Coverage
Workers' Compensation for Security Guard Companies
Mandatory coverage for guard injuries on the job, including assaults, slips, and hazardous working conditions.
Workers' compensation insurance is required in nearly every state for security companies with employees. It covers medical expenses, lost wages, and rehabilitation costs when a guard is injured on the job. Given the physical nature of security work, the potential for confrontations, and the wide variety of environments in which guards operate, workers' compensation claims are common in the security industry.
What It Covers
Workers' compensation for security companies covers all work-related injuries and occupational illnesses that guards sustain while performing their duties. This includes slip-and-fall injuries during patrols, injuries from physical confrontations or assaults, repetitive stress injuries from standing for extended shifts, and exposure-related illness from working in extreme temperatures.
The coverage pays for medical treatment, hospitalization, surgery, prescription medications, and physical rehabilitation. It also provides wage replacement benefits while the guard is unable to work.
If a guard is killed in the line of duty, workers' compensation provides death benefits to the employee's dependents.
Why Security Companies Face Higher Risk
Security guards face a significantly higher rate of workplace injury than many other occupations. Guards working at bars, nightclubs, concerts, and other venues with alcohol are frequently involved in physical altercations. Guards at construction sites, industrial facilities, and parking garages face trip hazards, falls, and exposure to moving vehicles.
Armed guards face additional risks related to weapons handling, and guards providing executive protection or working in high-crime areas may be targeted by criminals.
State Requirements
Workers' compensation requirements vary by state, but nearly all states require security companies with employees to carry this coverage. Texas is the only state where workers' compensation coverage is optional for most private employers; a few other states exempt only very small employers from the requirement.
Some states have monopolistic workers' compensation funds. Ohio, North Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming operate monopolistic funds. All other states allow private market coverage.
Security companies that use independent contractors should be aware that misclassifying employees as contractors to avoid workers' compensation obligations can result in severe penalties.
Key Coverage Features
- ●Medical expenses for all work-related injuries including assaults and confrontations
- ●Wage replacement benefits during recovery periods
- ●Permanent disability benefits for guards who cannot return to full duty
- ●Vocational rehabilitation for guards transitioning to different roles after injury
- ●Death benefits and burial expenses for fatal on-duty incidents
- ●Employer's liability coverage for lawsuits alleging negligent working conditions
- ●Coverage for injuries during vehicle patrols, foot patrols, and static post assignments