Insurers pledge to give small businesses better compliance advice

Leading insurers have committed themselves to providing short guidance to small business clients setting out clearly what they need to do and, critically, what they don’t need to do, to comply with health and safety legislation and get insurance cover.

The insurers made the promise to ensure businesses are not asked to go beyond what is required by law at a Downing Street summit on 14 February.

Prime minister David Cameron met cabinet ministers, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and insurance firms including, Admiral, Aviva  Co-operative Insurance and Zurich, as well as the HSE, to discuss action to tackle the perceived"compensation culture" and reduce legal costs.

The ABI recently published a document for SMEs and voluntary groups but the new guidance is expected to be more prescriptive, the ABI’s Adeola Ajayi told HSW.

“It is likely to be communicated via an insert to SME policy holders by their insurers, and branded by various government organisations so will be available through their web portals too, though this is yet to be discussed, Ajayi added. She noted no timings had yet been confirmed but it is hoped the guidance will be available later this year.