NC Painter’s insurance plans can be found in many different forms.  One coverage that every painting company with employees should have is workers compensation.  In North Carolina, the law states that if you have fewer than 3 employees you don’t have to purchase workers compensation insurance.  But what this rule doesn’t tell you is that not buying a policy could wipe you out.

In NC, the workers compensation rules and regulations are controlled by the NC Rate Bureau.  And the rules do give you an out  when it comes to buying a workers compensation insurance policy if you have less than 3 employees.  In fact, there are no real teeth in the law that will catch and find employers who have 3 or more employees who also don’t purchase a workers compensation insurance policy.  So, yeah, you could go years without purchasing a workers compensation policy for your painting business.   But that would be a very dangerous choice.  Here’s why:

Although the law may not require that you actually purchase a workers compensation insurance policy, it will require that you pay all of the claims yourself just as if you were the insurance company.  Workers compensation benefits in North Carolina are statutory and claims are governed by the NC Industrial Commission.  That means that exactly how much gets paid for each type of illness or injury has already been determined by state law.   Therefore, if you are paying out of your own pocket for a claim, you will not have the opportunity to determine how much you are going to pay.  And in the case of a long term disability the amount you might have to pay out is staggering.

So, using the loophole in the law to avoid buying a workers compensation policy only gets you out of paying the policy premium.  In fact, it puts you in the unenviable position of being the insurance company and on the hook for all claims.  And these claim costs can be enormous.  Imagine coming up with $100,000 to pay for injuries that resulted in permanent disability, then paying disability payments for years after that for one of your employees.  Pretty scary huh?  So even if work comp insurance seems expensive, you should realize that purchasing it is a no brainer because going bare means you are pretending to have the assets of an insurance company.  For most painters, that just isn’t the case.

At Clinard Insurance Group in Winston Salem, NC, we specialize in helping painters with their insurance needs.  If you have any questions about your general liability insurance, your workers compensation insurance, your business auto insurance or any other insurance policies, please call us toll free at 877-687-7557 or visit us on the web at www.LowRatesForPainters.com.

As an insurance agent working directly with customers to help them with their home insurance and auto insurance, I see lots of accidents that turn into insurance claims.  The most common type of kitchen fire that I  see in this business is the fire that is started by grease catching on fire in a pan on the stove.  The danger of this kind of fire is often exacerbated by the way people attempt to put it out.   This blog will show you a safety tip that you should share with all of your friends and relatives.  This knowledge could save a life or at the very least, might save a kitchen or a home from total destruction. 

Grease fires are a special type of problem.  And the ways in which you approach this fire can make the difference between a small isolated event in your kitchen and the loss of your home and your personal possessions.   If you throw water onto a grease fire, the water, which is heavier than the oil, will sink to the bottom, then become superheated and the steam will push its way up and out of the pan.  The force of this kind of explosion can be quite stunning and worst of all, this explosion will smear burning oil all over the kitchen from the ceiling to the walls.  After this has happened, the best course of action would be to get out of the house and call the fire department.

Often people unknowingly spread misinformation about how to put out a  grease fire.  These  include throwing flour or sugar on a grease fire in a pan.  Both of these are  very dangerous strategies, in fact it is estimated that throwing one cup of flour or sugar on a burning grease fire in a pan can create an explosion with the force of up to two sticks of dynamite.

Fortunately, there is a simple and low tech solution for putting out this type of fire.

Step 1 – Turn off the heat on the burner.

Step 2 – Rinse a dish towel fully in water and then wring it out.

Step 3 – Carefully place the wet dishtowel over the burning pan of grease and wait for it to cool down.

I have found a short video on youtube that you can watch to see a demonstration of this technique.  Please take 30 seconds to watch this short video and then teach this to your children and those you love.  This knowledge could save the life of someone you love.  To see this 30 second video, please click here.

At Clinard Insurance Group, in Winston Salem, NC, we want all insurance consumers to be informed buyers.  But beyond that, we want people to have the safety knowledge that can save lives in an emergency situation.   If we can help you with your auto insurance, your home insurance, or your business insurance or life insurance, please call us, toll free, at 877-687-7557 or visit us on the web at www.ClinardInsurance.com.