ADVISORY: CLAIMS AND SAFETY MEASURES FOR ASSESSORS DURING COVID-19 ALERT L4

The insurance industry is reassuring its customers that claims can still be progressed while New Zealand is at COVID-19 Alert Level 4.

ICNZ CE Tim Grafton says that customers should not hesitate to contact their insurers to make a claim if they need to – especially for emergency and critical safety repairs.

“As an identified essential service, insurers are there to help their customers should the unexpected happen and have access to both local assessors and suppliers to provide safety critical repairs while we are working within Level 4 restrictions.”

With the wellbeing of customers a top priority, the industry responded quickly to COVID-19 to ensure all necessary safety precautions were in place to protect both their customers and their teams.

“Quite simply safety comes first. Should a claim need to be assessed in person by an assessor, customers can have confidence that all the necessary measures have been put in place to limit or eliminate the risk of spreading COVID-19.”

Insurers have individually shared safety and hygiene requirements in response to COVID-19 with all suppliers and assessors and are using locally based assessors for claims to remove any need for travel.

Some of safety guidelines for property and motor repairs include:

  • Apply social distancing of at least two metres on worksites
  • All trades people to wear appropriate face masks and other personal protection equipment, and ensure they can access hygiene and safety facilities for hand washing, first aid and the safe operation of power tools
  • Manage repair schedules to reduce the number of people on site
  • Provide the property owner and, where necessary, the business occupying the property, the COVID-19 prevention safety measures and site management plans
  • Physically cordon-off areas of the property being worked on
  • Provide daily worksite safety inductions and updates on the latest government health requirements to all trades people.

For further information on specific advice for all essential service providers dealing with COVID-19 safety measures visit Worksafe.