Hot water · someone else's counter · allergens
Liability insurance for a barista
A barista works with boiling water, steam and milk, usually behind a counter that is not his. That combines a scalding risk with the care, custody and control exclusion.
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Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Aansprakelijkheidsverzekering voor een barista.
The calculator and the quote form below are in Dutch. Prefer to do this in English? Email info@finassverzekert. nl or call 072 - 509 24 56 and we will take it from there.
Work out for yourself what it would cost.
Enter your details; you will receive a proposal within one working day.
- We compare the offerings of several insurers
- An adviser checks whether the cover suits your activities
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
Public and employers' liability insurance (AVB) covers injury and property damage to others. For a barista the most concrete loss is a burn: a cup knocked over, a steam wand that catches a guest's hand, a jug of milk at 65 degrees going over a child. You also stand out if you work with a coffee cart or mobile espresso bar at a trade fair, an office or a festival: cables across walkways, a cart that starts to roll, a connection that leaks. The basis is Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code: insufficient care in a hazardous activity.
The second point is that you almost always work in someone else's space. If you connect to a client's water supply or consumer unit and water or fire damage arises, that is damage to property and belongs on the AVB. If, on the other hand, you damage the machine, counter or floor you are working at, you run into the care, custody and control exclusion: that item was in your care and is excluded as standard. The same applies to a hired espresso machine or grinder. That needs separate care, custody and control or tenant's improvements cover.
Your own equipment is not an AVB matter. A grinder that has been dropped, a stolen tamper or a machine that has failed belongs on business contents and goods insurance. If you are unable to work because of a burn or a wrist injury, that is a question of income and not of liability; look then at disability insurance. The wider context for the sector is at insurance for the hospitality sector.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Compare public and employers' liability insurance (AVB).
What to look out for
Four points that lead to discussion more often than the premium when a barista is engaged.
Your capacity has to cover the work
If the policy only says making and serving coffee, an insurer can dispute that setting up a mobile bar, connecting to the electricity supply or giving latte art workshops falls under it. Have setting up, hiring out equipment and workshops included expressly; too narrow a description is one of the most common causes of refusal.
Milk, syrups and allergens
If you serve something containing an allergen you have not declared, injury to the guest is a product liability matter. Check that this section is included. The cost of the product itself and of a recall remain excluded, as do fines from the NVWA (the Dutch food and consumer product safety authority) for a hygiene or labelling breach.
Hired or borrowed machines
If you work with a machine belonging to the client or to a hire company, you are responsible for it but you are not the owner. Limescale damage, a burnt-out boiler or a broken steam wand falls under the care, custody and control exclusion. Record in writing beforehand the condition in which you find the machine and who is responsible for maintenance.
No guarantee of turnover if equipment fails
If your equipment fails during a corporate event, the client claims for costs incurred to no purpose. That is pure financial loss and is excluded on the AVB. After all, there is no injury and nothing is broken. Work with clear terms of supply and a limitation of liability in your quotation, therefore.
What does your premium depend on?
- Annual turnover: the usual yardstick for a sole trader
- Working on site or from a fixed pitch: mobile work involves more varied conditions
- Product liability included: needed as soon as you serve or sell something yourself
- Setting up and hiring out equipment: widens the capacity and with it the premium
- Area of cover: whether you also work at trade fairs abroad
- Sum insured and excess: per claim and per insurance year
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
What is covered
| Situation | Basic | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| A jug of milk at 65 degrees goes over a guest's arm | Yes | Yes |
| Your connection to the water supply leaks and the client's floor covering is soaked | Yes | Yes |
| The boiler of the hired espresso machine burns out while you are working with it | No | Yes |
| A guest has an allergic reaction to a syrup that was not on your menu | Provided that | Yes |
| The client demands money back because your equipment failed on the day of the fair | No | No |
| Your own coffee grinder falls off the cart and is beyond repair | No | No |
Extended here means a policy with product and care, custody and control cover added. Your own belongings stay out of the picture in both cases.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
A guest gets hot milk over them. Is that covered?
Yes, personal injury to third parties is the core of the AVB, provided you are liable. The insurer assesses whether you acted carefully: the temperature, the way it was handed over, the layout of the bar. If the claim is unfounded, the insurer conducts the defence and those costs are covered as well, within the sum insured.
I damage the client's espresso machine. Is that paid for?
Usually not. You were operating that machine and had it in your care. The care, custody and control exclusion excludes damage to property in your keeping. Some insurers offer limited care, custody and control cover as a separate section. Ask for it when applying if you regularly work with other people's equipment, and agree with the client who arranges maintenance.
As a self-employed professional, am I covered myself in an accident?
No. The AVB covers other people's losses, not your own injury or loss of income. The duty of care under Article 7:658 of the Dutch Civil Code applies between employer and employee and therefore not to yourself. For your own absence, look at disability insurance (AOV), a broodfonds (a Dutch mutual sick pay scheme) or personal accident cover.
The client asks for a certificate of insurance. What do I supply?
Usually a policy schedule or a statement from the insurer setting out your capacity, the sum insured and the term is enough. Check that the activities described match what you actually do. If they differ, have the capacity amended before you sign; Articles 7:928 and 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code attach consequences to an incorrect declaration.
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