Roofers live dangerously. Working on roofs
every day gives your crew expertise at managing heights, but sometimes this
experience lulls roofers into a false sense of security and accidents happen.
In Ontario, any time workers are placed in a situation where they could fall
more than three metres, they are required by law to wear fall-arrest gear.
Unfortunately, workers often fail to follow this rule, and it only takes a
single misstep or error in judgment for a serious injury to occur. There are
dozens of examples of roofing accidents in Canada in the past several years;
here are just a few:
· A 53-year old roofer fell through an opening in the roof of a
GoodLife Fitness gym in Windsor, sustaining life-threatening injuries.
· A roofer in his 30’s died after a fall from a roof on a new
building he was finishing in north Edmonton.
· A 31-year-old man died from a fall after shovelling snow from a
roof under construction in North Rawdon, NS.
· A roofer died in Etobicoke after falling from a roof he was
working on near Lakeshore and 11th Street.
· In British Columbia, a roofer died after falling through the
skylight of former premier Gordon Campbell’s house during renovations.
When accidents happen, having adequate
insurance coverage is crucial. If you are buying insurance for a roofing
company, you need to make sure that it provides full coverage for property,
equipment (loss, theft, and damage, including rented equipment,) vehicles,
materials, general liability, fines due to inability to meet deadlines due to
insurable incidents, and, of course, group accident coverage for your
employees.
Customized Commercial Insurance Makes a Difference
Customized insurance is designed
specifically for your business and its particular needs. That means that your
broker thoroughly spends the time to get to know your business inside-out, from
the office to the worksite. Next, a comprehensive risk management analysis is
conducted. When this is done, the resulting report may have suggestions about
ways that your company can reduce its exposure to risk.
At the end of this assessment process, your
broker will work with you to find an insurance company that will create a
customized policy. It will be designed to protect your business using the
information gleaned about the kinds of jobs you do, the way it operates, and
the risks inherent to all construction contractors.
When your broker and your insurance company
understand the challenges and threats you face in terms of risk coverage, they
can help you secure options that fit your needs.
Choosing an Insurance Company
Finding the right brokerage to partner with
is the key to peace of mind. Like any good relationship, the broker/client
partnership must be built on trust. Your broker trusts you to tell the truth
about the business and its activities. And you are, in essence, trusting your
broker with your business, your livelihood, and the welfare of your
employees.
When selecting an insurance brokerage, ask questions
about the company’s philosophy, and core values. Be honest and transparent
about your activities, your employees, and your operating budget. Make sure
that you can communicate easily with the broker, and that you have the basis
for a good working partnership.
Contact a broker that specializes in customized commercial
insurance coverage for roofers today, and learn more about its many advantages.