Electrical Contractor

Description of operations: Electrical contractors install, service, maintain and repair electrical wiring, conduits and fixtures both inside and outside of residential and commercial buildings. Inside contractors install electrical wiring used for powering machinery, equipment, and lighting systems. Outside contractors install overhead power lines and underground electrical cables. Most states require electrical contractors to be licensed. The contractor may provide 24 hour emergency service.

Common Insurance Terms

Property exposures at the contractor’s premises are generally limited to an office and storage for supplies, tools and vehicles. Electrical wiring is not combustible but the insulating sheathing produces a black oily smoke when burnt and can be difficult to extinguish once started. Proper storage with good aisle space is important for preventing fires.

Crime exposure is primarily from employee dishonesty. Background checks, including criminal history, should be performed on all employees providing services to customers or handling money. All ordering, billing and disbursement should be handled as separate duties with reconciliations occurring regularly.

Inland marine exposures include accounts receivable if the contractor offers credit to customers, computers, contractors’ equipment and tools, goods in transit, installation floater, and valuable papers and records for customers’ and suppliers’ information. Equipment consists mainly of hand tools and ladders unless there is line construction or machinery installation. Line construction may involve the use of cherry pickers and similar equipment for overhead lines, or trenchers and other digging equipment for laying underground cable. Some may be rented from or loaned to others. Goods in transit can be damaged by collision or overturn. Copper cable and wiring have high resale value and can be target theft items during transit or while located at job sites. Other hazards to tools and equipment and to materials awaiting installation include vandalism and fire.

Premises liability exposures at the contractor’s office are generally limited due to lack of public access. Outdoor storage of materials may create vandalism and attractive nuisance hazards.

Off-site exposures are extensive. Electrical voltage must be turned off at the job site to reduce the risk of electrical burns or electrocution to others entering the area, and turned back on after work stops, all while minimizing any disruption of electrical service to other homes or businesses in the vicinity. Electrical work can be invasive and require work throughout a home or business, resulting in a high potential for property damage. The area of operation should be restricted by barriers and proper signage to protect the public from slips and falls over tools, power cords, building materials, and scrap. If there is work at heights, falling tools or supplies may cause bodily injury or property damage if dropped from ladders and scaffolding. During construction, other contractors typically depend on electricity for lighting and power to perform their work. In existing structures, the contractor must take care to control the electrical flow as new lines are installed alongside existing ones. Power fluctuations may damage sensitive equipment. Exterior electrical contractors must notify other utilities to prevent down time to their customers and must prevent surges to their own customers. Contractors laying underground cables should verify the absence of other utility lines prior to digging to avoid cutting into gas, water or communications cables. Underground laying of cables involves trenching which requires physical barriers to prevent others from falling into open areas. 

Completed operations liability exposures can be severe due to improper wiring or grounding. Both power failures and power surges resulting from the contractor’s negligence may result in significant bodily injury or property damage. Work for medical facilities, large manufacturers, and alarm system installation can present the potential for catastrophic loss. Warranties, guarantees, and maintenance agreements, in which the contractor promises to keep a system in operation, should be reviewed.

Environmental liability exposures may exist if the electrical contractor is responsible for the disposal of old capacitors and other heavy-duty electrical equipment as these may contain PCB’s. Disposal procedures must adhere to all EPA and other regulatory standards. Proper written procedures and documentation of both the transportation and disposal process is important.

Automobile exposure is generally limited to transporting workers, equipment and electrical cables and supplies to and from job sites. MVRs must be run on a regular basis. Random drug and alcohol testing should be conducted. Vehicles must be well maintained with records kept in a central location. Vehicles may have special modifications or built-in equipment such as lifts and hoists. Large cables may be awkward and require special handling and tie-down procedures.

Workers compensation exposures vary based on the size and nature of the job. Electrical burns are common; electrocution can occur from the use of high-voltage lines. Injuries can occur from working with hand tools, slipping or falling, back injuries such as hernias, strains and sprains from lifting or pulling cable, and the carelessness of employees of other contractors. Minor injuries may be frequent even when the severity exposure is controlled. Failure to enforce basic safety procedures, such as power shutoff prior to commencing certain operations, may indicate a morale hazard. Employees must be carefully selected, trained and supervised. When work is done on ladders and scaffolds, employees can be injured from falling, being struck by falling objects, or adverse weather conditions. Laying underground cable may be near power and gas lines. Trench collapse can result in workers being suffocated or buried underground.

Minimum recommended coverage

Business Personal Property, Employee Dishonesty, Contractors’ Equipment and Tools, Goods in Transit, Installation Floater, General Liability, Employee Benefits Liability, Umbrella Liability, Automobile Liability and Physical Damage, Hired and Nonownership Auto, Workers Compensation

Other coverages to consider

Building, Business Income with Extra Expense, Earthquake, Flood, Leasehold Interest, Real Property Legal Liability, Accounts Receivable, Computers, Valuable Papers and Records, Cyberliability, Employment-related Practices, Environmental Impairment Liability, Stop Gap Liability

Reprinted with permission from the Rough Note’s Company copyrighted content.