SWG ENVIRO: Contractor's Liability

September 16, 2020

The Construction Sector is an Important Driver to the Canadian Economy and We’ve Supported this Sector from the Outset

The construction sector in Canada employs 1 in every 14 Canadians and is the fifth largest construction market globally.

SWG has supported this sector for many years and provides a bespoke Environmental Insurance solution to contractors of all sizes in sectors ranging from asbestos and mould abatement to waste collection, transportation, and treatment.

Pollution Incidents Come From All Construction Sectors

In our experience, we’ve seen that contractors in all sectors are best managing their environmental exposures through the high-class workmanship for which they’re recognised and excellent risk management and health and safety practices.

Unfortunately, pollution incidents still occur and with ever increasingly stringent environmental regulations, it’s important to have an environmental insurance policy to protect you and your company for pollution resulting from your work in this event.

Interestingly, we have seen that many trades which are typically considered to conduct “non-environmental operations” such as electrical, road construction and water and sewer contractors, are just as likely to cause a pollution incident as those involved in the more generally recognised “environmental operations” such as asbestos abatement contractors.

This is caused by the infrastructure that most contractors are working in and around in whatever sector they’re in - whether it be asbestos disturbed in a building during an electrical fitout, diesel from a bowser split to the ground on a road construction project, or sewage lost during a pipe replacement or repair.

Market Leading Environmental Cover to Protect You and Your Company

In order to protect our clients, our market leading annual and project specific policies provide cover on a Claims-Made and Reported basis for Third-Party Bodily Injury, Third-Party Property Damage, Clean-Up, Natural Resources Damages, Emergency Response Costs and related Defense Costs resulting from pollution caused by your work.

Coverage highlights:

● Sudden and gradual pollution events

● Broad definition of pollutant including asbestos & mould

● Clean-up costs

● Restoration costs

● Emergency response costs

● Natural resource damages

● Compensation for third party bodily injury and property damage

● Civil fines and penalties

● Punitive damages (where insurable by law)

● Legal defense costs

● Completed operations

● Automatic coverage for contractors’ clients, if cover is required by contract

Optional coverage enhancements:

● Retroactive cover for historic work

● Transported cargo

● Waste disposal / Non-owned disposal sites

● Separate project-specific limits

A selection of the industries we cover:

● Asbestos & mould abatement

● Construction management

● Demolition

● Dredging

● Drilling

● Electrical and Mechanical

● Environmental, including remediation

● Haulage

● Landscaping

● Oil and gas

● Plumbing

● Restoration

● Septic tank installation and maintenance

● Utility operation and maintenance

● Waste collection, transportation, and treatment

Please give us a call so we can help provide you with the right environmental coverage solution for your company. For more details about our coverage, visit our website.

Content is current as of the date of broadcast and is subject to change without notice.