Single Event insurance

[Masterchief]

Something doesnt seem right about it all to be honest and IMO 99% of the industry is set well in its ways, so while the loophole may exist and you choose to exploit it i imagine you would be very hard pressed or lucky to actually legitamately source the material.

Would be very easy for an insurance company to turn around and say "well actually....." in the event of a claim, too many ways to get out of a pay out if you ask me.

[Goodsparks]

The Fireworks Act 2003
Fireworks Act 2003 (c. 22)

5 Prohibition of supply etc. of certain fireworks


(4) The descriptions of persons which may be specified in fireworks regulations by virtue of subsection (1) or (2) include in particular persons who do not satisfy any conditions which are specified in the regulations and relate to any of the matters mentioned in subsection (5).
(5) Those matters are—
(a) the satisfactory completion of a course, or courses, of training relating to fireworks and the means of proving the satisfactory completion of such a course or courses,
(b) proficiency or experience in the use of fireworks and the means of proving such proficiency or experience, and
(c) the possession of insurance cover against liability arising from the use of fireworks and the means of proving possession of such cover.


All that said, although the act makes provision for regulations to require insurance, the 2004 regs. don't.

However... (bear with me...)

"(a) any person who is employed by, or in business as, a professional organiser or operator of firework displays and who possesses the firework in question for the purposes of his employment or business;"

As an employer its a requirement to have EL insurance, and given the above I can't really see how you can be "in business as, a professional organiser or operator of firework displays" and not have 365 insurance. Whilst its not PL insurance, I'm sure 'fireworks' would be fairly specific on a EL policy.

Reckon it would need a test case to sort it out - wouldn't want to be the tester though...

[Masterchief]

Think we already have one.....

[Badger]

Had this guy looking for CAT 4 last year, said he would come and collect it etc, when I said no problem, but I would like to see insurance and storage he said he would show me on collection and that he could get single event insurance, when asked about his insurance he told me the name of my insurance company. I declined. CAT 4 is not for public use and in essence that is exactly what this guy is, a member of the public, with no training in CAT 4 or the Inert equipment to fire this stuff from is just a no no. Injuries may go up and it would have a catastrophic negative effect on our industry. The days of guys walking about a rigged firing site with check shirts on and crap eye wear lighting pyro with fags are gone and for the best. I am also sure that as soon as the claims started rolling in from these single event shows the insurance companies underwriters would have something to say and the cost of insurance would rocket. I for one wouldn’t want to be involved in an investigation due to some CAT 4 I sold to someone unknown who fired a show wrongly with an injury/s sustained and blamed the pyro for malfunction rather than their un safe rigging etc., I feel very strongly about companies selling CAT 4 to none business without docs to show. This is all IMHO and this argument will rattle on for years to come

[»PureParty]

Amen to that Mr Badger.....

[»PureParty]

sorry... it's like picking a scab.....

I can't undertand the thinking behind offering this single event insurance, the type that covers the use of Cat4, along side the annual type of insurance, well other than the insurance company to make an extra few quid.

[Badger]

I dont understand it either
If anyone has something to say to me in relation to this topic, please feel free to offer your views in the forum and not my PM box please. I feel the topic can be covered much better and in depth while available for all to see rather than just me.

[Andy_P]

Originally Posted by Badger

If anyone has something to say to me in relation to this topic, please feel free to offer your views in the forum and not my PM box please.

Hear, hear!

[Badger]

Quote
I don't think that there is any issue with members of the public being able to access cat4 material any more easily than before, this is insurance not supply. However it should mean that trained and skilled firers with access can do a show on their own insurance, rather than hang it onto someone else's insurance. End quote

I have done displays in the early days as a keen enthusiast while also PAYE to a pro company, the thought of not bolting to a pro companies insurance to do these shows was just very scary. The only reason I would assume some would want to do this is because possibly they are working outside the safe working methods of the company who could insure them. I don’t know, and as always IMO, Who oversees the health and safety element of one of these shows and the safe working method statements, what are the risk assessments based on, how are they mitigated, are they 5 point generic HSE forms or created individually for the event the single insurance is being used for.
Ok some work within the boundaries while others don’t, and on both sides, question is how do we find these people out and stop them from doing so.

[»PureParty]

But who is supplying, which bone fide Cat4 supplier is willing to sell someone Cat4 material without sight of their insurance and storage??

ALL of the suppliers that I use, without exception, requested sight of my insurance (annual) and storage documentation prior to supplying me with fireworks, many of these suppliers actually stated that single event insurance was not sufficient within their terms and conditions.