9 September 2003

BPIF Healthcheck recognised as national model

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) today launched its ?Making the Market Work? initiative and recognised the BPIF's Health & Safety Healthcheck as a model scheme for other trade associations to follow. The initiative aims to improve the operation of the employers? liability (EL) insurance market, particularly for smaller firms, in the face of rising costs for insurers and higher premiums faced by businesses.Trade associations and other groups have been invited to submit details of their health and safety schemes to ABI for assessment under best practice criteria of what insurers expect to see. Details of the assessments can be made available by companies to EL insurers to help them assess individual risks, so ensuring that good health and safety practice can be reflected in insurance terms offered. The Department for Work and Pensions has welcomed ?Making the Market Work?, as has the BPIF.BPIF National Health & Safety Advisor Dale Wallis explains: ?We have been looking for ways in which to translate good practices in health and safety into real savings and we immediately signed up when the ABI announced it would be piloting this scheme back in April. We are delighted, that our Healthcheck is the first to be positively assessed under the ABI initiative.We are already working with the industry?s insurers to ensure that companies with good health & safety practices can benefit from this initiative when they come to renew their insurance.? He went on to say that the BPIF had already had exploratory discussions with other trade associations and would expect that to increase following the ABI?s recognition.John Parker, the ABI?s Head of General Insurance was impressed with the BPIF?s scheme: ?The BPIF Healthcheck is just what we were looking for when we began investigating this initiative. ?Making the Market Work? highlights our determination to ensure that the employers? liability market works as efficiently as possible, and that good health and safety practice in business is properly recognised.?Both businesses and insurers will benefit through a better flow of information. Businesses will understand the health and safety practices insurers are looking for, while insurers will be able to reflect good health and safety in the terms they can offer. Hopefully, we will also see rising standards of health and safety across the small business sector,? continues Mr Parker.Over 250 member companies are currently using the BPIF?s new Health & Safety Healthcheck which is available free to platinum members, and by payment of a fee to gold and silver members, and also to non members. More details can be found at www.britishprint.com/business/hs_healthcheck.asp. Details of how the ?Making the Market Work? will operate in practice for printing companies has yet to be finalised however the ABI stresses that it has received 100% buy-in from its members for the initiative.BPIF Membership Director Mike Hopkins concludes: ?We're delighted that the insurance industry recognises the lowered risk of quantified good practice and is prepared to pass that on to its business customers. The significant rise in premiums affects many businesses in the industry and the ABI should be congratulated in trying to mitigate the impact by financially rewarding best practice." The full ABI press release can be found on www.abi.org.uk.