Home worker insurance

Civil contracting is varied and interesting work for anybody engaged with the industry. Because your company's expertise is so transferable, you can work on a wide variety of projects that are of interest to both the public and to the private sector, ranging from housing to infrastructure over a matter of projects. However, it's also an extremely complicated business, and what happens on a job is not always limited to the kind of problems you've foreseen and accounted for—or that are your fault. As such, it's vital to have a good civil contracting insurance policy to cover you and your civil contractors. Here are three examples of problem scenarios.

Unforeseen Job Complications

No matter how much you prepare for a specific job or project, there can always be more to it than meets the eye. For example, you may plan every aspect of a highway construction job down to the last ticked box—but on the first day on site, finding power lines laid where they weren't supposed to be can set you back by days or weeks. Having insurance protects both you and your client from this kind of enforced extension, and it allows you to bring in enough workers and experts to complete jobs to a high level without bankrupting the company—no matter what problems you face. High-level policies may also cover problems that your clients face after completion, which may prove to be invaluable.

Health, Safety and Accidents

Your company probably has an extensive health and safety policy which all staff members are expected to follow to the letter. Unfortunately, even when this is the case, accidents can still happen. It's important to acknowledge that possibility and plan for the eventuality of something going wrong in this area. Insurance will help you to manage the after-effects of any accidents that occur, including damage to the health of either an employee or a wayward member of the public who somehow got onto the site.

Employee & Consultant Issues

Outside of accidents, there's still plenty that can go wrong with your workforce. It isn't pleasant to think about, but poor conduct can still occur on-site no matter how well you treat your staff. A good insurance policy will see you through any tribunals or court cases that are brought up as a result. Equally, civil contracting insurance can help you in case a consultant you hire gives you wrong or inaccurate advice, leading to time lost on the project or material damage. Either way, having insurance for both these eventualities can save you both money and stress.

In short, a business this complex, busy and active can be a minefield. Having a good policy in place to protect you, your clients and your employees is simply good practice—the kind of preparation that you would demonstrate during any of your projects. As such, it may be another expense, but it's well worth it.