subject: Welders Spark Ignites Claims [print this page] If there was ever a case to get good welders insurance, then an incident in the US highlights the matter quite dramatically.
Welders insurance is vital for any professional involved in such activities, mainly because of the inherent danger involved not only to the welder, but surrounding people and property.
Take a fire in Howard County, in the states, in which a solitary spark from a man welding a fence behind a building set fire to a grassy lot that got hold quickly and spread in minutes. The ensuing flames engulfed a number of vehicles, although mostly abandoned and forgotten. The press didn't mention whether the individual has welding insurance, or not, but it can only be hoped that he did.
The old cars gave the local fire fighting units a run for their money, because, as the local fire chief said:
"When you have petroleum products and pressurized tires ... it makes for a dangerous situation. I'd rather deal with a house fire than a bunch of cars burning."
Thankfully for any welding insurance in force, there was only company buildings in the danger area and a helpful wind kept it away from populated areas.
And although the company in question made products with fibre glass materials, the fire never really threatened to destroy it.
The damage estimate at the end of the incident included 60 acres of grassland destroyed, plus a vacant building burnt down and some pipe supplies for the nearby company also lost.
A good welders insurance UK policy would have covered similar losses as experienced in this US incident. Although no insurance estimate was available at the time of the fire, it was likely to run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. And had the nearby company been destroyed as well, then the final bill could have strayed into the millions of dollars. Frighteningly, if the local houses had become engulfed in flames, the incident could have developed into a small disaster, involving the local population and a vast number of commercial, and personal claims on the welder involved, and their company.
Welding is a business which has a number of risks, mainly unruly sparks that can cause all manner of fires. And this fact is the main reason to arrange welders insurance.
Artisan welders who run their own companies, either small limited liability operations, or those with sole trader status, are well aware that there are many risks with running such businesses. Sparks to one side, a freelance welder has to have comprehensive liability insurance in case of damages claims and also cover to project against equipment loss. They also have to consider their own well-being doing a job that can involve potentially harmful fumes and physical lifting.
