THE HOLIDAYS ARE UPON US, BUT SO ARE OUR RISKS?
Christmas should mostly be a time for relaxing with friends and loved ones, overeating at Christmas lunch and overall good cheer. However, if the festive season usually leaves you feeling stressed, you're not alone.
Accidents can happen at any time of the year. However, LCIS has identified an increase in the number of claims during the festive season, but why?
Often dubbed the "Silly Season" for a reason, claims history shows us that incidences of property theft, criminal activity and other environmental factors spike over the festive period. In this article, we detail some types of claims that often occur throughout this time as well as providing you with guidance, suggestions on how you can minimise your risks and some actionable tips and points to help you consider how well positioned you are from a risk management perspective during the eventful holiday season.
Increased property theft and criminal activity
Here are some of the most common factors that result in claims during the holiday season.
Claims arise due to various situations, and the most common instances are concerning theft or vandalism losses. As the primary and most common losses that occur, here are some circumstances to consider.
Keeping a regular presence at your location can help deter theft and criminal activity. By following these tips, it can provide peace of mind to your community group that you are doing the right thing by the organisation and also help mitigate the risk.
Some tips to deter theft and criminal activity:
- Try to maintain a regular presence at the premises.
- Keep on-top of mail in the letterbox.
- Having or installing lights on timers/ or sensor lights.
- Activate or consider installing an alarm system.
- Utilise the latest smart technology. Smart locks and doorbell cameras are becoming increasingly affordable, and allow you to remotely monitor the premises and keep an extra eye on any suspicious activity.
- Secure all windows. Windows are almost as popular as doors when it comes to burglary entry points.
- Try to delegate someone to check on things at the premises if you’re planning on going away.
- Lock all gates. Something as simple as adding a padlock to a gate of the premises is an easy and inexpensive way to add another deterrent.
Natural Disasters
While we often direct our thinking to risk exposures such as theft or vandalism during the festive season, environmental risks are also another circumstance to consider. In recent years,, we have seen severe weather conditions impact our country, meaning that an increase in losses is occurring from storm damage, extreme temperatures and other environmental activity such as fires.
Environmental events can be fierce in their impact. Whether you're concerned about extreme weather or other environmental events such as bushfires, one of the best things you can do is to ensure you’re prepared.
Some tips to consider and ensure you’re prepared in the event of extreme weather or other environmental events:
- If you are in a bushfire prone region or high fire risk area, ensure your bushfire survival plan is up to date with the latest local recommendations. Contact your local emergency services website or fire authority for further guidance.
- Manage any drainage problems such as checking your gutters to ensure that they are free of leaves and other materials so that water can flow freely without becoming overflown.
- We also suggest you look at any overgrown vegetation on the premises or surrounding properties.
- Recognise if you need to prune or cut back any trees or mow any overgrown lawns on the premises or around the perimeter of the property to ensure that it is neat and tidy.
- Secure outdoor items. Consider storing loose items like BBQs, picnic tables, and outdoor furniture inside so that they do not become damaged or lost in storms with strong winds.
- If you are in a region where severe weather is frequent, such as cyclone zones or coastal areas, consider whether the windows are specially made to withstand storms or high winds.
For further information on how to minimise your organisations risks over the festive season download our Holiday Checklist.