Whether you are a professional contractor or a business hiring a contractor, knowing the risks involved is essential for proper electrical, HVAC and plumbing safety on a job site. Learn some of the most common risks and hazards involved in these lines of work and find out how Integrity’s risk control team can work with you to minimize injury and risk for an electrical, HVAC or plumbing insurance claim.
8 types of contractor risks and hazards
While contractor risks can vary across different industries and types of work, here are some common hazards that can impact electrical, HVAC or plumbing safety:
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1. Improper ladder usage.
The key to ladder safety is to always keep three-point contact while climbing or standing on a ladder. Maintaining two feet and one hand or two hands and one foot on the ladder at all times is three-point contact. Be sure to check and secure all locks on an extension ladder. For the safest working angle, place the base of the ladder one quarter of its working height away from the wall.
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2. Presence of harmful substances.
It’s very important for contractors or other certified professionals to isolate themselves, wear appropriate personal protective equipment and remove mold, bacteria, fungi or other harmful substances before work can begin.
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3. Lack of proper building ventilation.
For HVAC and plumbing safety procedures in particular, proper ventilation and air circulation is crucial to maintain a safe and healthy environment.
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4. Electrical components.
Contractors often need to turn off electricity and rely on portable work lights to complete their work. They should follow the appropriate OSHA protocol for working with switch plates, outlets, etc.
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5. Improper job site setup.
It is up to contractors and the businesses who hire them to work together in preparation of a job site. Expectations should be set and proper steps followed to comply with electrical, HVAC and plumbing health and safety regulations.
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6. Slips, trips and falls.
Whether an uneven surface causes a tripping hazard or a plumbing hazard like a leaking toilet makes the floor slippery, contractors should be aware of the slips, trips and falls that are common in their line of work.
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7. Working near falling objects.
If you are working on a construction site, knowing how to navigate the job site safely while working near falling objects is very important. Follow the OSHA construction guidance page to learn more.
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8. Poor lifting techniques.
Lifting and moving heavy equipment can be a high risk for injury. Follow the appropriate methods for bending and lifting. Remember to avoid twisting and be sure to bend at the knees and keep heavy loads close to the body when you lift heavy equipment.
When you choose Integrity for your business insurance needs, our expert risk control team will work with you to help identify and reduce risks. Steve Pominville, Director, Risk Control Services for Grange Insurance, an affiliate of Integrity Insurance, offers some best practices to follow to avoid hazards around the jobsite.
“In general, designating a competent person who is aware of the hazards is critical. Hazard assessment and recognition is important as well as providing the proper training to provide the awareness needed for safety on the jobsite,” he says. “Industry best practices include completing a job safety analysis (JSA) which helps identify and mitigate workplace hazards by breaking down a job into individual stages and analyzing the potential hazards associated with each stage.”
Pominville also says completing a JSA helps employers identify the hazards and allows them to develop safe strategies to prevent accidents and injuries.
“Overall, developing formal training programs, policies and procedures are important in establishing a culture of safety and top management must be involved when enforcing those standards,” he says. “A comprehensive safety policy provides guidance on training as well as policy and procedures needed to foster safety and health.”
Using new technology to improve safety for contractors
In addition to the risk mitigation resources provided by our risk control team, Pominville says new and upcoming technology can help improve safety for contractors. Here are a few innovative tools:
Augmented reality and virtual reality: This may be leveraged more in the future for the construction industry. This technology is used to train and simulate dangerous scenarios allowing for workers to virtually train and simulate these scenarios for practice prior to any real-life risks.
Wearable technology: This can include smart helmets, vests and glasses that are equipped with sensors and communication devices. These devices can help monitor vital signs, detect hazardous conditions and provide real time information to the wearer and supervisor.
Augmented reality can also help workers identify safety hazards by overlaying digital information into their physical surroundings.
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Common electrical, HVAC and plumbing insurance claims
Here are some common contractor claims you should be mindful of so you can avoid injury, loss and project delays:
Electrical insurance claims
Many tasks of electrical work can pose a risk for fire and even fire loss. These scenarios are rare, however, it’s important to keep electrical fire risks in mind for any project involving repairing, updating or installing electrical components.
Material theft is another electrical insurance claim that may happen on a commercial job site. For example, copper wire is a costly material and is easy to transport. Thieves can pick up hundreds of yards of copper wire and go. Electrical contractors and businesses should consider locking up materials and job sites to the best of their ability during non-working hours. Installing security cameras can also deter thieves and help minimize loss impact if your business is robbed.
Heating and cooling insurance claims
HVAC contractors can face the risk of fire loss through welding incidents. From welding materials catching fire to improper renovations to ventilation shafts, these accidents can cause a lot of damage. Heating and cooling professionals should always take precautionary steps to avoid these incidents even though they are rare.
Plumbing insurance claims
Water damage is something that goes hand-in-hand with plumbing mistakes or failures, so it’s no surprise that water damage is listed in many claims for plumbing contractors.
Mold damage claims can occur when water damage goes unnoticed for a period of time. Whether a leaky internal pipe drips slowly and accumulates mold or a building that isn’t used often experiences a major leak and is left untouched, mold growth can happen in a variety of different circumstances resulting in a plumbing insurance claim.
Welding or soldering claims are also a risk for plumbing contractors. Similar to HVAC professionals, plumbers welding pipes together can be a fire hazard if the proper steps and precautions aren’t in place.
On a cooler note, frozen pipes also pose a risk for plumbing insurance claims. Improperly installed or sealed pipes can freeze and eventually burst. It can be very costly to replace pipes and clean up any damage incurred. Talk to your agent to get familiar with your coverages for plumbing work.
Choose Integrity business insurance for risk control services
Our risk control experts are ready to help you avoid loss, damage and insurance claims.
“Risk control works with contractors to ensure that they have appropriate safety policies and procedures for their business. We review their training, safety, quality control and risk transfer programs. The team also reviews their risk management program as well as the exposures and controls associated with their workplace hazards,” says Pominville. “We can also work with clients to ensure they have a comprehensive risk management plan in place to reduce the potential for claims and help keep their employees safe.”
Talk to your Integrity independent agent for more information about our risk control services and other business insurance needs.
Sources:
OSHA Construction
Safety by Design
OSHA Electrical
American Institute for Contractors
Coverages described herein may not be available in all states. Please contact a local independent Integrity agent for complete details on coverages and discounts. If the policy coverage descriptions herein conflict with the language in the policy, the language in the policy applies. For the coverage to apply, a claim must be made and reported during the policy period. Scenarios above are not actual claims. The material provided above is for informational, educational, or suggestion purposes and does not imply coverage. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE TO QUOTE ANY INDIVIDUAL PREMIUM RATE FOR THE INSURANCE HEREIN ADVERTISED. Integrity Insurance policies are underwritten by Integrity Insurance Company, an affiliate of Grange Insurance Company, and Integrity’s subsidiaries. Integrity companies not licensed in Pennsylvania. Not all Integrity companies are licensed in all states.