BBC Insurers Could Be Liable in Jimmy Savile Case

Posted by InsuranceDealUK under Latest News, Public Liability

According to a press release by Post on the 17th April 2013 the BBC’s primary insurers during the 40 years and could face sexual abuse claims of up to £30m as he was in their employ.

The report by Post said they had learnt through a Freedom of Information request that the insurers including RSA and Aviva were among the lead insurers for either employers’ or public liability for the broadcaster from the early seventies to 2006.

According to the a public police report and the NSPCC, Giving Victims a Voice, published earlier in the year, reported offences involving Savile at the BBC date from 1959 until 2006, when the final episode of Top of the Pops was recorded. Allegedly, the peak in offences was between 1966 and 1976.

Savile died in October 2011 aged 84. Operation Yewtree was launched in response to the broadcast of ITV’s Exposure programme on 4 October 2012, which detailed five women’s accounts of being sexually abused by the late Savile in relation to the filming of BBC programmes. All said they had been abused during the 1970s, with two incidents relating to Duncroft School in Staines and three occurring on BBC premises.

Post confirmed in their publication that Commercial Union Assurance Company [now Aviva] provided the BBC with not cheap public liability insurance for 24 years. Also, The insurer covered 55% of the broadcaster’s PL cover from 1971 to 1981 up to a limit of £1m. Its cover then changed to 49% of £5m for 1982 and 1984, before becoming 40% of £5m between 1985 and 1988.

Century Insurance, Royal Insurance Group, Sun Allianz & London Insurance Group and Phoenix Insurance Group who are all part of RSA (as is More Than) – also took a share in the Public Liability cover for 16 years between 1971 and 1988 – with each firm taking between 10% and 25% of the cover (see table). Cover started at £1m between 1971 and 1981 and then rose to £5m.

For 22 of the 40 years of Savile’s employment, the cheap Employers’ liability insurer was National Employers’ Mutual General Insurance Association (Allianz), which was on cover for 100% of an unlimited policy until 1986. In 1989 Commercial Union then took a 40% share in this policy, and from 1996 until 2009 Chubb became the lead insurer, with a policy limit of £15m.

Post report stated that an RSA spokeswoman said: “At various points over the last 40 years we have provided insurance for the BBC. We are unable to comment as to whether these policies will respond to any Savile claims.” A Lloyd’s spokesman said: “Individual policies are commercial arrangements between customer and underwriter. As Lloyd’s is a market, not a company, we don’t talk about specific policies.”

There will be uncertainty over any policy pay out as this will depend on policy wordings.

Kiss Nightclub Fire – Licensed Trade Care

Posted by InsuranceDealUK under Latest News, Public Liability

The Kiss Nightclub that suffered the tragic fire that cost the lives of two hundred and thirty five lives in Santa Maria in Brazil hopefully will nudge the nightclub and entertainment industry to wake up and reassess their own risk management and health and safety procedures. It is a shame that an event such as this is needed to prompt action, but if some preventable measures can be instigated as a result then this must be seen as a positive. All nightclub insurance policies will have endorsements ensuring strict risk management measures are in place, especially following surveys, which management would be foolish to ignore. Dark places, flashing lights, loud music and alcohol fuelled behaviour is a recipe for disaster and many, many places would have already been exposed to slip and trip claims on either there public liability insurance section or their employers liability insurance section.  In addition, owners must ensure that there is provision on the policy for live entertainment or pyrotechnics for any claim to be honoured.

Other places of entertainment are not immune – many restaurants (especially themed restaurants) have live entertainment and little thought would be given to their restaurant insurance policy terms and conditions to see if there are exclusions. The same can be said of public houses and bars that have extended opening hours beyond midnight. All of these establishments must also consider the impact on their bar insurance or pub insurance polices of “bouncers” or door staff as there are huge public and employers liability issues attached to this area and insurers prefer that external security staff are used. If in doubt, always speak to your insurance broker.

Liability Insurance Protection – Diamond Jubilee

Posted by InsuranceDealUK under Latest News, Public Liability

It is a busy year for the UK – we have the Olympics upon us shortly and also the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations. For those of us old enough to remember the Queens Silver Jubilee, this brings back nostalgic memories of street parties and neighbours actually knowing each other and celebrating together. Unfortunately, times have changed since that period and litigation is now rife. Gone are the days when someone has an accident, laughs it off and puts the blame squarely on themselves, however  the ABI recently published a guide to planning an event such as a street party which is worth reading if you are the organiser, to make the day a complete success.

There are many issues to consider so getting comparative insurance quotes by typing in something like “compare liability insurance” or “cheap public liability” into a search engine won’t cost a penny for peace of mind. But be honest and clear as to the type of event you are arranging so the day can be enjoyed by all.

Daily Digest – 2012-04-18

Posted by InsuranceDealUK under Latest News, Property News, Public Liability, Unoccupied Property News

Looking in the London Metro newspaper (18th April edition) it was interesting to see just how many insurance related articles were reported. The Metro reported that according to the watchdog Which?, water companies are encouraging customers to spend £100 million pounds a year on pipe insurance that, they say is needless when water firms offer free repairs anyway. Apparently, 667,000 homes in the Anglian, Southern and United utilities are paying £35 per year for this cover to a firm called Homeserve.

Which are calling on the regulator to take action. Some home insurance policies may cover this anyway so it is worth checking your policy. Where someone has an unoccupied house insurance policy or an empty home insurance quote, it is rarely covered.

In other news, a policeman accidentally tweeted that an aircraft had crashed in Camberley, Surrey. Apparently he actually meant to just update his status about his beat – most odd, but aircraft damage is covered by most policies in any case – except sonic booms.

The weather has also hit the news with “marble-sized”hailstones and an inch of rain in the South of England today along with winds of up to 60mph. Thankfully the strength of such winds would be classed as storm under the majority of house insurance polices. It is forecast that there is more to come, despite a hose-pipe ban.

It was also reported in the Metro that organ traffickers are suspected eyes of two deceased people in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Theft is a huge problem but is there nothing sacred?

A gas fitter has been jailed for manslaughter following sub standard work on a home that subsequently killed an occupant with carbon monoxide poisoning. Whether he had liability insurance and whether or not insurers would have indemnified him is unclear but the judge obviously took a dim view on his rushed boiler installation and sentenced him to three years imprisonment for manslaughter by gross negligence.

And finally, the Metro printed a picture of a car in the middle of the New Mexican desert, clearly with nothing for miles around and hit what looks like an isolated telegraph pole. Typical that there happened to be a photographer there….

Plumbers Liability Insurance – What To Look For

Posted by InsuranceDealUK under Latest News, Public Liability

Now that insurance comparison websites have commoditised products, particularly motor insurance, there is a common perception that all public and employers liability products offered by insurance companies are also very much identical. Yes, the core covers are the same, but the terms, conditions and endorsements can vary significantly. Take plumbers liability insurance for example. For small firms with up to 15 employees, these are normally rated by insurers on what is known as a “per capita basis”. These policies are very cost effective, provide cheap liability insurance but are inflexible as the policyholder has to declare from the outset how many employees will be working for the firm and has to continually monitor large fluctuations throughout the policy period. Look for a product that includes some form of temporary employee cover, usually between 50 – 100 MAN days (i.e. 1 employee for 100 days, 2 employees for 50 days etc.), as this is a real benefit. Other pitfalls to look out for are :

• If there are restrictions on the use of heat – this includes heat guns, blow torches, oxyacetylene and any other naked flame. It is not uncommon for policies to place strict procedures around the site, for the policy to be effective in the event of a claim

• Height restrictions – most, but not all per capita policies restrict the height to 10 or 15 metres or a maximum of 4 storeys including the basement.

• Premises restrictions – again, these types of policies tend to restrict the premises to private dwellings, shops, offices, hotels and schools only

• The usage of PPE equipment, “toolbox talks” and health and safety obligations are always fulfilled under UK law.

For firms who want flexibility, wage-roll and turnover based products are available. Insurers rate each risk on its own merits, judging by the estimated splits on wage-roll/turnover at inception of the policy for the forthcoming year. Then, at the end of the policy period, the policyholder is required to complete a declaration giving the actual figures and the premium is then adjusted and, if the actual figures are higher, an additional premium is payable. This method has two distinct benefits for the policyholder. Firstly, it should be viewed as a form of credit! Secondly, in this competitive arena it is not unusual for insurers to “waive” the additional premium on the declared figures, if the policy is renewed for a further year.

The terms conditions and endorsements will fundamentally be the same as per capita products, but usually there is no height limit and there is only usually a hazardous locations restriction, such as railways, nuclear, airports etc…

Also remember that labour only subcontractors are also deemed employees for the purposes of insurance as there is still a legal obligation to cover these workers for employers liability.

Public Liability Insurance for Painters and Decorators

Posted by InsuranceDealUK under Public Liability

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Compare Painters Insurance Quotes Online from Active

Public Liability
Employers Liability
Tools Cover

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Anyone thinking of starting or is already running a painting and decorating business should seriously consider some form of business insurance policy. The most common form of painters and decorators insurance is the public liability cover. This type of policy will protect the tradesman from claims made against them due to third party property damage or injury claims.

At Active, we provide an online comparison quotes for painters insurance where the cover can be tailored to include:

• Public Liability Insurance – with indemnity limits from £1 million to £5 million available.
• Employers Liability Insurance – with a standard indemnity limit of £10 million.
• Tools Cover –provides cover for Tools, Mobile Phones or Business Equipment with limits starting from £500 up to £2000.
• Contract Works, Own or Hired in Plant cover – with contracts cover available for limits up to £250,000, Own plant limits up to £20,000 and hire in plant limits up to £50,000.
• Personal Accident cover – is available in units. One unit of cover is £5,000 for Death and Permanent Total Disablement and £50 per week for Temporary Total Disablement.
• Commercial Legal Expenses – Up to £100,000 any one incident.

Painters and decorators insurance provide comprehensive cover for the professional tradesmen and offers protection against many risks they face in their day to day duties. Without public liability insurance your business could be crippled should a claim arise against you for property damage or worse for personal injury.

Simply click on the quote button to instantly compare public liability insurance quotes for Painters and Decorators from some of the best UK insurance companies that specialise in cover for tradesmen.

Beautician Insurance – Mobile or Salon – Treatment Risks

Posted by InsuranceDealUK under Public Liability

Save on public liability insurance cover for beauticians and beauty therapists with Beautician Insurance from Insurance Dealer. Contact us for a quote with the option to include treatment risks.

• Mobile Beauticians
• Beauticians working from a Salon
• Option to include treatment risks

Three possible beautician insurance options are available depending on whether you work from a business premises or are a mobile beautician, or have treatment facilities such as a Metro Spa.

What can Insurance Dealer offer on their beautician insurance product?

All of our beautician insurance products include:

• Beauticians Public and Products Liability
• Treatment Risks extension for Beauticians
• Ability to cover stock in trade and business equipment
• Commercial Legal Expenses – option for mobile customers and standard cover for clients with business premises
• Employers Liability option
• Monthly instalment option for payments

For more details, or a quote from our team of insurance specialists, please contact us using the form below.

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Beautician Insurance Type

Salon Insurance Mobile Insurance Other

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Thatchers Liability Insurance

Posted by InsuranceDealUK under Public Liability

Compare liability insurance quote online for thatching contractors and tradesmen involved in repairing and re-thatching thatched roof properties.

Thatchers public liability insurance limits available of £1 million, £2 million and £5 million.

Homes with thatched roofs are prone to many risks such as fire and water and as such the roof has to be looked at by a professional Thatcher usually every five years. Any recommendations by the Thatcher will need to be completed usually within 28 days.

Many thatched roof homes may seem fine to an untrained eye but a professional thatching contractor can easily spot a ridge that may need replacing or repairs to existing slopes.

At Active, we specialise in business insurance solutions for sole trader Thatcher and for larger firms employing many Thatchers.

The art of thatching is performed by extremely skilled professionals where materials such as straw and water reed are used to line the roof. Most thatched homes are usually period properties that are either grade I or Grade II listed. The main risk to thatched roof home is fire, the property owner has to take great care to ensure that the property is professionaly maintained and that all fire hazards are identified and appropriate risk measures are in place.