In many ways, the future for construction workers looks rosy. Despite the well-publicised collapse of the major contractor Carillion, many construction workers are likely to continue seeing a steady supply of work. This is due to skills shortages in various areas, including plumbing and plastering.
Meanwhile, over two-thirds of construction SMEs have struggled to recruit bricklayers, according to an Independent report. However, no matter what aspect of construction in which you find professional work, you might have to leave a fair bit of room in your budget for insurance.
Public liability insurance
The Planning Portal website cites public liability cover as “likely to be central to your tradesman insurance policy”. It isn’t difficult to see why, as insurance of this type can help you to make financial amends if, in carrying out construction work, you cause injury or damage for which you are sued.
In practice, you could inadvertently cause such damage through, to list a few example scenarios, dropping a tool which subsequently, through its fall, hits a damaged car. Another unfortunate possibility is that of you carelessly leaving out building materials over which someone trips.
If a case like either of these gives rise to a compensation claim in your instance, you can dip into your public liability insurance to pay as much of the legal fees and compensation costs as your policy allows. Therefore, holding such cover can give you significant peace of mind.
Though the Federation of Small Businesses calls public liability cover “important business insurance to have if your company is public facing”, the cover’s practical applicability is broader than this. As a construction worker, you might not deem yourself public facing, but you will still be working in public – and, in this kind of setting, you could still pose certain risks to the public.
Also keep in mind that, while public liability insurance is not legally required, some clients might still insist on you having it before they do business with you. You might also be barred from joining a particular membership body or regulator unless you have public liability insurance.
Employers’ liability insurance
At your construction company, you might employ other people, such as contractors and casual workers. Employing anyone – even temporary staff- typically requires you to hold employers’ liability insurance. Otherwise, you could be subjected to a heavy fine.
Unfortunately, on a construction site, employees are vulnerable to a range of risks that could lead them to pick up an illness or injury. Workers could, for example, fall ill through becoming exposed to construction dust. Meanwhile, a worker could be injured if their equipment fails on-site.
Reassuringly, however, finding both public liability and employers’ liability cover that ticks all of the relevant boxes does not have to prove overly taxing… as long as you know where to look.
You can receive highly tailored public liability insurance from Tradesman Saver, which also offers employer’s liability insurance – and you shouldn’t overlook the legal necessity of this cover. You can apply for a quote through the Tradesman Saver website.
Author: Oliver Curtis
Hi there. I’m Oliver. I’m just a young boy from the outskirts of… Okay, that’s a lie, I’m not a young boy anymore, although I certainly feel that way at heart.