Pioneering agreement cuts insurance costs
Cambridge, July 2017 – Food businesses that implement the latest food safety management technology will secure a reduction in their business insurance premiums under a ground-breaking partnership announced by Towergate Insurance and technology provider Checkit.
The insurance discount is offered as recognition that businesses using Checkit technology are substantially reducing their risk of liability for safety and hygiene incidents that have financial and legal implications. Towergate Insurance is offering the saving to all customers in the food service and food manufacturing sectors who implement the Checkit system.
Businesses that purchase Checkit’s entry level food safety management system, Checkit Solo, receive a reduction of £60 on their annual business insurance premium with Towergate which in effect equates to 25% of the annual cost of Checkit. While businesses using Checkit Professional for multi-site food safety and HACCP management can save £100 on their annual business premium for each location.
Checkit provides a fail-safe cloud-based platform for compliance by automating the scheduling, monitoring and recording of daily checks that are required by the Food Standards Agency and enforced by Environmental Health Officers.
Time-consuming paper-based procedures that are prone to error, time-lags and spoilage are effectively replaced with Checkit’s touchscreen handset, which prompts staff when checks are required and provides simple instructions on what needs to be done. Completed tasks are automatically time-stamped and recorded to a secure Cloud account, from which managers have complete visibility of compliance from a user-friendly dashboard and drill down reports.
Additionally, automated temperature monitoring can be incorporated into the same Checkit system, whereby wireless temperature sensors provide continuous readings from fridges and freezers — even during power cuts. Alerts are generated when any readings fall below the predetermined parameters enabling managers to act fast to avoid food safety issues or food wastage.
As a result of Checkit’s technology, food businesses can manage the completion of safety and hygiene tasks with greater consistency, accuracy and control, making them more efficient and confident of compliance.
David Davies, managing director of Cambridge-based Checkit Ltd, said: [quote]“This partnership represents a significant step forward in formally recognising the power of Checkit technology in reducing risks associated with food safety and compliance. Our customers across the UK, from small food outlets to national restaurant chains, caterers and food manufacturers, are already experiencing the benefits of replacing manual paper records with a digital system. Our agreement with Towergate Insurance adds an excellent cost-saving to that list of benefits.”[/quote]
[quote]“Just as car insurance premiums are reduced for those drivers who accept the installation of a ‘black box’, restaurants can claim similar savings for demonstrating their own commitment to food safety through the implementation of technology.”[/quote]
The financial and legal consequences of food safety infringements were outlined in a research study conducted by Checkit [www.checkit.net/white_paper/financial-impact-food-safety], which cited examples where fines ran into millions of pounds. Additional costs relating to reputational damage and lost business must also be taken into account.
In the Food Safety Issues & Trends report published by Checkit in 2016, Nina Purcell, the director of regulatory delivery and Wales at the Food Standards Agency, said: [quote]“At the Food Safety Agency we are committed to ensuring every food business meets the highest standards when it comes to food safety. Digital food safety systems are becoming increasingly important as they allow them to save time, money and meet the hygiene standards that customers rightly demand.”[/quote]
