High-risk occupations such as roofers are statistically more likely to suffer work-related injuries at some point and unfortunately are more at risk of fatality. The HSE reported that 144 workers died through a workplace injury over the annual period in 2015/2016 and 26% were as a result of falling from a height.
As a roofer, you’re working at height for the majority of your working day. There are obviously a number of precautions that can be made, such as using protective equipment including fall harnesses and vertical lifelines with rope grabs. However, accidents still may happen and, if you do suffer a fall at work or any other form of injury, the consequences could be life-changing.
This is why it is so important that you take out roofer’s insurance if you are in this line of work. If you suffer an injury and are no longer able to work, this will obviously have a huge financial impact on you and your family. With this excellent cover from Tradesman Saver, you can go to work each day with the peace of mind that you and your family will be able to cope if you do have an accident.
The roofer’s insurance policy covers you not only for a personal accident but also for sickness, which as a self-employed worker can come in very useful if you’re too ill to work. Time off work soon hits your income and can mean that you’re unable to afford to pay bills and even your mortgage or rent. You can quickly spiral into further financial difficulty unless you are protected with a good roofer’s insurance policy.
As well as accident and illness, there is a whole host of other cover types that are essential in your profession. This includes public liability, which will cover you should a member of the public suffer an injury as a consequence of your work. Even when you are very conscientious about the safety of the public, you may find yourself subject to a claim that you will require legal expenses to defend yourself if necessary. Without that protection, you could end up facing bankruptcy fines that will end your business altogether. Ask yourself if you could pay out a typical public liability claim without insurance. Local authorities usually request a cover minimum of £5m.
It is not just the public that you’re required to protect if you have employees working for you; you will also require a cover that extends to cover any injury your employee may suffer. Since employer’s liability insurance is a legal requirement for any business which employs staff, it’s imperative to have the correct amount of coverage in place to cover any accidents your employees might suffer during the course of their employment with you.
Statistics reveal that around 621,000 workers sustained a non-fatal injury at work in 2015/2016, so as you can see, this is a common occurrence across the UK. The construction sector takes up a huge percentage of these figures and, each year, 4% of workers suffer from a work-related illness. The likelihood that you will need to use your insurance as a roofer is high, so don’t take a risk on insurance and make sure you get a policy with all the necessary coverage.
In the roofing industry, you will also need to cover the financial loss of a customer, should there be a problem caused by your work that results in their financial loss. Without this, you could end up potentially being sued and suffering reputational damage should your customer feel aggrieved to the extent that they want to pursue court proceedings.
As a roofer, it is not a case of just getting the roofer’s insurance. In one of the highest-risk occupations, you will only regret taking out insurance that isn’t adequate when the time comes to make a claim. You can read more about what roofers’ insurance is and what it covers.