Three basic rules of safety for roofers are:
- Don’t go up on a roof unless you have been trained and authorized.
- Get trained on and make use of every piece of safety equipment provided.
- Keep away from overhead electrical power lines.
However, following those guidelines doesn’t stop the occupation from being consistently on top 10 lists compiled for the most dangerous jobs. The profession is also number two (right behind loggers) in fatalities with 32 deaths per 100,000 workers in 2010 alone.
And these are just employee risks. Add the employer risk for liabilities, lawsuits and malfunctioning equipment or products and you have an essential to the economy but very hazardous business.
Hazards you know about need to be insured, but you also need to be insured against the situations you may not have considered. That takes good protection from a reputable company who has developed insurance programs just for roofers.
There are products designed for small roofing companies and large ones. Make sure you get a policy customized to your operation.
Small Roofers General Liability Insurance
This is insurance for roofers who perform residential and commercial new construction, re-roofs and roof repairs. Liability insurance usually covers you for following hazards:
- Personal injury (Damage to the reputation of another through libel, false arrest wrongful eviction, slander, etc.)
- Bodily injury (Physical harm to an individual at your place of business or an injury that resulted from an employee action at a client site)
- Completed operations/product liability (Losses that occur after work has been completed that are related to your work)
- Advertising injuries (If you trash a competitor in print or by making nasty comments about him, this protects you from claims resulting from that.)
- Medical payments (Pays the medical expenses of an individual injured on your premises up to a stated amount)
- Independent contractors liability (Protects you from damage from the acts of an independent contractor you hired to work for your business)
Policy inclusions you can look for are:
- Limits starting $1,000,000/$2,000,000 to 5,000,000/5,000,000
- Free certificates of insurance – as many as you need
- Additional insured endorsements
- Low down payments depending on the state you’re in
Other insurance coverages to consider that are not included in your general liability are: workers compensation, business auto, professional liability and environmental liability.
USA Business Insurance- Experts At Insuring Roofers
Use the expertise of a business insurance professional for your roofing business and contact us today.
