3 Things Environmental Contractors Should Consider During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Many of our environmental contractors doing emergency-related services and environmental remediation are considering offering their services to help combat the COVID-19 Pandemic. They also want to keep their doors open and their folks employed through this crisis. It makes sense since almost NO industry is as well-equipped to respond to a crisis. That’s one of the things I’ve come to love about the industry we serve – You are some of the most adept business owners on the planet and thrive on picking up the pieces and making people whole again.
That being said, before you jump in and start doing what you’re great at, here are a few things you need to be sure of:
- Does my current policy cover me for liability related to COVID-19? Many assume that if they carry Pollution Liability, they’re covered to perform these services. In reality though, many Pollution Liability policies specifically exclude virus-related claims or person to person – animal to person disease. Other policies are silent about virus-related exposures, which means the first thing out of the carrier’s mouth in response to a claim will be ”DECLINED! NO COVERAGE!”
- Are your employees properly trained to respond to this pandemic? You have stacks of certifications related to water restoration, mold, asbestos abatement and lead abatement related services – but are your employees properly prepared to respond to this specific pandemic?
- What does your contract look like? We all know how this works – you go in and disinfect/sanitize a space, and then what? The moment even one individual goes into that “clean” space it’s contaminated again. What does your indemnification clause look like? Adequate drafting, preparing, negotiation and presentation of a contract for COVID-19 disinfection services are critical, to say the least. Are you sure your contract is bulletproof?
Many Pollution Liability carriers are in the process of rolling out Covid-specific exclusions. So, if your current coverage is renewing anytime in the next few months, make sure you know what you’re buying.
If you’d like a second set of eye’s reviewing your current coverages, or need suggestions on where to send your employees for up-to-date training on how to properly sterilize and protect themselves, or you need someone to take a look at your current contract… we have the Environmental Insurance Expertise, training partners and attorney contacts to help you get out there and do-what-you-do best, without needless worry.
Again, please let us know if we can help and please stay safe out there!
About the Author
Gabe Whitney has extensive Environmental/Restoration Industry experience and 14+ years of experience in commercial insurance for the environmental construction and remediation/abatement industries. He currently serves as President of the Cleaning & Restoration Association (CRA) and is passionate about protecting his clients and making risk management approachable for the industry.
He can be reached at GWhitney@eclipseinsurance.com
