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insurance for face and body painters

How To Find Insurance Solutions for Face and Body Painters

Face painting and body painting date back thousands of years. The practices have been used in the past — and still are in some cultures today — to express political affiliation, power status, and religious devotion, among other purposes. In the modern world, both usually take the form of popular entertainment and are common sights at festivals, birthdays, and Halloween parties. While usually fun and harmless activities, face and body painting are not without risk. It’s important that painters make themselves aware of their responsibilities and protect themselves with insurance for face and body painters.

The Risks of Face and Body Painting

Perhaps the most obvious risk associated with face and body painting is that a customer has an allergic reaction to the paint, sponge, or brush. You never know how severe a reaction is going to be so it’s important to know what your paint and equipment contain and to have clear communication with your customers and/or their parents.

Another potential risk is bodily injury. There are a number of ways members of the public could sustain injuries while employing your painting services. If you’re using a brush to apply face paint and your customer makes a sudden movement, you could easily cause a severe eye injury. Alternatively, if the stool your customer is sitting on is broken or worn down without your knowledge, they could easily fall off it and injure themselves. You can protect yourself in these events and more with insurance for face and body painters.

Children under the age of two pose significant risks and should not be painted at all. Aside from typically being restless, the skin at this age hasn’t fully developed, and painting it could lead to lifetime breakouts of contact dermatitis. The last thing you want is a lawsuit later down the line from an angry mother.

Responsibilities of Face and Body Painters

There are things you can do to reduce the risks described above. As with any public-facing professional, face painters and body painters have certain responsibilities for ensuring the safety and suitability of their practice for their clients. The International Face Painting Association offers useful guidance for face and body painters on what is expected of them and how they can ensure a smooth operation.

  • Face or body painting training. Professional face and body painters should have undergone training or course related to face and body painting. This shows they can produce a certain standard of work safely and appropriately. The training should also cover relevant health and hygiene concerns, some of which are outlined below.
  • Health and safety training. To reduce the chance of injuries while painting — to either the painter or customer — and to be able to respond appropriately if an accident does happen, face and body painters should have completed a basic level of health and safety training.
  • Safe products. You probably wouldn’t want to put the same chemicals on your face that are used to stick colors to car bodies. To protect customers, painters must only use FDA-approved paints. In addition, painters should ensure they only apply cosmetic grade glitter, which is specifically cut to be smooth and reduce skin irritation.
  • Hygiene. A basic level of hygiene is fundamental for face and body painting. Professionals should wash or sanitize their hands between customers and keep their chairs and kit clean using hypoallergenic cleaning products. It’s also important to use a new sponge for each new customer and to sanitize brushes between customers.
  • Allergies. In a restaurant, you would expect the server to ask you and your guests if anyone has any allergies before taking an order. This allows them to properly accommodate any allergies and avoid an allergic reaction. The same applies to face and body painting. As a professional painter, it’s your responsibility to ask your customer or their parent if they’re a minor if they’ve had their face painted before and if they have any allergies.
  • Infections and cuts. Face and body painters should keep an eye out for and refuse to paint anyone with cold sores, open cuts, eczema, conjunctivitis, or any other infection.
  • Age of customers. While generally seen as suitable for all ages, face and body painting can be dangerous for children under 2 who can’t keep still or whose skin hasn’t fully developed yet.

Accidents — and Lawsuits — Happen

It’s common to think none of these things will happen to you, but accidents occur all the time and lawsuits often follow. Nobody ever intends for an accident to happen, but when it does people are quick to place blame.

In 2018, a lawsuit against Legoland was reported in relation to face painting. The mother pursuing the lawsuit claimed her son had developed a rash after having his face painted at a Legoland resort. She claimed the rash itched and burned and had to be treated by doctors over 20 times. In response, she was suing Legoland for negligence.

Professional Liability for Face and Body Painters

Insurance for face painters, as well as insurance for body painters, is available. This means you can protect yourself in the event of an accident and any ensuing lawsuit. Professional liability insurance for face and body painters typically covers:

  • Professional liability (including harmful advice and negligence or alleged negligence)
  • General liability
  • Sexual abuse and molestation
  • Alleged assault and battery

Rick LindseyAuthored by Rick J. Lindsey, President, Chairman, and CEO of XINSURANCE

Rick J. Lindsey hails from Salt Lake City, Utah. He began working in the mailroom of his father’s Salt Lake City insurance firm, getting his introduction to the business that became his lifelong career. Rick J. Lindsey quickly rose through the ranks while working in nearly every imaginable insurance industry job. As an entrepreneur, specialty lines underwriter, claims specialist, risk manager, and a licensed surplus lines broker, Rick J. Lindsey is highly skilled in all levels of leadership and execution. As he progressed on his career path, Rick J. Lindsey discovered an urgent need for insurers willing to write policies for high-risk individuals and businesses. He was frequently frustrated that he could not provide the liability protection these entities desperately needed to safeguard their assets. He also formed the belief that insurance companies acted too quickly to settle frivolous claims. Rick J. Lindsey decided to try a different approach. He started an insurance company and became the newly formed entity’s CEO. This opportunity has enabled Rick J. Lindsey to fill a void in the market and provide a valuable service to businesses, individuals, and insurance agents who write high-risk business. XINSURANCE also specializes in helping individuals and businesses who live a lifestyle or participate in activities that make them difficult for traditional carriers to insure. If you’ve been denied, non-renewed, or canceled coverage, don’t give up quite yet. Chances are XINSURANCE can help.