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Insurance Considerations for Designers

Insurance Considerations for Designers

 

Insurance considerations – are you covered?

It is important that designers are aware of what is covered by their insurance policies in relation to Safe Design and WHS legislation.

Professional indemnity insurance will cover the designer for civil or common law claims, but most do not cover criminal prosecutions or fines and penalties which may arise from a breach of WHS legislation.

We suggest designers familiarise themselves with their existing insurance policies and ensure that they’re covered. A few insurers are now including some form of cover for damages and fines in their professional indemnity insurance packages. We advise you ask your insurer about the extent of the cover provided.

When changing insurers, it’s also important that designers request that the retroactive date be set to unlimited to ensure they’re covered for work prior to changing to the new insurer. If a designer retires or ceases to operate, it would be prudent to obtain ‘run off’ cover as the safe design legislation applies for the life of the structure.

Your Safe Design obligations

Duties of designers under safe design legislation

If you’re a building designer, architect, engineer, or other building design professional, we encourage you to enrol in our flexible and convenient ‘Safe Design Online Short Course’. 

It has been designed to assist you understand and practice safe design principles and is endorsed by the Safety Institute of Australia (SIA)’s Professional Development.

Need more info, contact us.

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Name People

Job Role in SDA

SIA Certified Safety Professional, Postgraduate Diploma (Occupational Health & Safety), Bachelor of Applied Science (Construction Management), Diploma of Teaching, CPTED – NSW Police, Member UNSW Expert Witness Panel.

John is the Director of Safe Design Australia, recognised internationally for his leadership in Safety in Design, WHS and risk management. With over two decades of experience across construction, telecommunications, infrastructure and education, he has driven industry change for organisations including Vodafone Global, NBN Co and the NSW Government, and steered several industry bodies toward excellence in Safe Design and WHS.

aA certified Safety Professional and expert witness, John turns complex legislation into practical design solutions that improve safety outcomes. His strategic approach and collaborative style continue to shape best practice across Australia and the Asia–Pacific, helping architects, engineers and regulators embed safety from concept to completion.

When not guiding projects or mentoring the next generation of Safety in Design professionals, John can be found sailing through Southeast Asia, racing in the Sydney to Hobart, or on a motorcycle exploring roads less travelled.