One of the most interesting facts about the Irish construction industry is that there is no legal requirement for a building for the construction of an insurance! In fact, the only Irish insurance a contractor is required by law is the basis of car insurance on their vehicles!

Although there is no legal requirement in Irish law for a contractor to provide adequate insurance building is extremely important that sufficient coverage.

One of the main reasons is the high rate of death and injury on Irish building sites. One major positive of the recent construction Boom is the total number of deaths per thousand ratio has declined in recent years although it is still at an unacceptable level.
For example, in 2001 28% of workplace deaths have been linked to the Irish Construction consistently second only to the Irish agriculture and forestry.

Like many major contractors require their subcontractors to the construction of insurance is the reality is that even if construction of the insurance is no legal obligation is usually a prerequisite for obtaining employment in most countries on construction sites , so the need for the construction of insurance a necessity, but in all the laws!

Though it is a construction insurance relatively complex issue of the four main areas of coverage is as follows:
• liability insurance
• Employers Liability
• Contractors All Risks
• Personal Accident
Liability insurance
Public accountability [PL] provides coverage if the insured is sued by third parties, which claims to have suffered damage or loss of insured negligence (lack of care).
Consider the following examples in which public insurance cover:
• You run a plumbing company. One day you will be invited to an office to sort a problem in their kitchen. By accident, a pipe burst and flood the office. Your client then makes a claim against you for damage to their carpet and computer systems were damaged by water.
• You are an entrepreneur. While walking along scaffolding one of your men drops a piece of material on the bottom of the road, injuring a passing pedestrian. The pedestrian makes a claim against your company.
Obviously these examples are very simple and we have not talked about the complexity of the products liability / responsibility / care etc, but a basic knowledge of insurance liability.

Employers Liability Insurance

Employers Liability Insurance [EL] coverage as one of your employees suffer physical injury or death, and proved that if an employer has acted negligently, and thus to prevent their loss. If you then decide to request reimbursement of the insurer pays the cost of credit.
Consider the following examples where Employers Liability Insurance will cover:
• You run a carpentry business. One of your employees loses a finger while using a saw and decided to cut demand against you for damage
• You are a scaffolding contractor and are assembling scaffolding around a building. Although the construction of the scaffolding in one of his employees, and suffers serious bodily injury. He decides to claim against your company.
Please note that the liability of employers and the public is offered 'hand in hand', that is when the rules of construction insurance, you must hold both employers liability and public liability together [also known as Combined Insurance ] as Employers Liability Insurance is not available on a 'Stand Alone' basis ..
Contractors All Risks Insurance

Contractors All Risks Insurance (also known as contract works Insurance) is an insurance specially designed for manufacturers and other professionals working on the site of a contract. Contractors All Risks insurance contract may include works, its installation, taken in the plant and employee tools. Most entrepreneurs of all the risks of the insurance contract is the section that covers the buildings of work (eg new house, etc..) However, the coverage of the existing property is excluded (for example, the existing structure for construction of an extension), and must remain insured under their own insurance.
Consider the following examples where Contractors All Risks insurance cover:
• You are an entrepreneur and build a house for resale. So far you have spent € 200,000 on materials and labor. The property catches fire and is destroyed before it is completed. • We are the foundations of the contractor and are currently digging foundations for the development of a new accommodation. Obviously your excavator on site until the contract is completed however one night was robbed of your excavator.
Personal Accident Insurance

Accident insurance personal [also known as income protection insurance] is highly recommended for some merchants, business partners and managers of a combination of political responsibility does not cover damage caused to an independent contractor / business partner, while it is extremely difficult for a company director cite their business. A policy can be tailored to your needs and fiscal policy include a monthly payment, a lump sum [capital benefit] and hospital cash.
Consider the following examples of personal accident insurance which includes:
• You are a self-employed carpenter with no employees. Cut your hand and unable to work for eight months. As you have personal injury coverage you will receive a tax benefit of € 1500, after a month and still receive this amount until you return to work.
• Even if the personal injury / Income protection insurance is not a substitute for full time you get an income if you are not able to earn and can help reduce the financial problems at a time when we should be your number one priority .

Machinery and Plant Insurance
Plant and machinery insurance is usually arranged on a case by case basis and offers accidental damage Fire & Theft Cover machines. This policy is normally taken by the contractors who wish for a certain number of points.
Health & Safety Executive

In Ireland, the HSE [Health & Safety Executive] have the ultimate authority for the construction of sites and the possibility of a site they believe is a security risk. Their main initiative is the 'Safe Pass' - one day of training for security of the site.
Who needs to pass the security awareness training?
Safe Pass is a day of safety awareness for the general construction work, artisans and workers on-site security staff in the building. The objectives of the program are as follows:
• to increase safety awareness in construction
• ensure that staff at the site after the completion of a program of awareness days can positively contribute to the prevention of injuries and illnesses at work on the site
• records of staff training
• provide participants with a FAS Safe Pass registration card, indicating that the holder has attended a training on health and safety
Under the Safety Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2006 "Pass Safe / Safety Awareness Program apply --
(a) ships and general construction workers,
(b) persons who work on site, safety, and
(c) persons or categories of persons covered by the Minister.
For more information on the Irish site security, please visit the website of the Health and Food Safety www.hsa.ie while further information on the Irish construction insurance, please visit the web site of Keystone Insurance www.keystone. ie, Ireland's largest supplier of Construction Insurance