bIOHAZARD rISK MANAGEMENT SUPERSTORE
one-stop-shop for contractors performing virus decon work.Training, legal advice on contracts, and insurance resources all in one place.
CoronaVirus Risks are Insurable
EVERY CLEANING AND RESTORATION JOB SITE HAS A CORONAVIRUS RISK TODAY. GET TRAINED AND GET INSURED.
ARMR is one of the only brokers in the country that has access to multiple insurance companies providing an Affirmative Coverage Grant for Coronavirus while providing guidance on additional risk management measures related to Coronaviruses.
RECOMMENDED STEPS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR CPL WITHOUT VIRUS EXEMPTION
02
TRaining
Second, get trained specifically in Coronavirus biohazard disinfection/remediation at the project supervisor level. See the below resources for training. Training is FREE through Wonder Makers. For detailed training on Coronavirus, Post Remediation Verification see Dr. Rosen’s free course.
03
Experience
Third, prior work experience, certifications, licenses on biohazard/ remediation jobs, could be for mold or Category 3 water, crime scene cleanup, etc.
Start-up firms that are newly licensed and/or certified are eligible today.
04
Contracts
Fourth, appropriate contracts with hold harmless agreement for COVID claims. Options for insurance coverage that includes Proof of Disinfection to differentiate qualified biohazard/ remediation contractors from cleaning services.
Training, legal advice on contracts, and insurance resources
rISK AND INSURANCE SOLUTIONS
RIA/IICRC COVID-19 Report
RIA & IICRC the two leading organizations representing restoration contractors have released The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Report for Professional Cleaning and Restoration Contractors.
The FREE document provides useful advice to property owners and restoration firms alike.
FREE ADVANCED TRAINING IN POST REMEDIATION VERIFICATION (PRV)
Dr. Gary Rosen has produced a FREE advanced training course on Coronavirus PRV.
For those that wish to offer Proof of Disinfection to differentiate your firm of restoration/disinfection professionals from run-of-the-mill cleaning surfaces?
Not for beginners.
FREE CORONAVIRUS TRAINING FROM WONDER MAKERS.
Michael Pinto as one of the task force members on the RIA/IICRC document offers a FREE training program and certificate option for Coronavirus contractors:
- Disinfection options.
- Protective equipment
- Introduction to Post-Remediation Verification
And much more.
The Restoration
Lawyer
Ed Cross, “The Restoration Lawyer” is the nationally-recognized authority on cleaning and restoration contracts and legal issues.
His Coronavirus Service Contract Package contains important indemnity and hold harmless provisions.
Available for purchase.
Articles & resources
The amount of information on the Coronavirus is overwhelming and is constantly changing. We are adapting to those changes in real-time offering current and reputable resources to our hard-working cleaning and restoration contractors. Best of all, it’s FREE to all!
Risk Management Tips For Restorers Going out on the Field to Conduct Virus Decontamination Work
Protect The Workers
Job #1, protect the workers. If your employees have not been trained on personal protection equipment, if your firm does not have the equipment and experience working with bio-hazards, this is not the place for on-the-job training.
FOLLOW THE GUIDANCE
Follow the guidance and advice offered in the new RIA and IICRC The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Report for professional cleaning and restoration contractors, third edition May 28th, 2020
and
These documents were produced specifically to help contractors mitigate risk.
FREE TRAINING PRV TESTING
Understand the different options for Post Remediation Verification Testing. Explains what works and what does not work.
Differentiate your Disinfection services versus low cost Cleaning services by being able to provide Proof of Disinfection and having appropriate Environmental Insurance Coverage.
Testing Methods for Proving Coronavirus Free Disinfection
This free training was designed to protect the contractor from lawsuits as well as get more business.
Optional certification program available for existing restoration/ biohazard contractors.
Get Your Insurance In ORder
Most Liability Insurance Policies Sold to Restorers Do Not Work Very Well, If At All, for Virus Decon Work!
At a minimum, contractors should review their general liability, contractor’s pollution liability, professional liability, and workers’ compensation policies with an insurance agent or broker with specialized knowledge or access to specialized knowledge in restoration contracting and biohazards. There is no training available for insurance agents on the specialized needs of restoration contractors. Which explains why more than 90% of restorers are inadequately insured today, not just on biohazard work. |
For your Insurance Agent
The self-help guide for insurance agents provides valuable information that may help you answer customer inquiries on coverage for virus cause losses.
Insurance Policy Red Flags and FEATURES
Most Liability Insurance Policies Sold to Restorers Do Not Work Very Well, If At All, for Virus Decon Work!
Here are the RED FLAG things to look for in insurance policies:
- If there is a virus, microbial matter, or communicable disease exclusion on one of the policies, do not perform virus decon or cat 3 water work. Do not work in health care settings to do anything. Policies without those exclusions are available.
- If your rating pages for the premium charged show you classified as “janitorial”, be concerned that a janitor doing virus decon work in personal protective gear could be considered a material change in the risk that the underwriter agreed to insure at the beginning of the policy term. To avoid claims problems over an undisclosed “material change in the risk”, all you have to do is make sure all your insurance underwriters know that you are performing virus decon jobs. Some underwriters who have been kidding themselves (and their bosses) that restoration contractors are just glorified janitors will be confronted with the reality that restorers need to deal with Category 3 water and other biological contaminants all the time. If an underwriter decides to cut and run from biohazard work to protect their job security, it is better to know that the insurance company wants nothing to do with biohazard work before a claims adjuster is denying you coverage for a claim over an “undisclosed material change in the risk”. Insurance companies do that, it is kind of the ultimate exclusion. Here is nothing inherently wrong with being classified as a janitor as long as the underwriter has been fully informed in the insurance application that you do for a living.
Here are the FEATURES of the insurance coverage you need for biohazard work:
- The CPL and Professional liability coverage should specifically reference fungi/bacteria/virus or Microbial Matter or Microbial Substance as a covered “Pollutant”.
- There should be a reference to how the cleanup cost coverage under the policy is triggered that is not dependent upon environmental laws, because there are no environmental laws for biohazards including viruses.
- Ideally, the coverage in the insurance policy is in lockstep to the industry standards you use to do your work.
With trained personnel following the new guidance in the RIA/IICRC Documents and insurance coverage specifically adopted to biohazard work, restorers will play a big part in bringing us all back to some normalcy.
God bless the restorers!
We are here to offer advice and help. Thank you for the opportunity to be of service.
For customized insurance, solutions Call or have insurance agents call ARMR.
877-735-0800 | Marketing@armr.net