Shielding Building Owner Liability with Comprehensive Insurance & Safety Measures

When a building service provider carries comprehensive liability insurance without risky policy exclusions that are so prevalent in the industry, it alleviates concerns about potential financial liabilities arising from accidents, damages, or other incidents. But insurance is just one part of the equation. What truly sets a provider apart is a deep-rooted commitment to safety.

At Valcourt, safety isn’t just a priority — it’s our core mission. Our extensive knowledge and dedication to building safety and compliance, backed by our ultra-comprehensive liability insurance, offer you unparalleled value and peace of mind. Read on to discover how this powerful combination makes us stand out from the competition.

Minimizing Worry and Stress for Building Management

Maximizing the value of your commercial properties requires a proactive approach to mitigating risks. It’s not just about avoiding accidents; it’s about ensuring the smooth operation of a property, maintaining profitability, and safeguarding against potential litigation. Who you choose as your building service provider for services like window cleaning or facade repair can influence your risk exposure.

Comprehensive Liability Insurance and Common Exclusions

As a building manager or owner, you already require a comprehensive general liability policy from your building service providers. However, that’s not the whole picture. It goes without saying that general liability insurance is crucial as a safety net that covers risks that might occur while performing building maintenance or repair work on your property. You may be absolutely convinced that your building service provider is fully covered by general liability insurance if, for example, a worker accidentally damages a tenant’s property or, worse, if a passerby gets injured due to a service-related mishap. But are you really sure?

You may have even examined the service provider’s Certificate of Insurance (COI) (or even had an insurance professional do so), and that review may have fully satisfied you that a service provider has full coverage with a top-notch insurance company and with minimum limits that meet or exceed your standards. It turns out, though, that the COI only tells a small part of the story, and you might actually be in dangerous territory.

That’s because it’s very common for service providers to cut corners and reduce premiums by accepting very risky exclusions in their insurance policies that could lead to no coverage just when it’s needed the most. Unfortunately, this situation is becoming more and more prevalent in the building services industry. The scariest part is that you will have no way of knowing if such exclusions exist in a service provider’s insurance company unless you review the full policy. The COI does not mention these exclusions, so it’s not enough to simply review the certificates.

For example, one of these increasingly common exclusions is the residential exclusion. This excludes coverage for residential construction projects such as condominiums or apartment buildings. Another example is the exclusion of coverage in certain states and for certain types of operations. Are you sure that a service provider is covered for the applicable type of operation in your state? There are many other examples as well.

Inadequate coverage, because of these and other common exclusions, could lead to significant out-of-pocket expenses and potential legal battles for you as the property owner. That’s why it’s imperative that the vendors you work with meet all insurance requirements and have taken care that these dangerous exclusions are not in its general liability policy. 

At Valcourt, we are proud that we have focused strongly on the dangers of these exclusions, and our general liability policy does not contain the exclusions mentioned above. Before any work begins, you already ask your contractor for a COI, but you should also ask for the policy forms list, or even the full policy, for any sign of exclusions that could impact coverage.

In sum, working with a vendor who not only meets insurance requirements but also cares enough to ensure policy exclusions won’t leave you high and dry when it counts removes many of the financial uncertainties and worries concerning the project. 

Robust Safety Measures

Building owners are responsible for ensuring their workplace is free of known fall hazards, providing, maintaining, and inspecting appropriate fall protection systems, and ensuring employees who work on premises receive proper training. At a minimum, employees should:

• Understand their role, the dangers of falling, and how to reduce hazards.
• Receive training from a competent person.
• Understand how to use fall protection systems, how to inspect and maintain them, and the system’s limitations.
• Know how to use and operate arrest systems, guardrails, controlled access zones, etc.

Safety isn’t just about ticking boxes and meeting the minimum requirements; it’s about creating a culture where preventing incidents is paramount. Robust safety measures encompass everything from thorough employee training to eliminating hazards and strict adherence to OSHA regulations and beyond. With these measures in place, insurance fulfills its proper role as a safety net, stepping in only when all other precautions fail.

Working at heights is dangerous and continues to account for a significant amount of workplace injuries and fatalities. After decades of work and several fatalities, Minnesota, according to the Star Tribune, will require “window washers working higher than 24 feet without a ladder, unionized or not, will have to earn a certificate after training in equipment safety, first aid and crisis management.” These measures and other awareness efforts are in response to decades of preventable and tragic injuries.

How Building Service Providers Integrate Safety and Insurance for Optimal Protection

At Valcourt, we design, install, and support fall protection systems, which places us in the unique position of fall protection expert and service provider. Our turnkey solutions ensure your building’s fall protection systems meet your needs, are OSHA compliant, and are properly maintained. We leverage our knowledge and expertise to equip all brands under the Valcourt umbrella, so they work in the safest environment possible.

Proactively Improve Safety to Reduce the Risk of Incidents

To a well-trained eye, safety hazards are glaringly obvious, while others may overlook or underestimate the risks. We train our teams to identify and eliminate hazards during the initial job safety analysis and work plan. Our teams deliver value for you by reporting potential safety hazards even if they aren’t within the scope of work. Early intervention allows you to address safety hazards to prevent incidents proactively.

Enjoy the Benefits of Building Safety Compliance

The primary benefit of building safety compliance is preserving and protecting human life. OSHA hands out thousands of citations each year, most of which are fall protection or height-related. National Safety Council (NSC) President and CEO Lorraine M. Martin states, “Although incredible advancements are made in safety each year, we continue to see many of the same types of violations appear on OSHA’s Top 10 list.” The cost of violations rose again this year and can exceed $160,000 per violation.

Protect Yourself from Financial Catastrophes

When you employ vendors without proper insurance, you essentially assume the role of their insurer and take on the risks for their actions. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates the financial impact of workplace falls at $70 billion each year just for worker’s compensation and medical expenses. Add litigation, disruption to your operations, and perhaps a tarnished reputation, and you will see why using a building service provider with inadequate insurance isn’t worth the risk.

Trust Valcourt’s Safety Expertise and Comprehensive Coverage

As a building owner, you have a lot at stake. It’s not just about protecting your investment; it’s about creating and maintaining a safe environment for occupants, workers, and visitors. When you choose a vendor who lacks safety training or awareness or fails to protect themselves and others with insurance, the risk transfers to you.

Our teams traverse thousands of building facades and rooftops each year. We are committed to keeping them and their families safe. That’s why we place a premium on safety and insurance coverage to protect our workers and your investment. Contact us today and take the worry out of building maintenance with our robust safety systems and comprehensive coverage.