Why do health and safety consultants need insurance?
Error in your risk assessment
Perhaps you are an independent health and safety consultant tasked with ensuring long-standing fire safety rules are adhered to within large business premises. Alternatively, maybe you’re required to train managerial staff on brand new legislation. Either way, your words can have far-reaching consequences. Overlook a policy transgression in an audit report, or give outdated guidance, and the client could blame you for fines they may incur as a result. To protect their standing, many safety consultants opt for professional indemnity insurance.
An office accident
Health and safety consultancy is about protecting people. Still, risk can never be eliminated entirely. If you visit a client’s office for a fire risk assessment, then you may bring a six-point fire action plan sign. This could fall, and a member of administrative staff might claim they have been injured as a result – or it could damage valuable computer equipment. Covering public liabilities showcases your dedication to health and safety, which may reassure your clients too.
Out of action
Working conditions are central to health and safety, but accidents don’t always happen in the workplace. Injuries sustained elsewhere can be just as damaging to business prospects – especially if you work as a solo consultant. One mile too far on your evening run could lead to a torn ligament, which might mean you’re temporarily unable to drive. If your work involves significant travel, then this could create disruption. Investing in cover which includes personal accident insurance may safeguard your income in such circumstances.
What cover is included in insurance for health and safety consultants?
Professional indemnity insurance
When you give business advice on serious topics, professional indemnity cover backs you up financially if someone claims your counsel was incorrect or your services damaging. In the field of health and safety, professional indemnity insurance may be especially important, since it can help if someone claims you’ve breached statutory obligations or provided negligent guidance. If you’re investigated under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 or the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007, this type of insurance can fund your defence.
Public liability insurance
Working in health and safety can involve frequent travel, which may bring an increased risk of scrapes with the public. You could drop a survey clipboard in the stairwell of an office building, causing a member of your client’s staff to trip and fall. Even a simple visit to the local Health and Safety Executive (HSE) (external link) office could lead to someone tripping on your briefcase. Fortunately, with public liability insurance, legal and compensation costs are absorbed by your policy.
Cyber and data insurance
If your consultancy operates online, then it might be wise to think about protecting it from the impact of digital risks. Emails can contain malicious links which may be used to deploy malware onto your company laptop, for instance. In the process of demanding a ransom payment, hackers could steal confidential information about your clients’ risk profiles and business practices. Cyber insurance protects the health – and the safety – of your company’s digital side with financial support and expertise.
Other covers may be relevant for some health and safety consultancies, such as employers’ liability, portable equipment insurance and office cover.
These are just some of the types of business insurance we can offer health and safety consultants. We can provide other types of cover and build them into a policy that's tailored to the requirements of your business.
Get your quoteInsurance for health and safety consultants: FAQs
Do Hiscox provide proof of cover?
Yes – when you purchase insurance with Hiscox, documents are sent immediately.
This may be especially useful for health and safety consultants, since some companies might want to see proof that you’re fully insured before they agree to work with you or sign a contract.
What insurance do health and safety consultants need?
Each health and safety consultancy is unique, so insurance requirements can differ. However, certain types of cover could be key for most – such as professional indemnity insurance, which may be relevant for consultants who give advice and is sometimes a contractual requirement.
Employers’ liability insurance might be a legal requirement if your consultancy employs staff, and office insurance could be relevant if you work from a dedicated space. Hiscox can tailor insurance to your company’s individual requirements, whether you own a consultancy business or run a one-person operation.
Why choose Hiscox for health and safety consultants’ insurance?
The comprehensive nature of Hiscox professional indemnity insurance means you’ll be covered against common industry risks, including negligence or breach of duty of care.
This means if you make a mistake or give bad advice, we’ll help to cover the cost of legal fees and compensation. Negligent misstatement or misrepresentation is also covered – so, if you make an error when providing information in a health and safety report, we can help.
Other risks, such as breach of confidence, defamation and civil liability claims, are also included.
Related articles and guides
The ultimate guide to managing business risks
Health and safety consultants deal in risk management, but there’s always more to learn. Read our guide to side-stepping risk, from workplace accidents to bad press coverage.
Types of business insurance
Learn more about insurance, from portable equipment to public liability, and identify your own insurance needs with our guide to the types of business insurance.
What is professional negligence?
Find out what professional negligence is, how to protect yourself against a claim, examples of claims and how to handle one made against you in our guide.