Electricians: A Guide to Public Liability
The quick guide to public liability insurance for electricians
For electricians, Public Liability Insurance is absolutely essential due to the high risk nature of the work they undertake. Public Liability Insurance protects you against any damage done to property or another person in the course of your work. If you work as an electrician and inadvertently cause any damage, you may find yourself in a situation where you’re financially liable.
An equally important consideration is Product Liability Insurance as this protects you against personal injury or property damage that has taken place as a result of products you’ve installed. Product Liability Insurance is usually included in your Public Liability Insurance Policy.
But do your Public Liability Insurance requirements change depending on what State you’re in?
Public Liability insurance across Australia
Generally, Public Liability Insurance requirements for electricians are fairly standard and policies don’t tend to differ much between States. Some States require electricians to have Public Liability Insurance in place before they can be given their electrical licence while others don’t have this requirement but electricians will find they have to take out liability insurance before entering certain worksites or take on subcontracting work for other companies.
The minimum you can be insured for with Public Liability Insurance is $5 million, although this may need to be increased depending on the job you’re doing. If you’re self-employed doing small jobs, the minimum may be appropriate. However, if you own a large electrical company with a number of employees or work at higher risk locations such as mine sites, speak to your insurance broker about the best level of cover for your needs.
Public Liability insurance in Queensland
The only State where there is a significant difference in Public Liability Insurance for electricians is Queensland. For Queensland based electricians, they must not only have the minimum of $5 million in Public Liability Insurance but also an extra $50,000 in cover known as consumer protection insurance. In Queensland, it’s mandatory to have Public Liability Insurance in place and you can’t obtain your electrical licence without it. All policies which meet the criteria for eligibility for an electrical licence must include consumer protection insurance so double check that this is included in your policy if you’re going to be working in Queensland.
Public Liability Insurance is vital for electricians, regardless of whether it’s compulsory in your State or not. Regardless of how careful you are, electricians work in a high risk area and you don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you are required to pay hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars from your own pocket. If you want to risk it, remember that you could be up for medical bill, the cost of rehabilitation, repairs, replacements and any number of other costs. Save yourself the drama and protect yourself with Public Liability Insurance today.
