Insurance Risks to I.T. Contractors
Risks posed to I.T. Contractors and comments on a recent claim brought by SKY.
Global Technology Review
The latest edition of the 'Global Technology Review' provided by Hiscox Insurance Company and their partner firms.
The Equality Act 2010 & how it applies to Charities
Guidance from the Charity Commission on the Equality Act 2010 and possible implications for Charitable Organisations
Melville Burbage Launch New Website
We're delighted to announce the launch of our brand new website.
ELTO - Employers Liability Tracing Office
ELTO is an idendependent body whose members are Employers' Liability Insurers. ELTO will implement a centralised...
Cherrypicked News
The Importance of understanding Insurance Warranties
Imagine this scenario - a welding contractor arrived to do some work in a client’s processing plant. The client, who used this contractor regularly, had imposed their own hot work procedures and was satisfied with the safety precautions taken by the contractor. Unfortunately, a serious fi...
Business Insurance for computers
In the late 1940s, the boss of a major computer business was famously quoted as saying, “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” That he was probably misquoted shouldn’t disguise the fact that no one could have foreseen the growth of the computer market to an extent that ...
Protect your home from flood risk
Summer may have long since given way to this season’s chill but the record levels of rainfall seen earlier in the year show no signs of letting up, with parts of Northern Ireland, England and Wales continuing to see flooding. All of which focuses attention on the renewal of an agreement between...
Stress in the workplace
Stress in the workplace is a serious issue for employers. You need to be aware of the human, business and possible legal impact of your employees suffering from stress.Employers have a general duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to provide a safe working environment and more specifi...
Motor Fleet Claims Tips
Businesses need to continually review their costs. Reducing fleet motor claims may help to keep insurance premiums in check and save money on excesses. Tips you may wish to consider that could help reduce claims frequency and/or costs include: Adopt a procedure detailing ‘What to do in the e...
Plant and farm theft on the increase
Tractors, quad bikes, power tools, oil, JCBs, loaders, forklifts - both countryside and city, building sites and farms, have a vast array of items of value to attract a rising wave of criminals. Current estimates place the value of plant theft alone at £1 million each week*. Historically manufa...
Changes to Driving Licence Rules in Great Britain
Driving licence rules will be changing from 19 January 2013. There will be many new rules for motorcycles, cars towing trailers, buses and lorries. As part of the changes to the new rules for driving, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will also be issuing a new style of driving...
Olympic pick-pocketing
In 2010 a survey from online travel site TripAdvisor placed London as tenth in destinations where tourists are most likely to be pick pocketed. This year the Olympic Games and Diamond Jubilee celebrations will see an influx of tourists and their wealth into the UK, potentially attracting more cri...
Personal injury claims push up the cost of motor insurance
Despite a fall in the number of road accidents, personal injury claims continue to rise, pushing up the cost of motor insurance for all. The Transport Select Committee noted that there has been a 70% rise in motor insurance injury claims in the past six years, despite a 23% drop in number of cas...
Loss of Profits Insurance
In March 2011, the Tsunami in Japan devastated large areas of its North-East coast line, destroying hundreds of lives and thousands of homes. The devastation wiped out large swathes of Japan’s manufacturing industry and energy systems, crippling its infrastructure. The highly regarded ‘just...
Emerging Careers and jobs for the 21st century
The way we earn a living and the professions we choose as careers can be due to careful planning or, in some cases, by chance or parental influence. What is certain though is that the nature of many jobs is changing along with the types of businesses and the associated environments in which...
The Growing Risk of Metal Theft
Over the last three years, the rise in metal prices has led to thieves stealing lead from church roofs, concern about the risk of precious metal theft and this year cable theft has made the press. Nightmare commuters’ journeys are not unusual – but in addition to the usual ‘reasons’ of l...
Workplace ill health and injury continues to fall
Figures published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) suggest that workplace ill health and injury has continued to fall. The figures, recorded between April 2010 and March 2011, showed the following reductions in sickness and injury: 6% fall in major injuries to 24,726 (amputations...
Off-site Health and Safety Regulations highlighted
Safety at work has once again been highlighted with the successful prosecution of a cardboard box manufacturer in Kent. A delivery driver, employed by W.E. Roberts (Corrugated) Limited from Northfleet, suffered severe head injuries that have had a life-changing effect after a fall in 2009. ...
Second Company charged with Corporate Manslaughter
A second company, Lion Steel Limited, has been charged under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007, with a trial date set for 2012. The charge relates to the death of an employee, Steven Berry, who suffered a fatal fall through a fragile roof panel at the company’s offices ...
Tracing Employers’ Liability Insurers
In the past, individuals who wanted to make a claim against a former employer in relation to injury or disease caused during their employment may have run into difficulties. This was largely due to the nature of industrial disease, such as asbestosis, which can take many years to show symptoms, b...
What’s covered under the Riot Damages Act?
The recent riots in London and throughout the UK have thrown up lots of questions about insurance coverage across different types of insurance policies and subsequent compensation. Due to the nature of the riots this has been of equal interest to businesses and individuals. Many property ...
London Riots - Riot Insurance Cover and Business Continuity Plans
The riots and looting in London and across the UK this August have shown that the social unrest that began in the UK in 2010 is set to continue and spark unpredictably. In 2010 strikes and protests dominated the headlines, with student fee protests causing chaos and major disruption to a number o...
Continuous Insurance Enforcement Law begins with letters to uninsured drivers from June 2011
The new Continuous Insurance Enforcement Law makes it illegal to own an uninsured vehicle unless it has been declared as off-road (Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN)), or is exempt from insurance. As part of the crackdown, vehicle owners who have so far been identified as contravening t...
Insurance costs hit by ECJ ruling
In March 2011, the European Court of Justice ruled that insurers can not charge different premiums because of a person’s gender as this action would constitute discrimination.Even though women are statistically less likely to make a car insurance claim, they can no longer be charged lower ...
TV ad campaign heralds Motor Insurance Law change
Motorists in the UK were reminded via a TV advertising campaign in 2011 of new rules regarding motor insurance that came into force on June 20, 2011. The new rules make it an offence to keep an uninsured car rather than the previous rules which just made it illegal to drive an uninsured car. Mo...
Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2007
Construction is a dangerous industry with a disproportionate level of fatalities, major injuries and incidents of ill-health. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in 2010 (July 2009 – June 2010) 42 people people died from injuries they received as a result of construction work. Ma...
Business Travel Insurance
Business travel insurance is an important purchase. Often, it’s not just the case of buying an ‘off the shelf’ product as with family travel insurance – there are plenty of other things you may wish to consider. Check the sums insured limit With some ‘off the shelf’ travel ins...
Directors and Officers Liability Insurance explained
The importance of your duties and responsibilities as a director or officer has reached unprecedented levels. Legislation is driving regulation and increasing the required levels of due diligence within the UK. You are responsible for the management decisions you take, and claims can be brought a...
Do you need Cyber Liability Insurance?
With social networking use increasing at an unparalleled rate many businesses are now taking their first steps into a world that has been dominated by personal use up to now. However, social networking developments at a business level are increasing rapidly. Social networking has been the...