"I'm a Beautician - Why Do I Need Public Liability Insurance?" - Contractors Insurance Australia

May 4, 2015

If you’re a beautician, you may not think you require professional indemnity insurance at all. After all, what harm could you really do to someone: give them a set of 80’s eyebrows, offer them the wrong shade of lipstick for their skin tone? It seems like a pretty harmless industry, right? Wrong! Now, we’re not exactly saying it’s up there with high-risk adrenaline sports and all that, but there are other hidden risks which may not be immediately visible to the naked eye. It’s therefore essential that you think about the risks and consider insurance for beauticians in the form of public liability insurance, which would cover you if a client injures themselves in your workplace or as a result of work you have done. Before you grab a policy though, see below for our reasons as to why you should take out public liability insurance for beauticians.

A Client Could Injure Themselves

There are many hazards in not only the general workplace, but also a beautician’s workplace that you may not have thought about. General injuries that could happen in any workplace include a client tripping over a computer cord, having a box fall on them or other standard injury, right? Simply add the tools and products that a beautician uses everyday and you could be mixing up a recipe for disaster. We’re talking about scalding-hot wax causing awful burns to a client, too-hot water in the hair rinsing chair, or an accidental eye-jab with a pair of tweezers. Even though you may pride yourself at being extra-careful and professional, who’s to say your wax warmer doesn’t malfunction and overheat, or you haven’t had your morning coffee and double-checked the water temperature? Things can go wrong, so it’s important to back yourself up with public liability insurance for beauticians.

Problems Can Arise After Work Is Completed

What would you do if you knew your client suffered a skin reaction to one of the products? Or what if they contracted an infection under their nail due to bacteria build up from an unhygienic manicure? You’d probably be horrified, and then also scared they’d take you to court. Even though these medical issues can be mild and often easily resolved between yourself and the client, they can also be very severe and result in horrific circumstances, medical bills and missed time off work on your client’s part, all of which you’d have to pay for. Public liability insurance for beauticians will cover you for losses to your client such as these, which you may not see occur straight away, but after a lapse of time.

Suing Could Ensue

Of course, there is also the worst-case scenario to consider which no one likes to think about. If a client has a big enough case against you because of an injury in your workplace or because of your services, they could in fact sue you.
If you work from home or have your own work premises, it’s important to get public liability insurance for beauticians to ensure you’re covered in the event of a client injury or damage to property. Get a quote online today or call our office on 1300 GETCOVER (1300 492 862) to speak to our Contractor Cover real-life team.

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