Tradesman: Dry Liners & Plasterers

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Dry Liners & Plasterers Insurance

Working as a drywall or plasterboard installer or plaster for a living means you'll often work as subcontractors in the construction sector to a main contractor or client. These would usually expect them to have public liability insurance to cover accidental damage. The government though expects them to have employers liability cover if they have employees or labour only subcontractors.

As a plasterer you could work mostly indoors mixing and applying wet finishes and coatings to walls and ceilings but you could also work on building sites.

Outdoors, you'll add render finishes to external walls using different coatings e.g., sand and cement, pebble-dash.

As a dry liner you'll fix plasterboard to walls and ceilings before a plasterer skims them out with wet plaster.

Manual handling injuries result in more lost time for plasterers and dry liners than any other type of injury. Falls are another common injury.

Plasterers Insurance

Many self employed plasterers work as bone fide sub contractors to builders and/or as sole traders with their own clients.

If you specialise in fibrous plastering creating ornamental work, eg ceiling roses and cornicing, then it's more likely you'll be workshop based with occasional visits to sites.

Jobs can vary in terms of size and location, from minor domestic jobs in a private customer's home to large-scale commercial contracts.

Health Risks

Work can be done at heights from ladders, platforms or scaffolding. The work can be physically demanding with manual handling of heavy materials.

Work-related health risks include breathing problems (eg chronic bronchitis, emphysema) caused by dust and skin disorders. Asbestos is very real danger for you, your family and your workforce as well as your customers.

Plastering is among the trades with one of the highest annual rates of low back pain, joint injuries and repetitive strain injuries.

For your insurance, you need to pay close attention to restrictions on the height you can work at, and the locations.

You must also be very clear about your insurance status when you're working on a contract for someone else.

Sub-contracters Insurance

If you're self employed and work for another contractor, you may think you don't need to bother with insurance - he will cover you if you have an accident or accidentally cause damage to property, won't he..?

Not necessarily. If you invoice him for materials and labour, you're classed as a bona fide sub-contractor which means you need your own insurance.

If the contractor pays you an hourly rate and provides all the materials, you need to be covered under his liability policies. Here, even though you may consider yourself to be self employed, you're classed as an employee for insurance purposes.

Things that could go wrong:

• A worker is diagnosed with asbestosis and sues you for compensation
• You fall from a scaffold tower and can't work for 6 months
• Your office is broken into and burned down in an arson attack with the loss of all your records

Plasterers Insurance

Federation of Plasterers and Drywall Contractors (FPDC)

The Federation of Plasterers and Drywall Contractors (FPDC) is the national trade association that represents trades who work in:

• Traditional solid plastering (including heritage)
• Fibrous plastering
• Basic plastering
• Roughcast, render and external wall insulation
• Screeding
• Drywall construction
• Suspended ceilings
• Steel frame systems

As well as free technical support, members can access a free dispute resolution service which includes a free site visit and inspection and report, plus advice on insurance from Cobra Insurance Brokers Ltd.

Cobra Insurance Brokers

Surrey-based Cobra Insurance Brokers Ltd are recommended by The Federation of Plasterers and Drywall Contractors (FPDC).

They offer cover for plastering and dry lining contractors of all sizes, from small traders to large general contractors.

Cobra provide a FREE insurance health checks to all FPDC members aimed at protecting your business if there's a claim, and pointing out potential weaknesses in your current insurance arrangements.

Their Contractors All Risks Insurance covers:

• Contract works
• Own plant
• Hired in plant
• Public/Products liability
• Employer's liability

We couldn't access policy details online - you have to contact them direct: cobrainsurance.co.uk

Direct Line Tradesman Insurance

Direct Line's new Tradesman Insurance is designed for established, professional plaserers and dry liners with up to 10 manual employees.

Their insurance provides liability cover in a comprehensive standard policy that gives up to £1m public liability cover, with an option to increase up to £5 million and add additional covers such as employers liability cover and tools.

Dry Liners Insurance

Dry liners build the internal dry walls in houses, offices and shops, using plasterboard panels.

They might also install removable wall partitions, suspended ceilings and raised flooring and bring other traditional skills to the job such as joinery and plastering.

The work can be physically demanding, with repetitive kneeling, bending and stretching or working from ladders or a small scaffold when fitting ceilings, so health & safety must be a priority.

Public Liability Insurance

Public liability insurance for plaster boarders covers unintentional damage / injury caused to others. Businesses have a legal duty toward protect the public (including private clients and main contractors) from injury or wrongful act, either due to deliberate act or negligence.

If harm is caused then PLI covers you against claims made and to to meet your legal liability to pay damages for death, injury or damage to property, and subsequent legal costs if you are at fault.

If you have no public liability insurance the process of defending a claim can be difficult, expensive, full of worry and time consuming.

Examples of some liability issues you could face include:

• Damage to delivered boards - flood damage and damp, impact damage
• Unstable or overly large joints causing fire break issues
• Imported toxic board supply and product liability and Latent Defects Insurance
• Incorrect fire rating board applied
• Compromised fire-resistance rating due to poorly fitted boards causing work to be redone
• A ceiling collapses due to an overload of services by the electrical contractor and the job has to be redone

Employers Liability Insurance

Drywall sheets are heavy and bulky. Manual handling and power tool injuries can range from minor to severe. Falls are another common hazard.

Health hazards include asthma, silicosis, lung and skin disorders.

Do I need employers liability insurance? Many tradespeople employ subcontractors. "Subbies" generally fall into 2 groups:

• Labour only - legally responsible for their work & welfare, you need employers liability insurance for any labour only sub-contractors, even if they're self employed with their own insurance
• Bona-fide - hired to carry out work on a contract that you can't do yourself, working under their own steam, supply all their own materials and tools. You'll need to check they have their own public and employers liability insurance cover. Generally you'll NOT be expected to have ELI for them.

There are heavy fines for not having ELI as the cover provides resources for their compensation and legal costs if you are found at fault.

Things that could go wrong:

• An employee is badly injured by the collapse of a wall during stripout works
• A worker uses a 'site' ladder to install a false ceiling and falls breaks his back
• A rip saw snags on a worker's glove and the blade slices through his finger and tendons resulting in a £20,000 compensation claim against your business

For technical tips and dry lining good practice advice visit The Gypsum Products Development Association (GDPA) website.

If you combine your dry lining skills with wet plastering, as well as other trades such as carpentry and electrical, make sure your insurer covers you for all the different trades you carry out.

Direct Line Tradesman Insurance

Direct Line's new Tradesman Insurance is designed for established, professional dry liners with up to 10 manual employees.

Their insurance provides liability cover in a comprehensive standard policy that gives up to £1m public liability cover, with an option to increase up to £5 million and add additional covers such as employers liability cover and tools.