What does hairdressing insurance cover?
Since hairdressing insurance is an umbrella term for a number of different products, the various situations it can cover is elastic. Below are some of the more typical insurance products you might want to consider including as a hairdresser:
Public liability insurance for hairdressers
At the centre of most policies will be public liability insurance for hairdressers. This type of hairdressing insurance is designed to pay for the compensation costs and legal fees if a customer or member of the public was injured, made ill, or had their property lost or damaged during the course of your work, or at your business premises.
It is not a stretch to imagine a situation where a bottle of shampoo accidentally leaks over your client’s designer handbag. If that client decided to make a claim against you, public liability insurance would pay for replacing the bag, as well as any legal fees that may arise.
» MORE: What is public liability insurance?
Employers’ liability insurance for hairdressers
If you employ anyone who isn’t a family member, you are legally required to take out an employers’ liability policy worth at least £5 million from an authorised insurer. This is to cover if an employee suffers an injury, illness or on some policies, death, while carrying out their work.
Say if an employee were to slip on a wet floor and break their wrist. Employers’ liability insurance would pay their compensation costs, and any legal fees you incurred if they made a claim.
Professional treatment liability insurance
Another important consideration is professional treatment liability, or professional treatment risk, insurance. This will cover you if a customer suffers a physical or mental injury or illness due to a treatment you have carried out – whether it is free or paid for.
For example, it is not out of the realms of possibility for a client to have an allergic reaction to the hair dye you use. This simple mistake could still lead to a claim made against you, the cost of which would be covered by professional treatment liability insurance.
Product liability insurance for hairdressers
There is a high chance as a hairdresser that you will be in a position to supply or sell haircare products to your clients. Even if you don’t manufacture these items yourself, you may want to consider product liability insurance. This is in case a product you have sold or given away causes a client injury or illness, or damages their property, and they decide to make a claim against you.
Say you had sold or given away that hair dye to your customer, and they had the same allergic reaction at home, product liability insurance would cover the costs of your client’s claim.
Hairdressing insurance isn’t just about your clients. Tools and equipment insurance can cover the cost of replacing stolen, lost or accidentally damaged equipment vital to your business, while personal accident insurance is there in case you yourself suffer a life-changing injury or illness.
» COMPARE: Tool insurance
Business buildings insurance for hairdressers
You may want to protect the bricks and mortar of your salon through business buildings or commercial property insurance.
For example, if your salon front window is smashed overnight, and you have commercial property insurance, it may pay for the glass to be replaced.
Business contents insurance
You may also want business contents insurance to protect not only your business premises, but the contents inside, from theft, accidental damage and vandalism. This can include stock held at your business premises. You can buy separate commercial building insurance and business contents insurance if you find you only need one or the other.
Business interruption insurance
If a flood, fire or other unexpected event prevented you from working at your business premises, business interruption insurance can help with your loss of income.
Business car insurance
As a mobile hairdresser or freelance hairdresser, you may not need employers’ liability or commercial buildings insurance.
You might, however, need to look into business car insurance, to make sure you have the right level of cover on the roads.
If you drive to multiple places of work, such as the homes of your customers, then you will likely need to get class 1 business car insurance.
If you have another person at your business that you would want to add as a named driver on your car, you would need class 2 business car insurance.
If you worked as a door-to-door salesperson, as well as a mobile hairdresser, meanwhile, you would need class 3 business car insurance.
Personal accident insurance
Your safety is just as important as that of your clients or employees. Personal accident insurance can offer a payout if you are temporarily or permanently injured, whether that injury happens on the job or not.
What isn’t usually included in hairdressing insurance?
Your hairdressing insurance will first and foremost be defined by what you choose to include and exclude. So if you don’t take out a product liability insurance policy, for example, and a client makes a claim based on an allergic reaction they had to a product you sold them, you will not be covered.
Similarly, you should make sure all the treatments you regularly carry out as a hairdresser are included under your professional treatment liability policy.
Other than that, there are certain common situations that likely won’t be covered by your policy. This may include general wear and tear to your tools and equipment, and claims related to theft if the proper security measures, such as locked doors and windows, weren’t followed.
