INSURANCE ISSUES FOR ORGANISERS

The Civic Trust for Wales has purchased public liability insurance and employer’s liability insurance cover for organisers and properties who register to take part in Open Doors/European Heritage Days events. Please read this very carefully and consider any implications it may have for events you are planning. You may wish to consult your own insurers if you have any uncertainty in relation to the use of your premises for the proposed event. We would also advise all organisers to carry out a risk assessment.

An example risk assessment form is provided by English Heritage within their Heritage Open Days site link.

We anticipate that cover will be substantially the same as that arranged in 2008, as described in outline below. We will post any alterations when we have full details.

A. Cover and components

1. Public and products Liability Insurance: To indemnify the Assured for legal liability to third parties for personal injury or property damage including legal liability of member to member and legal liability to landlords anywhere within the geographical limits.
   Limit of indemnity: £5,000,000 any one claim
   Excess:The first £250 of each and every claim for 3rd party property damage
2. Employer’s Liability Insurance: To insure the participating organisations for their liability at law for damages as ‘Employers’ for both bodily injury or disease or death sustained by their employees arising out of and in the course of their employment by the organisation. NB: Employers’ Liability insurance is essential for any employer if any person works for the employer whether paid or unpaid. As far as Heritage Open Days is concerned where many people do voluntary work, anyone who is given instructions or supervised in any way is deemed to be an ‘Employee’ and the organisation is deemed to be the ‘Employer’ and must therefore have Employers’ Liability Insurance.
   Limit of Indemnity: £10,000,000 any one claim
3. Period of cover: to include preparatory phase in the run-up to the European Open Days event from the moment you register with the project.
4. Geographical limit: Wales

B. Exclusions and condition

The following activities should be carried out by bona fide sub-contractors who must have their own pubic liabilty insurance: erection of stands, stages or similar; security, crowd control, stewarding; height work above 3m from ground or stage; fireworks or pyrotechnics. Venue owners and operators shall have their own public liability insurance in force during periods required before and after use for setting up, breaking down, rehearsals, sound checks and other preparation.

1. Hazardous activities

1. Any hazardous activities such as abseiling, bungee jumping, parachute jumps, bouncy castles, fairground rides, playground equipment and similar activities
2. Self-guided town trails or tours which lead through public areas (i.e. people pick up a leaflet at a venue and follow, unsupervised and at their leisure, a circuit).

2. Means of transport

1. Bus tours, train tours (including miniature trains), boat trips and shuttle services on and between Open House London sites
2. Bicycle rides and horse-drawn carriage rides.

3. Hands-on activities and presentations

1. Hazardous ‘hands on’ workshops or skills demonstrations such as woodcarving, clog making, glass blowing or stone carving. Only bona-fide craftsmen should be used and it should be ensured that they have adequate insurance in place.

4. Performances

1. If you stage concerts, please take into account that musical instruments are not insured.

5. Access issues

1. If you intend to allow access to towers (church tower, lighthouse etc.) or structures below ground level, the access has to be via a sturdy (i.e. spiral) staircase, ideally with a permanent handrail. Access via a freestanding ladder or staircase without a permanent handrail and obstruction to prevent a free fall is not insured under the Open House cover.

6. Excluded Hazardous Premises

1. Power Stations, Nuclear Installations, Gas, Chemical, Oil or Fuel Works,
2. Refineries or Storage Depots
3. Collieries, Mines, Quarries, Bridges, Viaducts, Flyovers or Dams
4. Watercraft, Docks, Harbours, Wharves
5. Airports, Aircraft or Aerodromes

C. Preventing is better than claiming

In order to minimise risks, we ask you to do a thorough risk assessment of the property, activity, event or tour you are planning to open or offer to the public.

D. Contact

If you have any insurance queries they should be directed to our Insurance Broker. Please contact Tariq Mian or John Brady, Towergate Risk Solutions Fareham on fareham@towergate.co.uk or on 0870 366 9552
The insurance is effected by Towergate Risk Solutions Fareham on behalf of Novae Insurance Company.