Insurance policies: 5 things every scaffolder should know

Paul Beck from specialist scaffolding insurance broker Amicus Insurance Solutions highlights the top five things to know when you’re taking out your insurance policy.

Insurance can be difficult to understand and, let’s face it, isn’t very exciting, but failing to get your head around it can prove costly. Here are five of the most common issues that Amicus comes across on scaffolding insurance policies.

1. Is your business description accurate?

Does the policy actually say what you do? You are a scaffolder, not a builder. If it doesn’t say that in the business description, the chances are that the insurer doesn’t fully understand what you do. This means you’re probably not covered.

2. Check there is no height limit

You’d be amazed how many insurance policies for scaffolding companies have a height limit on them! Many standard construction liability policies include a height limit as standard, but if the underwriter doesn’t take it off, then the policy is next to useless.

3. Know who your insurer is

Is the insurer UK-based? Are they regulated by the Financial Services Authority? If not, make sure you’re clear on the consequences of dealing with an unregulated insurer. They are often cheaper and favour the higher risk trades such as scaffolding, but non-regulated insurers fail more often than regulated ones, causing a problem if you have a large claim against your company and the insurer is no longer around to pay up or defend you. For that reason, many principal contractors will not accept them.

4. Check the exclusions

Many policies exclude work at high risk locations. Power stations and MOD premises are to be expected, but some insurers also class working on or near water, bridges, rail or any other infrastructure as ‘high risk’ sites and exclude them.

5. Check your agency staff’s policy

With an increasing trend to employ labour via an agency, it’s important to check that the insurance they come with covers them while on your site –potentially working at height for you. Make sure your broker has checked any agency staff’s policy. If there is no cover, your broker must declare their wages to your own insurer to get them covered by your policy.

Paul Beck Amicus Insurance Solutions

www.amicus-insurance.co.uk