26 l ROOFINGBC l FALL 2018 FEATURE W hatever your role in today’s working world, it’s very likely you’ll make a decision (or decisions) that involve an element of risk – even if it’s delivering newspapers door-to- door. And like many other situations we humans often run into, the conse- quences of bad decisions – and especially accidental ones – are always crystal clear in hindsight. Risk can be hard to spot and if you’re involved in a situation you hadn’t planned on, then extra time, costs and reputations could be on the line. As most in the industry already know, roofing contractors and their employees are subject to a higher degree of on-the-job risk than most businesses and occupations. Falls, injuries and third-party damages are just a few of the inherent issues – and just a few of the reasons that proper liability insurance and risk analysis is critical in the trade. Grant Alsop, Vice-President of Construction and Real Estate at Shaw Sabey Insurance Brokers in Vancouver, says, “Risk analysis and insurance brok- ering are the two main aspects of our business that apply to roofing contrac- tors. In addition, commercial general liability insurance protects a company against potential bodily injury and property damage claims to third parties as a result of negligence in their opera- tions, products and operations – a useful approach to take in the roofing trade.” Alsop has been in the insurance busi- ness since 1993 and the unique aspects of the roofing industry fall squarely into his wheelhouse. ”Based on the many conver- sations I’ve had with roofing contractors over the years, I’ve found it very bene- ficial to talk about the full potential damage an accident due to their negli- gence could cause,” says Alsop. “For example, a roofing contractor could be doing a very small job on a building with a production plant generating millions of RISKY BUSINESS Roofers and insurance companies working together to mitigate risks By JAMES PETERS, MEDIAEDGE PUBLISHING WRITER