Motor Trade Insurance: Risk Management Resources
Motor trade risk management involves identifying, assessing, and controlling potential hazards. Business premises and activities may vary from: crash repair garages, car dealerships, servicing workshops and more.
Effective risk management safeguards your employees, protects your customers, reduces costly claims, and helps ensure compliance with legal requirements. Below, we outline essential strategies and practical tips to enhance safety, minimise risks, and strengthen your business’s resilience to adversity.
What Risk Management Information Do You Need?
Explore our Motor Trade Risk Management guide through these quick-reference summaries. Click on each section to access detailed advice and practical tips designed specifically for motor trade garages, dealerships, and vehicle workshops.
Improve workplace safety, prevent costly claims, and ensure your business stays protected.
Preventing Hazards in Vehicle Repair Garages
Understand common workshop dangers and learn practical steps to protect your team from serious accidents and injuries.
Assessing and Mitigating Risks in Car Dealerships
Discover how car dealerships can effectively identify risks, reduce hazards, and avoid significant financial penalties.
Reducing Garage Claims Through Effective Insurance
Learn how the right garage insurance, combined with proactive risk assessments, can significantly decrease workplace claims.
Top 5 Tips for Workshop Safety
Explore simple yet effective motor trade safety practices to keep your workshop accident-free and efficient.
The Risks of Being Underinsured
Find out why adequate insurance coverage is essential and how it protects your business against unexpected events and costly liabilities.
Understanding Road Risk Insurance Policies
Get clear answers to frequently asked questions about road risk insurance and ensure your business stays properly protected.
How can I add my vehicles to the MID?
Avoid disruption by ensuring you comply with the requirements of the MID. Depending on which insurance company we place you with the updates are either done via our online MID Update Form or directly on your insurer’s website. You can find further information by clicking below.
Looking for Motor Trade Insurance?
At Plan, we specialise in Motor Trade Insurance. Our experience has allowed us to streamline numerous insurer’s road risk presentation forms in to one question set, meaning we can provide you an instant online quotation. We have the expert knowledge to create a tailored policy for you, that suits your exact requirements.
Let us know the needs of your business, we will use this information to provide a bespoke quotation at a competitive premium with our panel of industry leading insurers.
Combined Package Policy
A combined package can cover many different aspects of your business including damage to property, stock, money held on site as well as liabilities.
Vehicle Sales
Whether you are looking for new or used car dealership insurance, we can help.
Motor Trade Road Risk
A road risk policy can cover your day to day business motoring, whether you are driving vehicles from a client’s house to your workplace or carrying out a sale.
Valeters & Detailers Insurance
Full-time or part-time valeters, we can arrange a bespoke cover to suit your needs.
Our Policies
ROAD RISK
We’ve been selling road risk policies for over 25 years, and we can tailor your insurance to your precise needs.
MOTOR TRADE COMBINED
A motor trade combined policy can pull together all the different insurance types you may need into one.
MECHANIC
Part-time or full-time, home, mobile or from garage premises, our mechanic cover can be tailored to suit you.
CAR DEALERS
Whether you sell cars part-time from your home or have a large forecourt, we can source the right policy for your business.
VALETERS
Understanding your needs as a valeter allows us to tailor a policy to cover yourself and your business.
PART-TIME TRADERS
This cover is necessary for any business owner who deals with car repairs, maintenance or sales on a part-time basis.
Motor Trade Risk Management: Preventing Hazards in Vehicle Repair Garages
Working in vehicle repair garages can be rewarding yet risky. The motor trade repair industry faces injury rates four times higher than the UK industry average, making effective motor trade risk management crucial. One of the most significant dangers includes being trapped or crushed beneath vehicles. In recent years, tragically, 17 workers have died from inadequate vehicle support. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) strongly recommends using axle stands inspected annually, placing stands securely on level ground, and chocking wheels properly to avoid life-threatening situations.
Additionally, garage equipment poses significant risks if incorrectly selected, operated, or maintained. Regular inspections and proper training for your team are vital for reducing accidents linked to equipment failure. Tyre inflation, which is responsible for numerous injuries annually, must also be managed carefully following HSE guidelines.
Motor Trade Risk Management for Car Dealerships: How to Assess and Mitigate Risks
Running a car dealership involves unique risks. Proper motor trade risk management is essential, with members of the public on-site as vehicles are constantly moving and various equipment and chemicals are also in use. Dealership owners should regularly conduct comprehensive risk assessments to identify and mitigate potential hazards.
Failing to manage health and safety risks can lead to severe financial penalties. For example, Perrys Motor Sales Ltd was fined £140,000 in July 2020 after inadequate risk management resulted in a worker developing Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS).
Effective risk management not only prevents injuries but also significantly lowers your insurance premiums. Investing in suitable garage insurance and arranging HSE inspection cover should protect your dealership from unexpected expenses and disruptions.
Motor Trade Risk Management in Garages: Reducing Claims with the Right Insurance
Car repair garages frequently experience accidents that can lead to costly insurance claims. Good motor trade risk management involves obtaining comprehensive garage insurance to protect your business. With around 7,000 injuries and 33 fatalities reported to the HSE over the past five years, ensuring thorough and proactive management of garage safety can significantly reduce these incidents.
Insurers often provide risk assessments to assist in identifying overlooked hazards. Embrace these inspections and view them as beneficial tools rather than burdens. These assessments can help you maintain safety standards, reduce claims, and ultimately keep your insurance premiums lower.
Top 5 Motor Trade Risk Management Tips for Safer Workshops
Effective motor trade risk management can be straightforward with practical measures:
- Check Surroundings Before Moving Vehicles: Nearly 40% of serious workshop injuries result from vehicle movement. Stay vigilant to reduce risks.
- Keep Your Workplace Tidy: Regularly clear tools, equipment, and cables to avoid trips and falls.
- Appropriate Clothing: Ensure workers wear suitable protective clothing, avoiding flammable materials or inappropriate footwear.
- Maintain Machinery: Schedule regular maintenance inspections for equipment such as ramps and jacks to prevent unexpected failures.
- Proper Use of Equipment: Always choose the correct tools for the job and ensure operators are thoroughly trained.
Motor Trade Risk Management Essentials: The Dangers of Being Underinsured
Neglecting to have the appropriate motor trade insurance can lead to disastrous financial consequences. Imagine your premises flooding overnight without adequate cover. The cost of replacing ruined vehicles and equipment could financially cripple your business. Public liability claims, such as customers slipping and sustaining injuries on your premises, could also mean significant out-of-pocket expenses without sufficient insurance.
Employer’s liability insurance is a legal requirement if you employ staff, protecting you and your employees during unforeseen incidents. Comprehensive motor trade combined insurance ensures you are fully covered against losses from fire, theft, and accidents, safeguarding your business continuity.
Road Risk Policies Explained: Motor Trade Risk Management FAQs
Road risk insurance is essential for smaller motor trade businesses, especially those operating from home or smaller premises. This type of policy covers you for driving vehicles on the road specifically for motor trade purposes. Common questions include:
- Vehicle Limits: There is often no set limit on the number of vehicles you can handle; however, you must have adequate storage arrangements.
- Driving Friends’ and Family’s Vehicles: Coverage is only provided for motor trade activities on other people’s vehicles, such as repairs, not personal trips.
- Vehicle Indemnity: This specifies the maximum payout per vehicle, which is crucial for accurately setting your policy limits.
- Driver Limits: Typically, policies can accommodate up to five named drivers.
- Motor Insurance Database (MID): Vehicles should appear within 24-48 hours after registration.
Understanding road risk insurance coverage enhances your motor trade risk management, ensuring smooth business operations and protection against costly claims.
By proactively managing risks in the motor trade, businesses can significantly reduce accidents, claims, and financial losses, fostering safer, more profitable workplaces.
