Office Risk Insights

If you CAN re-open but have decided NOT to do so for your own reasons, we would urge you to check with us as your insurer may consider the “normal” unoccupancy conditions  to apply (and the limited cover that this triggers). In the event this is the case, we will need to advise insurers and negotiate revised terms based on your individual circumstances.

Under normal circumstances a property policy restricts cover when a premises becomes unoccupied, and the trigger for this restriction is normally 30 days. Most insurers have been incredibly accommodating during the lockdown by extending this period whilst businesses have been forced to close because of lockdown.

The Government have given the green light for some businesses to resume trading on 15^th June and I know many of you are preparing for this. My fellow Directors and Staff wish you a smooth and successful reopening.

However, as you plan for resuming workplace operations, its crucial to utilise measures to ensure the health and safety of your staff and customers. Please be sure to implement these 5 key points from the governments new “COVID-19 secure” guidelines to help keep your employees and customers protected as you resume work:

1. Maintain remote working where possible. Only have employees return to the workplace if it is not feasible to conduct remote operations.
2. Conduct a COVID-19 risk assessment. Doing so will allow you to identify your workplace’s unique COVID-19 risks and determine mitigation efforts.
3. Enforce social distancing. Redesign your workplace layout, policies, and procedures to help keep employees at least 2 metres apart from one another.
4. Lower transmission risks. Especially where 2 metres is not possible, reduce face to face contact between staff and customers with physical barriers and safe shift patterns.
5. Keep it clean. Increase the frequency of your cleaning routines, paying special attention to high-contact surfaces. Require staff to wash their hands often.

For additional reopening guidance and the latest COVID-19 updates, contact us today, visit the COVID-19 section on our website or log onto your Mywave connect portal for some useful resources such as the COVID-19 Response Questionnaire.

As part of Marsh Networks we are pleased to be working with Alternative Business Funding Ltd to give provide access to further funding options via an easy-to-use online platform.

The Funder Finder engine from Alternative Business Funding gives you access to a free, online, business funding comparison site, with over 140 funding products tailored to suit all debt-funding enquiries.

In these unprecedented times, there is significant demand from UK businesses for finance. The Funder Finder has funders supporting the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) – however, with no guarantee a business will be eligible, it is crucial to support these businesses by giving them access to a “whole-of-market” solution.

The Funder Finder will take a business owner five minutes to complete and will match the business with the most appropriate funder and product.

If you have a funding requirement, you can share the Marsh Networks link: 

www.marshnetworks.funderfinder.co.uk.

HSB Engineering have agreed to increase the cessation of works period cover from 30 days to 90 days for any client who’s contract has been halted due to COVID-19 and Government restrictions.

This change applies to all existing policy holders, who must endeavour to follow the guidelines outlined below where it is permitted and safe to do so.

Temporary Closure of Construction Sites

It would be prudent for UK contractors to prepare themselves now for when either they voluntarily or driven by government directive have to temporarily close the work site.

Pre planning considerations –

• Carry out a risk assessment
• Consider legal and contractual implications
• Create a closedown plan which specifically details critical areas on the site
• Establish responsibilities and key contacts

When actual demobilisation commences –

• Document the progress on site to date
• Ensure emergency services access plans and provisions remain in place
• Remove waste from site or secure in covered and lockable containers
• Remove or secure scaffolding to prevent access
• Inspect current temporary support works
• Establish additional temporary support works for part built structures
• Back fill or cover over excavations and ensure dewatering systems are working
• Lock anti-climb hatches on tower cranes and note the expiry date of the certificate of thorough examination
• Retain essential electrical power supplies but drain down water systems and shut off water and gas supplies
• Remove materials and plant from site back to secure depot or secure within lockable containers and buildings
• Check site fencing and repair if necessary
• Establish site security during the closure period – whether staffed or remote monitoring if a possibility
• Record contact information for key personnel and establish responsibility for site access

 

The following information may help you prevent a breach of your insurance cover.

Government restrictions mean many businesses have closed temporarily which can result in buildings currently being left unoccupied.

Most insurance policies have unoccupied / security conditions and if your property/ies were unoccupied prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, then the usual security conditions required by their insurer are the same as before. These conditions may include among other things weekly visits, removal of combustible waste, switching off gas, water and electricity and letterboxes sealed.

Please refer to your policy wordings for the exact requirements defined by your insurer.

For premises that have become unoccupied during the COVID-19 outbreak due to Government restrictions, a number of insurers are relaxing their policy requirements for the time being. During this period, insurers will continue to review their position.

Please contact us immediately if:

• The outbreak has left you unable to comply with the policy requirements, as insurers need to be informed and any arrangement with insurers to relax or vary the requirements needs to be agreed in writing.

This pandemic has caused implications on different classes of insurance, which may have an impact depending on the type of policy you have. To keep up to date with information on the COVID-19 pandemic and potential impact on you please stay in touch with your account executive and regularly drop in to our website for updates.