Hairdressers Insurance

What is hairdresser insurance?

As a hairdresser, your priority is making sure your clients are well looked after, and looking their best. From cutting to colouring, and styling to straightening, Hairdresser insurance is designed to protect hairdressers and barbers if something goes wrong.

So whether you work in a busy salon, from your own home, or offer mobile hairdressing, there’s an insurance policy that’s right for your business. Here’s what you need to know about hairdressers’ insurance, so you can find the right policy for you.

Do I need hairdresser insurance?

Whether you are a self-employed hairdresser or run a salon with a whole team of staff, you will need insurance. There are different types of cover available, but all will protect your business if a claim is made against you for any reason.

What types of hairdressing insurance are available?

In a perfect world, all clients would be happy, all colour treatments would be a success and there would be no need for insurance. Unfortunately, in the real world, things do go wrong for hairdressers from time to time! Insurance is available to cover everything from theft of equipment to compensation claims, so here are the main types of hairdressing cover available:

• Hairdressers and barbers’ treatment liability insurance

It’s your worst nightmare – you forget to take your client’s colour off, and the bleach burns their scalp, or worse, they lose their hair. Treatment liability insurance is there to protect hairdressers in situations like this where the worst happens.

If a customer is injured or seeks compensation as a result of a hairdressing service you have provided, this type of policy will cover the costs. Compensation claims can run into the thousands, which without insurance coverage could bankrupt your business.

• Public liability insurance

This is slightly different to treatment liability cover, in that it protects you against any claim from a member of the public, whether treatment-related or not. This type of claim includes where a client is hurt or their belongings damaged while they are on your premises.

Examples of where public liability insurance would be needed could include:

• If a customer trips over a hairdryer flex on your premises and hurts themselves
• you accidentally get hair dye on their clothes or carpet during a home visit, requiring professional cleaning
• A customer’s bag is stolen whilst in your salon

The level of public liability cover you need can be £1, £5 or even £ 10 million, so talk to your insurer about what is best for your circumstances

• Hairdressers Employers’ liability cover

If you work on a self-employed basis, you will not usually need employers’ liability cover. However, for any hairdressing business employing staff, this type of cover is required by law. It’s there to protect you and your staff.

If a current or former employee brings a claim against you, this policy will cover the legal costs and any compensation awarded. Types of claims could be anything from someone being injured at work, to unfair dismissal claims.

You’ll need employers’ liability even if your staff are apprentices, part-time or trainees too.

• Hairdressing Products’ liability cover

Hairdressers typically use a range of different products in their work, from colours to styling sprays, and shampoos to specialist treatments. If a product you use on a client or sell as part of an aftercare package is faulty or causes damage, you could be held liable. For example, if you sell a client a shampoo with a faulty seal which leaks and damages an expensive handbag, your client could pursue you for the cost of a replacement.

Product liability cover protects you from any claims arising from your stock.

• Premises cover

Insuring your salon can save you from being left out of pocket if things go wrong. Flood, fire, theft or vandalism can all mean the difference between continuing to trade or having to close your salon down.

If you work as a hairdresser from your home, you’ll need to check that your business activities don’t invalidate your existing home insurance policy.

• Contents and equipment cover

This type of policy is for both mobile and salon-based hairdressers. Your equipment is a crucial part of your work, so making sure it is covered is a good idea. Contents and equipment cover will protect the dryers, styling tools, monitors and any other equipment in your salon. Some policies include cover for fixtures and fittings too, so check with your insurer what’s included in your policy.

• Theft of takings cover

While it’s not a nice thing to think about, hairdressers need to be prepared for what might happen if business takings are stolen. For a salon, this might be from a burglary on the premises, or even for mobile hairdressers, opportunistic thieves can strike anywhere.

Theft of takings cover does exactly what it says, and protects you if you are a victim of theft. You’ll need to check your policy details carefully for any conditions which apply, like keeping all takings secure, or not leaving cash on premises overnight for example. Most policies will also specify an upper limit for claims of this type.

Frequently asked questions

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