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Cleaner

Cleaning contractors insurance

Although cleaners are not traditionally known as tradespeople, they are part of the trades and services industry, and the team here Trade Risk is willing and able to assist with their insurance needs.

Cleaners have a lot in common with tradespeople when it comes to insurance. Many of them are running their own business or subcontracting, and therefore they have certain risks which need to be covered.

In this guide we will take a look at the insurance requirements for cleaners and how you can benefit from the various forms of cover.

Note: We generally only assist with cleaners undertaking domestic / residential work only. We find that our premiums are not competitive for cleaners undertaking commercial or industrial cleaning.

Insurance Requirements

There is one main form of insurance which is required by most cleaning contractors, and that is public liability cover.

If you undertake work for real estate agencies, property managers, shopping centres or commercial building managers you will most likely find that public liability insurance is mandatory.

The amount of cover you require will depend on the organisation you are working for. Many will be fine with a minimum of $5 million, however some may require as much as $20 million.

Another important form of insurance for cleaners is personal accident cover. This is very rarely mandatory, but is still worth considering for anyone who is self-employed.

What is Public Liability?

Public liability covers cleaners for property damage or personal injury that they cause to other people through negligence.

Ordinarily you would be liable for costs such as replacement or compensation yourself, but with public liability you can rely on the insurer to handle the claim.

It’s important to remember that this form of insurance only covers damage or injury to others. To cover damage or injury suffered by you personally you should consider covers such as equipment insurance and income protection.

Why is it Important?

As a cleaner there are various risks that you face, and one of the major risks is that someone could slip and fall in an area where you are working.

If a person was to seriously injure themselves and you were found to be responsible, you could be liable for thousands of dollars, and potentially hundreds of thousands if an incident leaves someone disabled.

Restrictions

There are some restrictions when it comes to public liability insurance for cleaners.

Virtually all of the major insurers will offer cover to cleaning contractors working in residential and light commercial locations, but if you are cleaning shopping centres and other public spaces there can be complications.

If you are cleaning these high traffic areas you will find that most of the major insurers will not offer cover. This doesn’t mean that we cannot help you, but it does mean the process may take a little longer as we have to work with the specialist insurers and underwriters to get you a quote.

Personal Accident Insurance

As is the case with most tradespeople, personal accident insurance is important for cleaning contractors but is certainly not as common as public liability.

As a contractor or subcontractor you will generally not be eligible for sick leave or workers compensation, which means you can be left out of pocket if you cannot work for a period of time.

This form of insurance can replace a large percentage of your income for a period of time whilst you cannot work due to injury or illness.

You can find more information about this cover in our dedicated personal accident insurance section of the website.

More Info

If you’re a cleaning contractor and would like quotes or more information on insurance, the team here at Trade Risk

have the knowledge and experience to help you.

For a quote on your cover please visit our online quote page, or simple get in touch with our office via phone or email if you would like to discuss your needs further.

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