Can Air Conditioning Contractors get insurance for R32?
At Cool Cover, we specialise in sourcing dedicated insurance for the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration industry.
Already widely used in countries including India, Australia and Japan, R32 is still being introduced to the UK as a more eco-friendly, sustainable option. As the popularity of these systems continues to increase in the UK, there are concerns about whether or not contractors will be able to obtain insurance cover when necessary.
Insurance for R32-ready Air Conditioning systems
At Cool Cover, we are continually updating our policies to ensure that we can include new cover as and when it’s necessary and look to provide it at an affordable cost. The Air Conditioning and Refrigeration insurance market is currently looking to write more business and increase their premium income and exposure. This drives prices down and means that insurers are more willing to include additional covers such as extensions in the wording or additional risks to the trade such as R32.
While our current insurance offered through our policies does not extend to the use, exposure or handling of R32, please do speak to us if this is something that you do need either now or in the future.
The risks of R32-ready air conditioning systems
As the gas is classified as flammable, contractors have a duty to include R32 as part of their Health and Safety policy and regime. This includes training for employees and risk assessments, as well as ensuring that it forms part of your fire risk assessment.
From an insurance perspective, the fact that you are using R32 must be disclosed to your insurer/broker but once the use of it becomes more widely accepted, it could become part of the standard trade activity for a Refrigeration / Air Conditioning Contractor.
If you do work with R32-ready systems, this would need to be included across your cover, including your Liability Insurance. Your Vehicle/Fleet Policy will also need to be made aware that you are carrying a hazardous(flammable) gas.
Claims support for the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry
With F-Gas and the HSE guidelines and directives, the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry in the UK has never been so well managed and trained. At Cool Cover, we have an excellent claims record against the contractors we work with.
Rather than classifying Air Conditioning Contractors as Plumbers – there are now several specialist schemes and policy wordings available specifically for the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry. These wordings and covers have been written to specifically protect the contractor in direct relation to the work you are carrying out and the risks you are exposed to in doing this work. This is what the team at Cool Cover, want to continue developing going forward. To discuss how we can help your business, give us a call on 0207 101 4941.
