Insurance for Gas Testing/Gas Installations

[Old Son]

Not sure if this is the right section but here goes. I have just received a call from a friend who is a qualified gas fitter/installer based in Kent. He is having real trouble finding a company who will provide his insurance for working on boats. He has tried the usual companies but the best he has had so far is 'insurance can only be provided if the boat he is testing/fitting out is on dry land'. Obviously that is not feasable.

 

Can anybody suggest an insurance comapny, bank or somewhere that insures this type of work?

[bag 'o' bones]

Not sure if this is the right section but here goes. I have just received a call from a friend who is a qualified gas fitter/installer based in Kent. He is having real trouble finding a company who will provide his insurance for working on boats. He has tried the usual companies but the best he has had so far is 'insurance can only be provided if the boat he is testing/fitting out is on dry land'. Obviously that is not feasable.

 

Can anybody suggest an insurance comapny, bank or somewhere that insures this type of work?

 

No idea but sounds like your friend has suffered at the hands of 'the computer says no'

[Grace and Favour]

Not sure if this is the right section but here goes. I have just received a call from a friend who is a qualified gas fitter/installer based in Kent. He is having real trouble finding a company who will provide his insurance for working on boats. He has tried the usual companies but the best he has had so far is 'insurance can only be provided if the boat he is testing/fitting out is on dry land'. Obviously that is not feasable.

 

Can anybody suggest an insurance comapny, bank or somewhere that insures this type of work?

 

May I suggest he telephones a few boatyards and asks them whom they use for insurers (for their gas fitters)

[The Commodore]

I have just been chasing public liability as a gas service engineer myself, although i don't envisage working on boats, i have found that it's brokers you need to deal with, companies don't seem to want to know, the other bit of advise i would share is maybe it would be better to not mention working on boats, why emphasise it if you don't need to, the company the broker finds will list their limitations on any policy, non i have had back have mentioned boats, just heights and depths, and of coarse the excess.

 

Good luck.

[Old Son]

Thanks for your advice. It seems that some of the boats my mate works on are valued to £4m. His policy covers him for £5m and probably due to this there are lots of limitations on the policies. He is finding there are direct questions he needs to answer regarding where he works, what he does and how often/% of total income. I really don't understand why an insurance company would cover him for working on a boat on dry land but not if it is afloat. Crazy!! I have suggested he contact some of the boat insurance brokers.

[MtB]

Thanks for your advice. It seems that some of the boats my mate works on are valued to £4m. His policy covers him for £5m and probably due to this there are lots of limitations on the policies. He is finding there are direct questions he needs to answer regarding where he works, what he does and how often/% of total income. I really don't understand why an insurance company would cover him for working on a boat on dry land but not if it is afloat. Crazy!! I have suggested he contact some of the boat insurance brokers.

 

 

Probably the simplistic thinking of insurance companies is that the BIG risk they are exposed to is him causing the £4m boat to sink, which obviously can't happen if it's on dry land.

 

I have plain vanilla PLI gas insurance and there is no mention in my policy AFAIK preventing me from working on boats, but even if there IS, I'm willing to take the risk. (I like to think I'm good for the cost of a replacement should a customer ever succeed in suing me for total loss of their narrerboat.)

 

Does he need to produce evidence of his insurance (i.e. provide a copy of his insurance certificate) for the boatyard to let him work on the premises? If so, maybe the boatyard can help. They'll NEED to help because their own rules are in danger of preventing them getting any more gas work done. If they have obtained insurance certificates from other gas installers then maybe they could have a look at them and say who provided the insurance cover.

 

Cheers, Mike

Edited May 13, 2010 by Mike the Boilerman

[Old Son]

Mike, This has all come about because my mates insurance is now requiring renewal. He has never had an issue in the past. I do not know if he needs to show his certificate to the boatyards. I will certainly pass on your reply. Thank you.