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Managing Risk in Your Business, Part Two – Property/Asset Risk
Construction is a risky business, more so than most, yet many builders don’t spend enough time really understanding their risk environment and putting in place strategies to manage, avoid or transfer that risk. In this second article in our Understanding Risk series, we focus on the area that is probably best understood; protecting assets from damage or loss.
Managing Risk in Your Business, Part One – Risk Principles
Life used to be simple. It was about survival, finding enough to eat and avoiding being eaten by a sabre-toothed tiger. Modern life is much more complicated, especially if you’re a builder and run a business. There’s a lot to think about and one of the most fundamental is how to minimise risk.
Are you a director of your own limited company? You could be held personally liable if your company fails
Do you know if your company is solvent? If it’s insolvent and you continue to trade you could be in breach of the Companies Act. If the company can’t pay its bills, creditors could seek recovery directly from you personally.
Can I get insurance for breaching health & safety law?
Whether you agree with it or not, the reality for everyone in the construction sector is that ensuring workplaces are safe is not negotiable. Unfortunately, despite the best intentions of employers, sometimes things happen. If an injury occurs and a WorkSafe NZ investigation determines that it could have been prevented, you could face a fine and/or prosecution. Under the current law workplace bullying is also considered a hazard, and failure to prevent it could be a breach of the law.
How can a contractor reduce the cost of not getting paid?
It’s been reported more than 20 building companies have collapsed in Christchurch this year. And nationwide every year hundreds of construction companies cease trading and don’t make the news. Businesses in all industries face the risk of not getting paid for what they do, so what are the tools and processes you can put in place to limit this risk?
LBP, RBW and RoW – what are you liable for?
The Building Act does not prevent building companies using (potentially) cheaper, lower-skilled labour for restricted building work (RBW); this must be signed off by an LBP to comply with the law. LBPs who contact us want to know what liability they’re taking on for signing off this work, and what insurance is available to protect them.
The Mainzeal collapse – one year on and what’s changed for sub-contractors?
Mainzeal Property & Construction Limited was placed into receivership on 6th February 2013. A year on from that and the situation is clearer and closer to a resolution for unsecured creditors, but not by much.
Construction/contract works insurance – common issues to be aware of
Whether you’re building new or doing an alteration, extension or renovation, your contract will require contract works insurance be arranged to cover the work. The policy provides cover for sudden and accidental loss or damage to the works specified in the contract.
Public liability insurance – what am I actually covered for?
Public liability insurance is one of the most important policies that a tradesman should have. It is intended to protect you from the cost of accidentally damaging other people’s property or causing them injury (for example where ACC doesn’t cover you).