Start with how the operation works
Security-company insurance should reflect the services promised by contract, armed or unarmed duties, client locations, employee screening and training, use of force, vehicles, protective equipment, incident reporting, and the severity of a claimed failure to protect. For workers' compensation, workers’ compensation planning should reflect actual duties, payroll, locations, supervision, and workplace controls.
Operating details to document
- Services, client types, locations, payroll, revenue, and contract schedule
- Armed and unarmed staffing, licensing, screening, training, supervision, and use-of-force procedures
- Vehicles, weapons, equipment, incident reports, loss history, and requested limits
Coverage details to review
- Employee classifications and payroll estimates
- Medical and lost-wage benefits for covered injuries
- Employer liability limits
- Multi-state work, subcontractor, and return-to-work considerations
Look for Gaps Before a Loss
A useful review goes beyond selecting a policy name. It connects current information to eligibility, policy structure, and the consequences of a significant loss.
- Compare current operations with classifications and named locations
- Review exclusions, sublimits, waiting periods, and coverage triggers
- Coordinate this policy with contracts and other insurance
Alleged negligent security, failure to protect, excessive force, detention, or civil-rights violations
Confirm how this applies to the operation, how it is represented in the application, and where the policy addresses or excludes the exposure.
Employee injury, weapons, client premises, patrol vehicles, and third-party property damage
Confirm how this applies to the operation, how it is represented in the application, and where the policy addresses or excludes the exposure.
Contractual liability, professional errors, cyber systems, crime, and high-severity incidents
Confirm how this applies to the operation, how it is represented in the application, and where the policy addresses or excludes the exposure.
Employee classifications and payroll estimates
Confirm how this applies to the operation, how it is represented in the application, and where the policy addresses or excludes the exposure.
Medical and lost-wage benefits for covered injuries
Confirm how this applies to the operation, how it is represented in the application, and where the policy addresses or excludes the exposure.
Employer liability limits
Confirm how this applies to the operation, how it is represented in the application, and where the policy addresses or excludes the exposure.
Multi-state work, subcontractor, and return-to-work considerations
Confirm how this applies to the operation, how it is represented in the application, and where the policy addresses or excludes the exposure.
Information to have ready
- Services, client types, locations, payroll, revenue, and contract schedule
- Armed and unarmed staffing, licensing, screening, training, supervision, and use-of-force procedures
- Vehicles, weapons, equipment, incident reports, loss history, and requested limits
- Payroll by employee duty and location
- Employee counts, shifts, and seasonal changes
- Subcontractor certificates and payment records
- Loss runs and workplace safety procedures
Questions for the coverage review
Do the policy classifications match every contracted security service?
Document the answer and compare it with the application, quote, endorsements, limits, deductibles, and contractual requirements.
How do contracts allocate indemnity, defense, insurance, and additional-insured obligations?
Document the answer and compare it with the application, quote, endorsements, limits, deductibles, and contractual requirements.
Could one alleged failure to protect create catastrophic liability?
Document the answer and compare it with the application, quote, endorsements, limits, deductibles, and contractual requirements.
Are employees classified by what they actually do?
Document the answer and compare it with the application, quote, endorsements, limits, deductibles, and contractual requirements.
Do employees travel or work in more than one state?
Document the answer and compare it with the application, quote, endorsements, limits, deductibles, and contractual requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Who should use this security companies workers' compensation guide?
Business owners and insurance buyers can use it to prepare for a focused review of coverage alignment. It is educational guidance, not a quote or a substitute for policy terms.
What information should a security companies account gather first?
Start with services, client types, locations, payroll, revenue, and contract schedule, armed and unarmed staffing, licensing, screening, training, supervision, and use-of-force procedures, vehicles, weapons, equipment, incident reports, loss history, and requested limits, plus currently valued loss information when available.
Coverage descriptions are general. Eligibility, availability, limits, deductibles, exclusions, and policy terms vary by risk and market. Review actual policy documents with an appropriate insurance professional.