b'FEATUREALERT TO OWNERS AND GENERAL CONTRACTORSNot all roofing insurance liability policies are alikeBY CAROLE J. BISSETT, MANAGING DIRECTOR, BC CONSTRUCTION LEADER,AND JAMES CLAPP, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, MARSH JLT SPECIALTY | NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION & SURETY PRACTICEA s an owner or general contractor, its important thatfour-hour watch time. Failure to comply with these warranties youre aware of the varying conditions under roofingwill completely void all coverage under the liability insurance contractors liability insurance policies and the poten- policy. As an owner or general contractor, this liability can then tial risk this can present to your business. It is crit- be passed on to you and you can be held liable for not ensuring ical that you receive detailed confirmation of insurance fromcompliance with the roofing policy conditions.roofing contractors that provide you with full policy informa- In addition to stipulated watch time, some policies may stip-tion. In particular, be aware of the following: ulate the minimum number of fire extinguishers required per floor, as well as the need to ensure no flammables within a spec-Warranties ified distance of the hot work. Also, beware of policies that Roofingliabilityinsurancepoliciesaresubjecttoverystrictmay require the entire surrounding area be covered with sand or warrantieswithrespecttohotworks/torch-onoperations.hosed down with water before hot work is performed.Policies stipulate minimum time limits for which the roofer mustIts critical that you and everyone involved in a project are ensure a watch is provided following any hot works. aware of the warranties around hot works/torch-on operations. These time limits can vary greatly between policies. SomeThese conditions should be posted on the job site and strictly requireaone-hourwatch,whileotherscanrequireuptoaadhered to.26lROOFINGBC l SPRING 2020'