We have put together a useful guide to events insurance with our partners at Vista Insurance to help you understand the various insurance options and how they impact your business or event project.
THE CORE COVER
Public Liability
What does it cover?
Public Liability (often referred to as PL or PLI) is cover for liability caused by injury or damage caused to third parties or their property. This can include members of the public, the venue or other people working onsite.
Common Questions or Queries
What Level of Cover should I have?
As a standard for companies working in event sphere we would recommend that you purchase a minimum level of cover of £5m any one claim. However, we would also recommend that you undertake a risk based approach to the level of PL cover that you purchase and consider a higher limit if you are working at sites / events with a large number of attendees or in venues that have a large turnover or in historic buildings. As a small amount of damage in one of these venues can result in extremely large claims especially if subsequent events need to be cancelled.
The venue has liability cover, aren’t I covered by that?
No. The venue will have public liability cover which covers its own liability, however if you are a separate company to the venue you will not be picked up by this cover and require your own PL cover to cover your event.
We’re subcontracted the production of the event out to others am I not covered by their policy?
Even if you have subcontracted out the design, build and management of an event to others, if you have designed, planned or promoted an event the ultimate safety of the attendees is your responsibility and you will in all likelihood be dragged into any claim should injury or damage occur.
Other things to consider
Have you declared your working to your insurer?
This is a condition of all insurance policies that you declare all material facts to the insurer. A material fact is anything that the insurer considers pertinent in deciding whether to accept or decline a risk.
Does your H&S policy / Risk Assessments encompass the work to be undertaken?
This is a condition of most PL policies that you have an up to date H&S policy and relevant risk assessments in place for the job in hand – if this is not the case please speak to a specialists like Event Safety Plan to get these up to date.
Are you working at height or with heat?
Two of the major concerns for insurers, often insurers will exclude this work or include conditions so check that you are covered before you begin the work.
Employer’s Liability
What does it cover?
Employer’s Liability (often referred to as EL) is cover for liability resulting from injury caused to employees.
Common Questions or Queries
I only employ freelancers so do I need EL cover?
Regardless of whether you employ someone on a temporary, freelance or even voluntary basis you still have a duty of care and can be sued by them.
The legal definition of an employee is wide and encompasses anyone not in charge of their own tools or working environment so freelancers and volunteers fall within this definition. Solicitors are wise to this and will try to submit injuries to freelancers and volunteers as EL claims as the requirement to demonstrate any kind of negligence is much lower than is required for a successful PL claim.
Other things to consider
Have you declared your working to your insurer?
This is a condition of all insurance policies that you declare all material facts to the insurer. A material fact is anything that the insurer considers pertinent in deciding whether to accept or decline a risk.
Hired in Equipment
What does it cover?
Hired in Equipment or Hired in Plant (often referred to as HIP) is cover for damage or loss occurring to equipment hired or loaned to you. This cover also extends to provide cover for continuing hire charges incurred if the original piece of kit is late returned to the hirer and will also cover you for the addition cost of hiring in a replacement for the original piece of kit.
Common Questions or Queries
Isn’t this covered by the equipment hirer?
Unless they specifically charge you for it and include it in their terms of hire then no; you are responsible and usually under the Hirer’s terms of hire be required to purchase HIP cover.
Isn’t this covered by my Public Liability policy?
No. All public liability policies specifically exclude any equipment that is in your care, custody or control as this is the remit of specific HIP policy.
Other things to consider
Who is paying the invoice?
Be clear on who is included in the hirers contract. If you are hiring in a production or event management company for the event and they hire in equipment on your behalf but pass the invoices over to you to pay then the hirer has a contract with you, not the production company.
Read the terms of hire.
Each one is different but all will outline your responsibilities in the event a piece of equipment is damaged or lost.
ADDITIONAL COVERS TO CONSIDER
Professional Indemnity
What does it cover?
Professional indemnity (often referred to as PI and not to be confused with PL) is cover for liability for financial losses incurred by third parties as a result of negligent advice, design or specification.
Who is it useful for?
Any company that provides any kind of advice or design to their clients or customers that if you were to get it wrong would end up costing them money either directly through the loss of an event / contract or indirectly through repetitional damage.
Event Cancellation
What does it cover?
The show must go on! But what if it can’t and has to be cancelled? Event Cancellation insurance is cover for loss of earnings or costs should an event have to cancel or be abandoned partway through for reasons outside of your control e.g. adverse weather or an artist is ill.
Who is it useful for?
Any company that promoting or planning an event or any company that has a financial exposure should an event not go ahead.
Contract works
What does it cover?
Contract Works is cover for equipment already sold that is being installed.
Who is it useful for?
Any company that undertakes permanent installations as well as temporary event work.
Contributed by Vista Insurance , a specialist events insurance broker who offer bespoke insurance packages to the events industry. They are working in partnership with eventsafetyplan to reduce client premiums by improving their event Health & Safety planning and management.