Liability Insurance

If you run a business then you may need one of the following types of liability insurance:

• Public liability insurance
• Product liability insurance
• Employers’ liability ( You can be fined up to £2,500 for each day that you do not have appropriate insurance.)

Public Liability Insurance

If members of the public or customers come to your premises or you go to theirs, you should think about taking out public liability insurance.

What does public liability insurance cover?

Public liability insurance covers any awards of damages given to a member of the public because of an injury or damage to their property caused by you or your business. It also covers any related legal fees, costs and expenses.

Premiums depend on the type of business you run, your turnover and the number of  employees you have. A list of trades that Dover Insurance Services for  Public liability insurance can cover is below.

Public Liability Insurance levels of cover

With  most of our specialist public liability insurance companies the minimum level of cover available is £1 million. But Dover Insurance Services can provide cover for £1million, £2million,  £5million and £10million depending on the level of cover that you require. Some contractors will insist on you having a minimum of £5million cover. Dover Insurance  Services can help you to get a public liability policy to suit your  needs.

For a quotation for public liability insurance please click here.

For advice on the public liability insurance cover you need talk to Dover Insurance Services

There can be many conditions, exclusions and warranties that can be applied to public liability policies. It is therefore important that you discuss with us any that are applicable to your policy. Dover Insurance Services are there to help you make the right choice and will be able to advise you on the correct level of cover for your business

If  you work from home, and customers or members of the public visit you there, you may also want to think about taking out public liability insurance.

Employers’, public and product liability

For employers’ liability, the exposure risk is assessed on the basis of the number of employees and the size of the payroll. In addition, other initiatives such as Making the Market Work, which improve awareness of good risk management, also influence how risk is assessed.

For public and product liability the exposure risk is based on the turnover and factors such as whether you work away from your premises.

For a quotation please click here.

Businesses which must take out liability insurance

Some businesses, e.g. horse riding establishments, are required to have public liability cover. You will also find that many of your customers or potential customers will require proof of adequate insurance before they will allow you to work for them. We can issue most liability schedules and email or fax them to you on the same day thus giving you the documents you need to continue with your business.

Employers’ Liability (EL)Insurance

Employers liability cover enables businesses to meet the costs of compensation and legal fees for employees who are injured or made ill at work through the fault of the employer. Employees injured due to an employer’s negligence can seek compensation even if the business goes into liquidation or receivership.

By law, an employer must have EL insurance and be insured for at least £5 million. Most insurers automatically provide cover of at least ­­­­£10 million. EL insurance must cover all your employees in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

If your business is not a limited company, and you are the only employee or you only employ close family members, you do not need compulsory employers’ liability insurance. Since February 2005, limited companies with only one employee, where that employee also owns 50 per cent or more of the issued share capital in the company, have also been exempt from compulsory EL insurance.

The HSE is responsible for enforcing the law on EL insurance. You can be fined up to £2,500 for each day that you do not have appropriate insurance.

Generally, someone is defined as your employee if:

• you deduct National Insurance contributions and income tax from the salary you pay them
• you control when, where and how they work
• they cannot employ a substitute when they are unable to work

Useful checks

Your policy must be issued by an authorised insurer otherwise it will not be valid and you risk breaking the law.  We can advise you which companies offer suitable employers liability policies.

When you take out a policy you will receive a certificate of employers’ liability insurance. You must display a copy of this where employees can easily read it and keep copies for at least 40 years or risk a fine of up to £1,000. You need to make these certificates available to health and safety inspectors on request.

For a public liability insurance quotation please click here.

List of trades that we can cover for public liability insurance and employers liability insurance

Accountants, Acoustic Engineers, Advertising Agencies, Aerobics Instructors, Aerial Engineers, Agricultural Contractors, Air conditioning installers, Alarm installers, Appliance repairers – Domestic, Aroma therapists, Artexers, Auctioneers, Auditors, Barristers, Bathroom installation, Beauticians, Bedroom furniture installers, Boiler Services (Domestic), Bookkeepers, Bricklayers, Builders, Building maintenance, Cable TV installers, Cake Making And Decorating, Car Valeters, Caretakers, Carnival Event Liability, Carpenters/Joiners, Carpet Cleaning, Carpet Fitters, Carpet cleaner, upholstery cleaner and curtain cleaner, Caterers, Catering Companies, Cavity wall insulation installers, Ceiling contractors, Ceiling Tiler, Wall Tiler and Floor Tiler, Central heating services engineers, Chefs, Chimney Sweeps, Chiropodists, Cleaning Contractors, Coal Merchants, Computer Repairers, Service and Maintenance, Conservatory and Porch Erectors, Consultant Engineers, Couriers, Curtain/blind Fitters, Damp proofing and control services, Dance Instructors, Data Cabling installers, Dentists, Dieticians, Dog Groomers, Dog Walkers, Domestic Appliance Engineer, Domestic services such as ironing and cooking, Domestic Stair Lift Installers, Door Entry System Installers, Double Glazing Installers, Drain Cleaners, Dressmaking, Drive Laying, Driving Instructors, Dry Liners, Dry stone wall construction repairers, Duct-work Installation, Electrical appliance serving contractors, Electrical Contractors, Electrical Engineers/Repairers, Electrical Goods (Domestic) Repair, Electrical Installers, Electrical Testing, Engravers, Estate Agents, Exhibition Stand Erectors, Event Organisers, Fence erectors, Fencing Contractors, Financial Advisers, Fireplace installation, Fitness Instructors, Flooring Contractor, French Polishers, Furniture Installers, Furniture Repairers, Garage and Shed Erectors, Garage door fitters, Garden Designers, Gardening Services, Glaziers, Graphic Designers, Gravediggers, Graveyard Maintainers, Ground workers (1 metre depth limit), Guttering and fascia board installers, Hairdressers, Handyman cover, Haulage Contractors, Health And Safety Advisers, Heating and ventilation contractors, Hod Carriers, House Builders ex self build, Ironing Services, IT consultants, Interior Designers, Joiners, Kitchen Installers, Landscape Gardeners, Lawn Services, Lifestyle Consultants, Lift Installers, Lift engineers, Lighting installers, Locksmiths, Loft Insulation, Manicurists, Market Researchers, Marketing Consultants, Milk Deliverers, Monumental masons including building, Mortgage Brokers, Music Teachers, Nail Technicians, Nutritionists, Occupational Therapists, Office Equipment Repairer, Office fitters, Opticians, Osteopaths, Paediatricians, Painters and Decorators, Partition contractors, Party Planners, Patio and drive cleaners, Paving Contractors, Pebble Dashing and Rendering, Photographers, Physiotherapists, Piano repairers, Piano tuners, Picture Framing/Framers, Plant drivers, Plasterers, Plumbers, Plumbing & Heating Engineers, Printers, Property maintenance, Psychoanalysts, Psychologists, Psychotherapists, Quantity Surveyors, Radiator repairers, Reflexologists, Refrigeration Engineers, Roofers, Safe Engineer, Satellite Dish Installer, Satellite TV Installers, Scaffolding Contractors, Secretarial Services, Security Camera Installers, Security Guards, Security Lighting Installers, Shoe polishers, Shoe Repairers, Shop fitters, Shower Installers, Sign erectors, Sign writers, Smoke Alarm Installers, Software Engineers, Solicitors, Speech Therapists, Statisticians, Stockbrokers, Stonemasons, Surveyors, Suspended Ceiling Contractors, Swimming pool cleaners, Swimming Pool Contractors, Tax Consultants, Taxi Drivers, Teachers, Telephone point/extension installers, Television/Satellite/Cable installers, Ticket Agencies, Tilers, Timber Decking Contractors, Town Planners, Training Consultants, Tree Surgeons, Tutors, TV And Radio Service and Repairers, Upholsters, Vending Machine servicers, Website Designers, Wedding Organisers, Wheelie Bin Cleaner, Window Cleaners, Yoga Instructors.

Do not worry if your trade or occupation is not listed above we still may be able to help you. For a public liability quotation please click here.