Tradesman Insurance can be broken down into different options, such as:
Public Liability Insurance
Public Liability Insurance protects your business should a client or member of the public suffer an injury, damage or loss to themselves or their property through negligence while in contact with your premise, staff members or vehicles. For example, if a customer visits your shop and trips due a wet floor, compensation would be owed, and this type of insurance would cover the costs, which could be in the thousands. In law, this falls under, ‘Duty of Care’ and relates to invitees, licensees and unfortunately, trespassers.
Even if every precaution is taken, Public Liability Insurance is advised because accidents will happen, and the resulting lawsuit could ruin you and your business.
What Does Public Liability Insurance Cover?
Public Liability Insurance covers hazards. such as:
- Slips, Trips and Falls.
- Spills, wires and unmarked equipment.
- Items dropping, falling and/or breaking while in use, harming others in the process.
- Damage done to property and belongings.
- You must maintain and upkeep your working environment. Broken doors, loose screws, and snagged carpets could lead to injury.
- Goods in transit, driving clients to and from worksites and work vehicles in general could lead to injury and damage.
Tickets and allegations of careless driving could also land your drivers and business in trouble. LicenceDefence from Road Halo can offer advice and assistance with police interviews, paperwork and legal processes should you need it.
It’s important to note that even if you’re self-employed, Public Liability Insurance can protect you against the above hazards and claims too.
At Jon Simon Insurance, we can cover you for claims up to £10 million.
Employer’s Liability Insurance
Employer’s Liability Insurance is a legal requirement for all businesses with employees, including unpaid and contracted staff. It covers any compensation claimed due to injuries or illnesses (both physical and mental) they suffer as a result of doing their job. The legal minimum is £5 million, which may seem excessive, but consider if someone needed rehabilitation or care for the rest of their lives, and how expensive this would be.
If a staff member also requires time off work, they may claim compensation for money lost due to this.
At Jon Simon Insurance, our Employer’s Liability Insurance includes temporary employees and sub-contractors.
Product Liability Insurance
Product Liability Insurance covers any defects, bad workmanship or other issues that could cause injury or damage to a user or property. Product Liability Insurance would pay for any compensation sought. Even if you don’t manufacture the finished product, if you contribute to parts or repair products then this could also make you liable.
Products and parts must be produced and sold in a way that is safe for their intended use. Steps can be taken to prevent harm, such as:
- Including instructions on proper use.
- Providing warnings of potential risks and dangers.
- Regularly monitoring and improving business safety functions where necessary.
These steps show that care has been taken to keep customers safe and may lessen damage done to your reputation should product liability cases come about.
Product Liability compensation is calculated based on case severity and scale of loss, and therefore, could end up costing you millions. If you work with parts and products on a regular basis, then Product Liability Insurance will keep you protected.
Owned Plant and Hired in Plant Insurance
As a tradesman, it’s likely you’ll either own or hire your own equipment and machinery. If these are lost, damaged or stolen, you’ll need to replace them. Owned Plant and Hired in Plant Insurance will cover these costs, ensuring you don’t suffer loss of work or income should these issues occur.
Contract Works Insurance
Contract Works Insurance protects you against fires, floods, storms, vandalism and other such events, that prevent you from completing a contract in the specified time. It can pay to repair or redo any work that was in progress, covering the cost of materials, tools and staff.
Other Types of Tradesman Insurance include:
- Personal Accident: Should you become ill or suffer an injury which prevents you from working, then Personal Accident Insurance will cover medical expenses, corrective surgery and disablement. It can also cover accidental death and funeral expenses.
- Hand Tools: Theft, damage or loss to these items.
- Efficacy: If you install a product or provide a service that doesn’t perform, then efficacy cover will protect you against claims made from customers.
Exclusions
When taking out an insurance policy, it’s important to look out for certain exclusions that may not be included, such as:
- Location Exclusions: For example, some insurers may not cover work undertaken at docks, railways, airports and harbours.
- Working Abroad.
- Depth And Height Restrictions: This differs, but in general, work done 4-5 metres down or 15 metres above the ground is not covered.
Realising how much cover you may need may be leaving you with feelings of dread and unease, especially concerning how much this may cost. Jon Simon Insurance will advise you on a range of options, ensuring you feel confident you have the right cover for your business.
Our Range Of Tradesman Insurance Includes:
- Public Liability – up to £10 million.
- Employers Liability – including Temporary Employees and Sub Contractors.
- Hand Tools.
- Owned and Hired in Plant.
- Contract Works.
- Legal Expenses.
- Heat Work, where required.
If you would like to discover more about our policies and how we can protect your business, give us a call on 0161 710 3043 today.
