Tradesman: Gas & Heating Contractors

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Gas & Heating Engineers / Contractors Insurance

Central heating contractors and engineers that install heating systems in homes and businesses have responsible roles and face many risks.

Public Liability Insurance

Working with gas or electricity is dangerous and a gas leak or electricity surge can result in death or injury as well as serious damage to a domestic or commercial property.

As a tradesman sole trader or small business you have a legal duty to the public by protecting them from injury or wrongful acts, either deliberate or because of negligence.

Public liability insurance covers heating engineers for accidental or unintentional damage or injury caused to others - the public.

PLI covers against claims made against you where you could be held legally responsible. It's intended to meet your legal liability to pay damages for death, injury or damage to property, and the subsequent legal costs if you are at fault.

It's no surprise then that work involving heating, ventilation and air conditioning is often turned down by insurers or attracts higher premiums.

Industrial premises are often excluded from standard cover as well as buildings above a certain height.

Insurers will ask for a breakdown of the type of work you carry out - domestic, commercial, industrial and/or public gas supply contracts.

Gas Safe Register

Gas Safe Register is the official body for gas safety in United Kingdom, Isle of Man and Guernsey. It replaced CORGI registration.

Gas engineers that carries out work on a property, by law must be on the Gas Safe Register and must be registered to work on the particular appliance they are installing or maintaining.

Your insurer will need to know the work you are qualified to do.

www.gassaferegister.co.uk

Heating contractors run a real risk of coming across asbestos in their everyday work, so beware of the health hazards, the law, and your public liability cover requirements.

Employers Liability Insurance

For employees and apprentices, even casual labouror then you need employers liability insurance. It is usually a legal requirement as it ensures a businesses can meet compensation and legal costs / fees for employees injured or made ill at work caused by the employer. The legal minimum is currently (2010) £5 million

Asbestos Insulation Board

Asbestos can pose a real risk to the self employed, subcontraactors, employee workers and clients. Your insurance will contain clauses about working with asbestos products.

AIB was commonly used to fireproof around old heating systems such as walls, lining doors and ceilings. Asbestos was also used for lagging and it will flake and powder easily, releasing highly dangerous fibres. As a heating installation contractor it is likely you'll come across this at some time.

The law requires that, other than for smalll or minor tasks, all work with asbestos insulation board (AIB) must be done by licensed contractors. If you're not licensed don't touch lagging, asbestos cavity filling. Care needs to be taken also with asbestos cement used for boiler flue systems, textured coatings (Artex), tiles sometimes used behind fuse boxes.

www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos

Carbon Monoxide Poisening

Contractors by law must identify any activities that may expose workers or the public to carbon monoxide (CO) gas, and manage any risk accordingly.

Also see our pages on Plumbers Insurance and Welders Insurance if you use welding equipment

The Heating and Ventilating Contractors' Association (HVCA) represents firms working in the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration products and equipment.

Heating and Ventilating Contractors Insurance

Direct Line Tradesman Insurance

Direct Line's new Tradesman Insurance is designed for traditional building and allied trades (established professional tradesmen and craftsmen with up to 10 manual employees).

It can take just a small mishap to jeopardize a self employed tradesperson's ability to earn an income. Direct Line's Tradesman Insurance protects you in such situations, providing a comprehensive standard policy. This gives up to £1m public liability cover, with option to increase up to £5 million and add additional covers such as employers liability cover and tools.

Oval Insurance Brokers

The Heating and Ventilating Contractors Association (HVCA) has teamed up with Oval Insurance Brokers and Welplan Ltd to offer members insurance cover specifically designed for heating and ventilation contractors.

Called HVCA Unique, it replaces the scheme previously offered by Aon. Standard cover includes:

• Contract works and plant
• Employer and public liability
• Engineering inspection
• Legal expenses
• Excess liability extensions
• Professional indemnity
• Personal accident
• Property and business interruption

Association members undergo a rigorous inspection and assessment regime so there are higher levels of risk management, which in turns cuts the likelihood of claims.

In return members enjoy significant savings on premiums for their trade.

We also like the fact that Oval take on an active role by analysing claims information with a view to reducing the causes eg identifying products that regularly produce claims.

AON Gas Safe Engineers Insurance

Insurance giant Aon offer what they describe as tailor-made insurance policies for Gas Safe registered engineers and the building contracting trades - builders, plumbers, plasterers and electricians.

There's free cover for clerical workers if you take out employer's liability and discounts for Federation of Master Builders (FMB) members.

Policy features:

Gas Safe registered engineers:

• Public, employers' and products' liability
• Commercial vehicle
• 24/7 tools' cover
• Office contents
• Personal accident
• Jury service

Building and construction trades:

• Public liability - £1m, £2m or £5million
• All Risks tools' cover
• Contract works - up to £750k per contract
• Own and hired in plant
• Free cover for clerical employees with employers' liability
• Personal accident - up to £500 per week, £50k lump sum benefits
• Free online Health & Safety assistance

At rewritinginsurance.aon.co.uk you can leave your details online and a member of the team will call you back.