With our wealth of experience in the Plant, Machiney & Construction Insurance sectors, Andrew Bourne & Co will be actively targeting clients in these sectors throughout 2013 and 2014.

Watch out for our new marketing material, coming soon!

Heavy Plant Hirers & Waste Recycling Contractors, beware the markets are vastly declining following a number of high profile losses being incurred by insurers – Please contact David J Crowther – Director at Andrew Bourne & Co, if you would like some expert independent advice and a free review of your insurance programme – Tel: 0116 272 0770 / 07536117804 / david.crowther@abourne.com

Please refer to the following link www.commercialmotor.com/news-and-blogs

A total of 180 applications have been approved by the Department for Transport (DfT) for next year’s trial of longer semi-trailers, CM can reveal.

The breakdown consists of hauliers, own-account operators and trailer manufacturers, which between them will pilot the use of 1,811 longer semi-trailers on UK roads.

While larger operators have been granted the most longer semi-trailers in pure number terms as expected, the DfT has been true to its word and spread the allocation widely between operators large and small, with no single entity having more than 8% of the total.
(source: Commercial Motor.Com)

The Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE) regulations were signed by Parliament on Friday 4th February 2011 and it is now an offence to be the registered keeper of a vehicle which may not be covered by insurance following a check against the Motor Insurance Database (MID), even if the vehicle is not driven on the road.

Process
The DVLA and MIB are working in partnership to identify uninsured vehicles by comparing insurance and registered keeper records on their respective databases. Under CIE, the registered keeper of a vehicle will be responsible for ensuring that insurance is in place and will be contacted if the vehicle does not appear on the MID.  It is anticipated that the first letters will be issued around June 2011.

Upon receipt of an advisory letter, keepers will be asked  to:

• update their DVLA record (if vehicle has been sold or transferred)
• declare vehicle SORN (statutory off road notice)
• buy insurance

If the vehicle is insured and does not appear on Motor Insurance Database accessible then the insurance provider should be contacted. Enforcement, in the form of a fine, will only follow if the keeper fails to comply with one of the above.

Exemptions
CIE does not apply in Northern Ireland. NI has a separate registration and licensing authority and they will make a decision whether or not to adopt CIE.

Vehicles are exempt from CIE, if

• Vehicle has a valid SORN (Statutory off road notice)
• Vehicle is exempted from SORN (as untaxed before 31/01/98 and has had no tax or SORN activity since)
• Vehicle recorded as scrapped
• Vehicle recorded as stolen and not recovered
• Vehicle recorded as disposed to the trade
• Vehicle recorded as disposed
• Vehicle recorded as exported
• Vehicle is owned by the crown, tax class (60)

Further information
Further details will be available at www.directgov.co.uk   The DVLA and MIB have also prepared a question and answer document . if you would like a copy of this please contact your usual  account executive on 0116 272 0770 or enquiries@abourne.com

Insurers paid out £1.4bn in ‘big freeze’ insurance claims in the UK between 24 November and 31 December 2010, according to the ABI.   There were 467,000 claims for motor, home and business during the period:

• 190,000 claims were for damage to homes and businesses (75% domestic; 25% commercial), costing £900m.
• There were 278,000 motor insurance claims, costing £530m.
• Property claims included 103,000 for burst pipe damage, costing £680m. This was up 35% on the amount paid out for burst pipes during the whole of the previous winter.
• Northern Ireland suffered 6,400 burst pipe claims, worth £40m. In Scotland, 31,000 property damage claims cost £90m.

The ABI estimated that insurers dealt with more than 12,000 claims a day, at a cost of £38m, during the coldest December on record.

ABI director of general insurance and health Nick Starling said: “The big freeze highlighted that, when bad weather strikes, there is no substitute for insurance.”

For a FREE impartial review of your current business insurance needs,  please contact Richard Gibson on  0116 272 8821.

Do you accurately check your Buildings sums each renewal, or do you renew your policy without much thought to it?

The only time you may discover that your buildings are under insured is when you need to make a claim?  How much would it really cost to reinstate your business investments?

Five pointers:

1. Make sure you know what is included in the insurance policy definitions as this may include a range of ancillary terms such as walls, gates, fences, garages and other outbuildings. These items are frequently forgotton about, but must be taken into consideration when calculating sums insured.
2. Include the cost of removing debris, as well as architects’ and surveyors’ fees when calculating the reinstatement figure.
3. You may also need to consider other reconstruction expenses such as site decontamination or demolition or a fire-damaged building.
4. Keep up-to-date with current building requirements and local planning criteria , as new demands can significantly increase rebuilding costs. For example, owners are increasingly properties with improved thermal efficiency or on-site power generation.
5. The best way to obtain an accurate sum insured is by commissioning a regulated surveyor  – to carry out a professional valuation every three to five years. That way, you will be less at risk of a claim shortfall.

For further details on this article please contact Richard Gibson on 0116 272 0770

Press Release –

Andrew Bourne & Co expands Corporate team in Leicester

Published: 01/04/2010

Andrew Bourne & Co (Insurance Consultants) in
Leicester has appointed Richard Gibson as Corporate
Account Manager to expand their corporate division.

Richard brings experience of 22 years to
his new position where he has worked previously for
Perkins Slade Limited and
Towergate Risk Solutions Leicester in a variety of account
management roles. Richard’s extensive experience
in client retention and new business includes long-term
responsibilities for the development and relationship
management of successful trade association accounts.

Richard has expertise in a wide range of industry sectors; he specialises in heavy manufacturing risks and has also developed in-depth knowledge of wood-working, construction, foundries, forges and motor trade business.

Commenting on Richard’s appointment, Director, Justin Pavey said,
‘Richard is a knowledgeable and enthusiastic individual whose specialist expertise and technical skill will further enhance our corporate customer proposition, adding to the depth and breadth of experience in the Corporate Client team.’

Contacts
For more information about this press release contact Tracy Edge on 0116 2720770 or by email to tracy.edge@abourne.com

Andrew Bourne & Co
Founded in 1990, Andrew Bourne is an independent broker, providing expert, impartial advice for UK and international businesses, organisations and private individuals.

Visit our web site at www.abourne.com

In April 2008 the “Corporate Manslaughter & Corporate Homicide Act 2007″ came in to force. This act is linked directly with Health & Safety requirements. Under the Act,  health & safety legislation means”any statutory provision dealing with health & safety matters”. This therefore applies to transport and workplace safety as enforced by HSE and local authorities.

This legislation has a direct affect on Haulage customers as well as many other sectors but ultimately it is essential that the management of your risk forms a key part of your Haulage Insurance negotiations. We would raise the question of whether they do currently or whether this has been discussed with you by your existing broker?

Some basic requirements like operating an up to date drivers company handbook, having clear and defined accident procedures in place, making sure driving licences are checked regularly and operating a system for daily / weekly vehicle checks are all part and parcel of your internal systems and controls. 

These measures, whilst basic, are an integral part of complying with your  responsibilities but they are relatively easy to implement if you are receiving suitable advice and support  from your existing provider. If you recoginise this as a gap and one that could ultimately mean you are liable, act now and contact Andrew Bourne & Co who specialise in Haulage Insurance. Please contact David Crowther on 07536 117804 or email him on david.crowther@abourne.com

Andrew Bourne & Co provide Risk Management advice and guidance to support your legal obligations and in direct conjunction offer bespoke financial packages for Haulage and Transportation customers who are looking for a partnership approach to their insurances.

With around 20% of UK warehouses and factories currently unoccupied, Insurance group Aviva is warning commercial property owners of the need to secure vacant buildings.

According to the insurer, there are around 9,000 fires in unoccupied buildings each year in the UK, and empty commercial premises, particularly in out-of-town areas, are high risk.

If not fire, other common problems with unoccupied properties include theft of fixtures and fittings fly tipping and occupation by squatters or travellers.

Property owners are therefore advised to inform their insurance company, the fire service and police when premises are empty, having first accounted for all keys and produced a list of key holders.

They should also cut off utilities and redirect mail, but at the same time keep the building looking occupied.

Rubbish and combustible materials should be cleared away leaving nothing that could be used to start a fire, or might appear to be of value.

“It also makes sense to make a note of the building’s condition when it first becomes unoccupied and maintaining a log of weekly inspections to provide evidence, should the need for a claim arise” comment’s Andrew Bourne’s David Crowther.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has revealed the extent to which trade credit insurance helped UK businesses in 2009. During the year, insurers dealt with 22,791 claims, with the total amount paid out rising from £164 million in 2008, to £320 million.

According to the ABI survey, the 95% year-on-year increase reflects the ongoing effects of the global recession and the liquidity crisis on UK business.

However, figures for the final quarter of 2009 showed a significant improvement, with the number of new claims received down 23% on the previous three months.

The Associations director of general insurance and health, Nick Starling, comments: “This is consistent with the end of the downward trends observed in various sectors of the economy and the corresponding reduction in levels of corporate failures observed in Q4 2009.”

He adds: “The outlook for 2010, although improved from 2009, remains highly uncertain, which reinforces the importance of protection and risk management services provided by trade credit insurers.”

The Flood and Water Management Bill 2009-10 has received the Royal Assent. The Bill addresses the threat of flooding and of water scarcity, both of which are expected to increase with climate change.

The new legislation requires the Environment Agency to create a National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy, which a number of organisations will have to follow.  Leading local flood authorities are now required to create local flood risk management strategies and the Bill also introduces a more risk-based approach to reservoir management.

The legislation should enable the Environment Agency and local authorities to carry out flood risk management works more easily.

In addition, it requires the use of sustainable drainage systems in certain new developments and introduces a mandatory building standard for sewers. The cost of the damage caused by the flooding in Cumbria in November 2009 topped £200 million.

According to the Association of British Insurers, its members handled 36,000 claims totaling around £206 million, with 60% of the sum relating to business damage.