Business Professional Services Risk Engineering Success Stories

Office workers in a conference room

Helping Business and Professional Services Companies Navigate Risk

Explore how organizations have partnered with The Hartford's Risk Engineering team to identify exposures, strengthen workplace safety and implement practical solutions that support long-term success.
Office workers in a conference room

Strengthening Fire Protection Through Correct Design

A planned sprinkler system upgrade presented both protection and cost concerns. By working closely with the customer and project partners, The Hartford's Risk Engineering team helped optimize the design and improve fire protection for the facility.

The Risk

A uniform service’s planned sprinkler upgrade was based on an outdated design standard and an inadequate on-site water flow test, creating a risk that the system would not properly protect its hanging garment storage areas and could result in unnecessary project costs.

Implemented Solutions

Our Risk Engineering Consultant met with the customer, broker and sprinkler contractor. The appropriate protection requirements were identified, and a new municipal hydrant flow test was obtained. The contractor then redesigned the system using the correct standard and accurate water supply information.

Success

The revised design was approved and will provide protection tailored to the facility’s hanging garment and racked storage hazards. The updated flow test also revealed a stronger water supply, enabling a more cost-effective system design while improving overall fire protection.

More Success Stories

A commercial laundry facility reduced its exposure to combustible dust hazards by improving housekeeping practices and investing in enhanced dust-control measures.
 
The Risk  Implemented Solutions  Success 
Heavy accumulations of combustible dust and lint were observed on equipment, overhead ductwork, piping and electrical conduit throughout a customer’s commercial laundry cleaning facility. Compressed air and blowers were routinely used for housekeeping, increasing the dust dispersion. These conditions increased the risk of a dust explosion, property damage and business interruption. Working with company leadership, recommendations were made to remove combustible dust and lint accumulations, discontinue the use of compressed air for cleaning, and improve long-term dust management. The customer completed extensive cleaning efforts and invested in 13 industrial dust-control fans to reduce dust buildup in hard-to-reach areas. The customer significantly improved housekeeping and dust control throughout the laundry facility, strengthening protection for its building, equipment and customer property. The investment also helps reduce operational disruptions and supports a safer, more efficient work environment.
A pottery manufacturer reduced employee exposure to serious machinery hazards by implementing innovative safeguards that improved safety without slowing production.
 
The Risk  Implemented Solutions  Success 
A pottery business’ clay processing equipment had unguarded moving parts that exposed employees to entanglement and potential amputation hazards during normal production activities.  Our Risk Engineering Consultant worked with the customer’s team to identify safer alternatives after initial guarding options created ergonomic concerns. The equipment was fitted with motion-detecting devices and stainless-steel slide extensions that increased operator distance from hazardous moving parts while maintaining productivity.  This customer significantly reduced the risk of serious employee injuries without disrupting operations or creating new ergonomic challenges. The enhanced safeguards improved workplace safety while allowing the company to continue to produce their products efficiently. 
When a newly constructed server room introduced fire protection challenges, our Risk Engineering Consultants helped identify a practical solution that reduced risk and protected critical business operations.
 
The Risk  Implemented Solutions  Success 
Our customer’s newly constructed server room was powered by lithium-ion batteries that were not adequately protected by the existing sprinkler system, increasing the potential for a severe fire event and damage to critical business operations. While working closely with our Risk Engineering Consultants and looking at the challenge from every angle, the customer chose a tried-and-true solution: replace the lithium-ion batteries with conventional batteries. The decision aligned the server room hazard with existing fire protection systems and reinforced that the best outcome comes from considering all possibilities, not just the most innovative ones.  The customer improved the protection of its critical server infrastructure and reduced the potential for a costly business interruption or property loss. The solution provided a practical, cost-effective path to maintaining a safer and more resilient operation. This investment of $97,251 resulted in an estimated direct loss cost avoidance of $5,295,000.