BBQ Season is here!

With BBQ season upon us, it’s important to follow some basic safety precautions when cooking outdoors.

- Make sure your grill is in a well-ventilated area. Building an open flame and choking out the oxygen around it could easily lead to a house fire.

- Avoid using anything other than natural wood or charcoal to fuel your BBQ, and never use lighter fluid or gasoline in place of either of these fuels.

- When grilling your food, it’s best to only turn the grill to medium-high heat. High heat can easily lead to burnt meat, and low heat can lead to the meat drying out and falling off the bone.

- Be sure that no one is near your BBQ while you are cooking! If conditions outside are concerning, make sure that all of your BBQ equipment is tied down. This includes anything on the sides of your BBQ as well as storage containers if you have any.

- Use a meat thermometer if you’re unsure of whether or not your food is done!

- Try to keep an eye on the fire. If it starts to die down, add more natural wood or charcoal. If the fire is raging out of control and winds up engulfing your BBQ, use a hose or bucket of water to put it out.

- Never leave your BBQ unattended until it has completely cooled off and all embers are absent.

Enjoy your summer and know we are always ready to help with any question or need you may have.

The team at Barrows Insurance Agency.

Commercial Umbrella Insurance, Added Coverage When It Matters!

Most of us are familiar with Residential Umbrella Insurance.  Commercial Umbrella Insurance provides businesses with added liability coverage when claims exceed the limits of certain primary insurance policies, such as general liability or commercial auto.

Think of umbrella insurance as a backup for business liability policies that you already have. When a claim exceeds your primary policy's limit, you can apply your umbrella coverage to the amount still owed on the claim.

Usually, umbrella coverage can be applied to claims made on these types of liability insurance policies:

·     General liability insurance

·     Commercial auto / Hired and non-owned auto insurance

·     Employer's liability insurance

This is what sets umbrella insurance apart from most policies.  It is only useful when your liability policies have reached their limits. It is like a reserve policy that fills in any gaps if a claim exceeds your other policy limits.

Be sure to discuss with our agents the best type of umbrella insurance you need.  Also, depending on your policy, you may have to make a separate claim on your umbrella policy, depending on whether its coverage responds automatically. If it isn’t automatic, you may have to file two claims: one on the initial underlying policy and one on the umbrella policy.

Keep in mind that many different types of businesses can benefit from the additional coverage and protection that umbrella insurance provides. Businesses that should consider purchasing this coverage include:

·     Consulting

·     Food and beverage

·     Healthcare professionals

·     Home-based businesses

·     Insurance professionals

·     Nonprofits

·     Personal care

·     Photo and video

·     Retail

·     Technology / IT

Our specialized business agents will guide you on the different types of umbrella coverage that your business may need so you know what to expect from your policy.