Topic Construction
ICLR to host webinar on exposure of buildings to wildfire
October 10, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterThe Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) will be hosting a webinar later this month on vulnerabilities and mitigation strategies related to exposure of buildings to wildfire. The webinar, to be held from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EDT on…
Magnitude of U.K.’s Grenfell Tower fire was preventable: FM Global
October 5, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterThe magnitude of the fire that engulfed London’s Grenfell Tower in June was preventable, according to a newly released whitepaper from FM Global, one of the world’s largest business property insurers. On June 14, a massive fire broke out in…
Late payments a ‘threat to the viability’ of small construction business: MPP
October 5, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterSmall businesses in the construction industry face “undue risk” of not being paid in a timely manner, a member of the opposition Progressive Conservative party suggested to the Ontario legislature Tuesday. With late payments to construction contractors, “the issue is…
Marijuana impairment-related losses could potentially trigger GL policies: RIMS speaker
September 27, 2017 by Angela StelmakowichInsurers would be well-advised to track the evolving marijuana risk to determine if impairment-related loss history could trigger defence and indemnification obligations under employers’ general liability policies, it was suggested Tuesday during a session at the RIMS Canada Conference in…
Legislation would mandate surety bonds on public sector construction projects in Ontario
September 13, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterSurety bonds written by licensed insurers will be mandatory for certain public construction projects in Ontario if a bill tabled Tuesday is passed into law. Bill 142, if passed into law, will “require surety bonds to be posted on public…
Construction industry ‘particularly vulnerable to cybercrime,’ Northbridge warns
September 12, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterLarge and small construction contractors are vulnerable to cyber crime, with “smart” building devices and lucrative engineering drawings in particular presenting vulnerabilities, Northbridge Insurance warns. “Major advancements in digital connectivity have left the construction industry particularly vulnerable to cybercrime,” Northbridge…
Death toll rises to 35 from powerful, magnitude 8.1 earthquake in Mexico
September 8, 2017 by Mark Stevenson - THE ASSOCIATED PRESSMEXICO CITY – One of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded in Mexico struck off the country’s southern coast, toppling hundreds of buildings, triggering tsunami evacuations and sending panicked people fleeing into the streets in the middle of the night.…
182 motorists caught speeding in work zones during SGI’s recent traffic safety spotlight
August 28, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterSaskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) has reported that 182 tickets were issued to drivers for speeding in construction work zones during last month’s traffic safety spotlight. In total, 177 tickets were issued to drivers exceeding 60 kilometres an hour while passing highway workers or occupied highway equipment within a municipal or highway work zone, SGI said in a press release issued on Monday. Five tickets were also issued for speeding in construction zones where a flag person is present. The results include all traffic safety focus…
More than 200,000 homes in Texas at potential risk of storm surge damage from Hurricane Harvey: CoreLogic
August 25, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterMore than 200,000 homes along the coast of Texas with a reconstruction cost value (RCV) of approximately US$39.6 billion are at potential risk of storm surge damage from Hurricane Harvey, CoreLogic suggested late Thursday. Irvine, Calif-based CoreLogic, a global property…
Cyber market ‘softer than ever,’ commercial property, general liability rates down in U.S. in Q2: CIAB
August 23, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterResponses from brokers surveyed indicate commercial property insurance rates in the United States dropped an average of 3.6% during the three months ending June 30, with average premium pricing down 1.44% in cyber, in a market that is “softer than…
B.C. extends province-wide state of emergency for the third time
August 18, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterBritish Columbia’s Ministry of Public Safety & Solicitor General announced on Friday that it has formally extended its province-wide state of emergency for the third time. The state of emergency now runs through to the end of the day on…
Need for building code upgrades ‘did not come about’ due to ice damage: Alberta court
August 14, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterThe Supreme Court of Canada will not be hearing an appeal from an Edmonton shopping mall owner, whose award – of more than $500,000 against insurers, arising from a disputed claim involving building code upgrades – was reversed on appeal.…