MSIG hosts Construction Best Practice Forum

 

3rd March 2009

 

This years event was held on 25th February 2009 and chaired by MSIG's Dave Dexter (Account Manager, Risk Engineering). The forum was held in the Orange Studios in Birmingham with approximately 20 MSIG clients attending and was well-received.

 

The theme was "Fire and Water", with MSIG Consultant Kevin Province presenting on the proposed changes in the Joint Code of Practice for Fire Prevention on Construction Sites.

 

This subject is very topical as there have been a number of high profile losses of multi-storey timber framed buildings during construction projects that are causing the insurance industry great concern. In addition there have been a number of arson attacks in Glasgow and Edinburgh that appear to be the work of criminal gangs targeting timber framed buildings during construction.

 

Mike Skingsley, Technical Director of Crawfords, presented an adjuster's view of a number of large fire losses. The subject of water damage on construction sites is also very topical as, currently, there is a growing number of large losses within the industry, partly due to the increase of building services in new office, retail and residential developments linked with the increased use of "push-fit" type pipe connections and unskilled labour in new building projects. MSIG Risk Engineering Manager Mark Redding has been instrumental in developing a new Best Practice Guide for the building industry which was presented and discussed.

 

The Water Damage Guidance document can be downloaded by clicking here as well the accompanying Note 4. For more information on this initiative, contact Mark Redding at MSIG. The presentation slides from the day can be downloaded by clicking here.

 

Andy Kane, Class Underwriter, Construction at MSIG commented "The construction industry is going through challenging times with reduced workload and increased competition meaning lower margins for contractors; in addition we expect losses from various areas such as arson, malicious damage and theft to increase. Increased losses mean a contractor pays policy excesses, potentially increased future premiums, liquidated damages for delays and has significant opportunity costs. In times when margins are tight, investment in risk management becomes more important than ever as it reduces costs, accidents and waste, helping to deliver projects on time and on budget."

 

Aioi Insurance, Nissay Dowa General Insurance and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group agree to commence discussions towards a business combination and alliance

 

23rd January 2009

 

Aioi Insurance Company Limited  (“AIOI”), Nissay Dowa General Insurance Company Limited  (“NDGI”) and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group (Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group Holdings, Inc. (“MSIGH”) and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, Limited (“MSI”) reached an agreement on 23rd January 2009 to commence discussions on a possible business combination and business alliance with the goal of forming a new insurance and financial group, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals.

 

Further information and the full press release can be found by clicking here.

MSIUL holds fourth annual Casualty seminar

23rd September 2008

 

MSIUL's fourth annual Casualty seminar entitled “Investigating Excellence” was held at Clare College, Cambridge on 3rd and 4th September. This year, we took a fresh look at accident investigation with presenters giving revealing insights into various aspects of this critical area of risk management.

 

“Again it was full of excellent presentations, which were of great interest and value.”

 

CEO, Allan Guest, opened the seminar and handed over to our Risk Engineer, Dave Dexter, who introduced the new MSIUL’s Accident Investigation and Claims Handling Guide. 

 

Dave was dramatically interrupted however, when a technician, working on an IT fault in the lecture theatre, seemingly received an electric shock and stumbled into his colleague on a nearby ladder, both then crashing through an adjacent table.  The stunt, enacted by professional stuntmen Tony Christian and David Newton, recreated a workplace accident and grabbed the audience’s attention.  Their recollection of the incident was then tested the following day using electronic voting equipment.

 

Continuing Day One, Professor Ian Conway, Director of Leeds University Institute of Psychological Sciences, spoke on the fallibility of human memory in relation to witness testimonies.  Phil Poynter, a former HSE Principal Inspector, gave his insights into the approach taken by the HSE when investigating workplace accidents and Praxis Partners enacted an interview under caution and the resulting court hearing in a corporate manslaughter case.

 

The day concluded with a very entertaining presentation from Caspar Berry, a former child actor, screen writer and professional gambler, on risk taking in life and poker playing.  Caspar then led a poker school and competition in the cellar bar after dinner.

 

“As last year, I found the event very interesting and informative and I am sure that [we] will be able to benefit from it.”  

 

Day Two opened with MindSafety’s Richard Locke discussing behavioural aspects of accident causation followed by Nicholas Downing, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, who revealed how tenuous the links between many common upper limb complaints and work can be.

Detective Superintendant Mark Birch of Cambridgeshire Constabulary then gave a revealing account of the Police service’s approach to investigating a death in the workplace.  Comet’s Ben Jones and MSIUL’s Marc Wanless gave an account of motor risk management and how effective collation of accident data has helped Comet reduce the cost of their motor claims.

"The quality of speakers was excellent, and it showed the full scope and diversity with which we, as Health and Safety professionals, have to work. The implications of an investigation under corporate manslaughter/homicide was of particular interest."

Updated Guidance Note on the avoidance of 'Water Damage on Construction Sites' issued

23rd July 2008

 

Following the issue in March, the Guidance Note on the 'Avoidance of 'Water Damage on Construction Sites' has now been updated.

 

This Guidance Note evolved from an original document by Mark Redding for CIREG (Construction Insurance Risk Engineers Group). The Guidance Note was produced by the UK CAR Group in conjunction with CIREG. The Company is a member of both the UK CAR Group (represented by Darrell Huggins) and CIREG (represented by Mark Redding) and both Darrell and Mark sat on the sub-committee charged with the issuance of this document.

 

The guidance note will be especially useful for brokers when discussing project insurance with their clients. They will be able to raise awareness and the feedback from clients can help support the underwriting information supplied to insurers. Equally, insurers will also be able to draw attention to the note and its recommendations when carrying out risk surveys and in general discussions with their brokers and clients.

 

The updated guidance document can be downloaded by clicking here.

MSIG supports the London Fire Brigade's LIFE programme for Young People

22nd April 2008

 

The LIFE programme is run by the London Fire Brigade (LFB). It is aimed at addressing the problems of young people who deliberately start fires and their anti-social behaviour. The programme is targeted particularly at 13-18 year olds who have offended, are at risk of offending, or those that may have been victims of crime.

 

A key aim is to prevent young people from becoming persistent offenders by providing an intensive, five-day experience within a tightly structured and focused team environment.

 

Deliberate fire setting accounts for almost half of all fires attended by the LFB (48% in 2005/6).  As many as one in four such fires are believed to have been set by young people.  On average, two London schools experience a deliberate fire each week. In 2005/6, the LFB attended almost 4,000 incidents classified as malicious hoax calls.

 

However, the number of deliberate fires and hoax calls has fallen in recent years, particularly in Boroughs with active LIFE schemes.  The evidence strongly suggests that this is not coincidental.

 

There has also been measurable impact on offending rates amongst participants measured six months after the programme. Reductions of 44% for offences against property, 50% for offences against a person and a 64% reduction in public disorder offences.

 

The LIFE programme is partly funded by the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA), but LIFE also depends on external funding from partners in order to maintain the number of courses run and to expand the programme further.  MSIG is proud to have been one of these partners during the last 3 years.

 

Speaking on behalf of MSIG, Jeremy Stevenson said “We are delighted to help fund such a worthwhile programme which has proven to reduce the incidents of deliberately started fires in the capital and which also gives young people a real sense of self esteem and experience of working as a team”.

 

“The LIFE programme mirrors one of the central tenets of MSIG; that hard work and effort in the prevention of incidents, such as fire, is far better than managing the aftermath.  It also clearly demonstrates that additional benefits will come from such a positive and proactive approach to risk.”