H&S & Employers’ Liability Insurance for Motor Trade Businesses
Whether you operate a motor trade business or any other, Health & Safety and Employers Liability Insurance are important to your business. No business is too small to consider their duty of care to the public and to their employees.
A claim for negligence brought against the business arising from an injury to a person, or damage to property, can have serious financial and legal consequences for the business owner. These risks can be managed through close attention to health and safety practice, and liability insurance.
This article highlights Health & Safety resources and Liability Insurance guidance with specific reference to motor trade insurance and businesses.
Health & Safety
The law says that every business must have a health and safety policy in place.
If you have five or more employees, you are required to have a written policy. If you have fewer than five employees you do not have to write anything down, but it is useful to do so. Even if you only employ infrequent casual labour, such as an occasional driver or mechanic, or if you have an apprentice, your responsibilities to them are defined and significant.
The Health & Safety Executive website is a very good starting point for information on what your duties are, and how you can go about dispensing with your duties effectively. It provides information of essential aspects of health and safety management, such as creating a health and safety policy, first aid, risk assessments, accident reporting, personal protective equipment, and fire safety.
There is also a motor trade industry specific page dealing with particular trades such as mechanical repairs, and body shops. Here you can download detailed information on important workshop safety concerns such as paint spraying, lifting equipment, tyre fitting, compressed air equipment, hot work, manual handling and electrical safety.
ABL can also provide a wealth of valuable information and resources to help you with health and safety management. Our free online facility Zywave includes a variety of essential health & safety documentation and risk management guides which should save you time and money in putting together your health and safety policy. We also offer paid for risk management services if you require further help and guidance.
Speak to your contact at ABL for more information about how we can help you with your health and safety, and risk management.
Employers Liability Insurance
It is a legal requirement in the UK to have employers' liability insurance if you have any employees. This cover protects them from loss or injury while carrying out work for you. So, if you have any full or part time staff, volunteers, interns, contracted or freelance workers, it’s your responsibility to have the correct cover in place.
Employers’ liability insurance is normally bought with public liability insurance, which protects your liability if a member of the public makes a claim of negligence against you following an injury, or damage to property.
A liability insurance policy specifically arranged for a motor trade business should include both sales indemnity and defective workmanship cover.
Prices for a combined Public and Employers’ Liability insurance policy start from as little as £335.00 per annum, and depend on the size of your business, and exactly what you do.
It may be tempting to think that if you run a part time business, trading from home, then you don’t need liability insurance. The reality is that it is just as important for a small business as a large business, and at ABL, we recommend that all businesses have liability cover in place.
Engineering Inspection Services
There are specific regulations related to lifting equipment, compressors, and local exhaust ventilation (spray booths) which you must address if you run a workshop. Inspections must be carried out at defined intervals by a competent person. This generally means arranging inspection services, whereby an engineer visits your premises and produces reports which will highlight any defects found.
Further information regarding your duties related to garage equipment can be found on the Health and Safety Executive website.
Our team at ABL can arrange inspection services for your business. Prices start from about £300 + VAT and depend on the number of items that you have which require inspection.
Contact ABL Group
If you operate in the motor trade (or any other sector) get in touch with us for assistance to develop your Health & Safety Policy, review or put Employers Liability Insurance in place and/or to organise Engineering Inspections for your business. Our risk advisors and motor trade experts will be on hand to assist you.
Tel: 028 9099 3600
Email: info@ablinsurance.co.uk
This article was written by ABL Account Executive, Barry Fox. Barry has worked in the insurance sector for almost two decades and will be able to deal with your enquiry.
