plans from landlines and mobiles. For our joint protection telephone calls may be recorded and/or monitored.