Dealing with insurers - things to remember when buying

• Most employers are required by law to hold employer liability insurance cover, to insure against liability for injury or disease to their employees arising out of their employment.  To obtain a quote please visit the employer liability insurance section of this site.

• Many businesses use sub-contractors within a project. You should always check that your sub-contractors have appropriate employer liability insurance before allowing them out on site.

• Although not a legal requirement, many customers insist on you having public liability cover before allowing you to start the job.

• Keep up to date with current health & safety issues by subscribing to our health & safety e-bulletins. 

• Evaluate your desired start date, you may wish to have the insurance start at the beginning of a particular project.

• Check the limit of indemnity associated with the different insurance products.  You must be insured for at least £5m for employer liability cover but in practice most insurers offer cover of at least £10m.  

• Some insurers charge very little difference in price for £1m or £2m of public liability cover.

• Compare like for like.  You will be offered ‘optional covers’ by some insurers, like tools, included in the policy, whereas other insurers will charge you an additional amount for this.

• Decide the level of excess you want to go for.  Excess is the amount you will have to pay of the claimed amount, so for example if you have a claim for £1000 and your excess is £500 you might only receive £500 back from the insurer.

• Check geographical extent of the cover as some insurers won’t cover companies that work outside of the EU.

• Look at the exclusions as specific activities will be excluded by insurers.

• You will need to inform the insurer about all aspects of your business particularly the number of employees you have.

• If your business changes throughout the course of the year you will need to let your insurance provider know as the nature and scope of your business will affect the premium.