Howden has launched an exclusive professional indemnity insurance scheme for accredited asbestos inspectors that includes coverages not available under any other policy in the marketplace.
The scheme, backed by a panel of leading insurers, has been developed to support the first and only register of Ukas accredited individual asbestos inspectors.
The National Individual Asbestos Certification Scheme (Niacs) is a joint venture between the Asbestos Removal Contractors Association (Arca) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics).
Kevin Culliney, executive director of Howden, comments: "Niacs was established to provide a structured, credible and regulated solution to the demand for asbestos inspections following the implementation of Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations (CAWR) in May 2005.
"We have worked hard to demonstrate the robustness of the programme to our panel of insurers, and the recent accreditation of the programme by Ukas has instilled further confidence in them which has allowed us to create a scheme to support Niacs members and offer them the broadest possible cover available in the marketplace today".
The Howden Niacs professional indemnity policy provides bespoke cover, designed to fit the Niacs Asbestos Inspection Manual and terms of agreement, for Type 1 and Type 2 inspections.
It is anticipated that it will be extended to cover Type 3 inspections in due course.
Niacs members will also be able to take advantage of some of the unique features of policy coverage including bodily injury cover, consequential loss and diminution in the value of buildings.
No other policy offers this level of cover.
Martin Russell-Croucher, director of NIACS, says: "Niacs guarantees the quality of individuals inspecting buildings for asbestos.
"With the added weight that Ukas accreditation brings to the programme and the guarantee of the best possible professional indemnity insurance package, we are confident that Niacs will become not only the benchmark qualification for asbestos inspectors to aim for but ultimately the only qualification that the Health and Safety Executive will recognise.
"According to the Rics, only 56% of individuals who currently hold the BOHS P402 qualification have successfully achieved Niacs certification to date.
"This demonstrates both the rigorous nature of the Niacs scheme as well as the levels of competency required by insurers if they are to feel confident in providing professional indemnity to this previously uninsurable profession.
We would encourage anyone involved in asbestos inspections to become a member of Niacs so that they can gain not only a qualification that will provide quality assurance to their own customers, but more importantly ensure that they can access the only professional indemnity policy that truly covers them for this type of work".
Kevin Culliney concludes: "We strongly urge anyone involved in asbestos inspections - whether carrying out the inspection itself or providing advice or other related work in connection with asbestos management plans associated with the CAWR - to review the cover they currently have to ensure they are protected should something go wrong.
"If in doubt, we have a dedicated team geared up to provide support and advice to professionals in this high risk sector".
