Practical Claims Prevention for Fire Protection Contractors 

Understanding the types of claims that arise in the fire protection sector is only half of the picture. The more valuable question is: what can you do to reduce the likelihood of those claims arising in the first place, and to limit their impact when they do? 

Our guide uses claim scenarios most encountered in fire protection contracting.  For each risk area, we set out the specific steps businesses can take to reduce exposure, protect their commercial position, and demonstrate to insurers that they manage risk proactively. 

It is worth noting that most insurer’s view risk management practice as a direct signal of risk quality. Contractors who can evidence good practice through documentation, accreditation, and process are consistently better placed when it comes to both the availability and cost of insurance. 

1. Preventing Professional Indemnity Claims

Professional Indemnity claims in fire protection typically arise from design errors, certification failures, and incorrect advice. The common thread is inadequate process or documentation. 

Design and Specification Controls 

• Implement a formal design review process. All system designs should be checked by a second competent person before submission or sign-off.
• Maintain up-to-date copies of all relevant standards (BS EN 12845, BS 5306, LPC Rules, etc.) and ensure your team has current training in their application. 
• Document all design decisions and the reasoning behind classification choices, particularly hazard category selection for sprinkler systems.
• Where design or specification work is carried out under a contract, confirm in writing what scope of professional service is included and what falls outside your remit.

 Certification and Sign-Off  

• Never certify work that has not been independently verified to the relevant standard.
• For passive fire protection works, follow the ASFP guidance on third-party inspection and certification, and use accredited inspectors.
• Retain all pre- and post-installation records, photographic evidence, and test results. 
• If you are issuing a commissioning certificate for a system you did not design, clearly define the scope of the certificate and what you are/not signing off.

 Example of Risk management in practice – Certification Error 

A contractor certified a passive fire coating as compliant without adequate coverage checks. A later audit identified deficiencies, resulting in a costly PI claim. 

Prevention: Independent thickness measurements taken at sign-off, photographic records retained, and certificate scope clearly limited to work carried out by the issuing contractor. 

 Advisory Activity  

• Be cautious about the informal advice you give on site. Any guidance on design, cause-and-effect programming, or system specification, even if offered verbally, can create PI exposure. 
• If you are asked to provide advice that falls outside your core installation or maintenance role, consider whether this constitutes consultancy and whether your PI cover extends to it. 
• Where advice is provided in any form, confirm it in writing with appropriate caveats about scope and limitations.

2. Preventing Products Inefficacy Claims 

Inefficacy claims, where a system fails to perform during a fire incident, are among the highest-severity losses in the sector. Prevention requires attention both to the quality of your own work and to the risks associated with systems you inherit. 

 Installation Quality and Commissioning  

• Follow approved hydraulic calculation procedures for every sprinkler design. Do not rely on the rule-of-thumb approaches for hazard classification or head selection. 
• Commission systems to the relevant standard.
• For gaseous suppression systems, always carry out a room integrity test before commissioning. Document the results and retain them as part of the project file. 
• Where passive fire protection coatings are applied, ensure wet and dry film thickness measurements are taken and recorded at representative locations.

Managing Legacy System Risk 

Legacy system exposure is one of the most significant and most frequently underestimated risks in fire protection maintenance. When you take on a service or maintenance contract for an existing system, you are potentially inheriting liability for its performance. 

Example of Risk management in practice Legacy System Failure  

A contractor inherited a maintenance contract for a sprinkler system installed by others. Following a fire where the system underperformed, the contractor was pursued as the last party to inspect and certify it.  

Prevention: Carry out a documented system condition survey at the start of every new maintenance contract. Clearly identify components that are beyond their service life, do not meet current standards, or cannot be verified as compliant. Issue a written report to the client and confirm in writing the scope of your liability and what remedial action is recommended. 

• At the start of every new maintenance or service contract, conduct and document a system condition survey.
• Clearlyidentifyand report in writing any components or aspects of the system that are beyond economic repair, non-compliant, or of unknown provenance. 
• Confirm in writing the scope of your maintenance obligation and any exclusions arising from pre-existing deficiencies.
• Where a system’s documentation is incomplete or missing, note this formally andseekto obtain or reconstruct it as far as possible. 
• If a system presents unacceptable risk, advise the client in writing and document your recommendation. Do not simply continue to service a system you know to be deficient without raising the issue formally.

3. Reducing Public Liability Exposure

Public Liability claims arise most frequently from on-site activity – damage to property, services, or third parties during installation, maintenance, or repair. The most effective mitigation is through disciplined site management and clear pre-works protocols. 

Before Work Starts 

• Always obtain up-to-date services drawings or use cable and pipe detection equipment before any drilling, cutting, or core works.
• Complete a risk assessment and method statement (RAMS) for every jobandnot just for HSE compliance, but as a discipline that surfaces risks before they become incidents. 
• Confirm the scope of works in writing with the client or principal  contractor and document any pre-existing damage before you start. 

Hot Works Management 

• Always follow a formal hot works permit system, even where the client does notrequireone. 
• Ensureappropriate firewatch periods are observed after hot works are completed. 30 to 60 minutes is standard but follow the specific requirements of your hot works permit. 
• Keep fire extinguishersimmediatelyaccessible during all hot works activities. 

Example of Risk management in practice – Hot Works Ignition  

A passive fire repair team used hot works tools to fix fire-stopping around a penetration. A smouldering fire caused structural damage costing £134,000.  

Prevention: Formal hot works permit issued, fire watch maintained for 60 minutes post-completion, site fire extinguisher in position, and neighbouring materials protected with fire blankets. 

Gaseous System Maintenance 

• Before any maintenance work on a gaseous suppression system, confirm the system’s abort and isolation procedures in writing with the client.
• Ensure the system is properly isolated beforecommencingmaintenance as accidental discharges are a frequent and avoidable source of claims. 
• Where isolation is not possible, ensure that building occupants and management are notified of the work and that appropriate precautions are in place. 

4. Managing Commercial Vehicle Risk

Fleet and vehicle claims are among the most frequent in any mobile contracting business. With engineers and technicians covering significant mileage, often with high-value equipment on board, vehicle risk management deserves specific attention. 

Driver Management 

• Implement a formal driver authorisation process. Verify licences annually and check DVLA records for endorsements.
• Establish a written fleet policy that sets out driver responsibilities, mobile phone rules, vehicle inspection requirements, and incident reporting procedures. 
• Consider driver telematics for larger fleets. The data supports both accident prevention and, where incidents do occur, effective claims management. 

Vehicle and Equipment Security 

• Ensure all vans have approved locks, slam-locks on rear doors, and deadlocks fitted. Standard manufacturer locks arefrequentlyinadequate. 
• Decal-free or low-profile vehicles reduce targeted theft risk. Where branding isrequired, consider whether it is applied to all vehicles.
• Avoid leaving tools and equipment in vehicles overnight where possible. Where unavoidable, ensure items are stored in locked, fixed toolboxes or racking that meets insurer requirements.
• Maintain a vehicle inventory of tools and specialist equipment.  This is essential for any theft claim and speeds up settlement significantly. 

Example of Risk management in practice – Tool Theft  

An engineer’s van was broken into overnight. Specialist testing equipment worth £14,000 was stolen. The standard motor policy covered only a fraction of the loss.  

Prevention: Approved slam-locks fitted, tools removed from vehicle and stored securely, contents inventory maintained. Property Away and In Transit cover included in insurance programme to cover residual risk. 

5. The Role of Accreditation

Industry accreditations such as BAFE SP203, FIRAS, NSI Gold, or SSAIB approval are not merely commercial credentials. They signal to insurers that your business operates to verified quality standards, which directly influences the availability and pricing of specialist covers. 

Darwin Clayton offers premium discounts to fire protection contractors with relevant accreditations and good claims records. If your business holds accreditations that are not already reflected in your current insurance arrangements, this is worth raising at your next renewal. 

A Final Word on Documentation 

Across all the risk areas above, one theme is consistent that documentation is your first line of defence. A claim that is well-documented with clear records of what was done, what was agreed, what was found, and what was communicated, is significantly easier to defend and, where necessary, to settle on favourable terms. 

A claim with no supporting documentation places your business at a significant disadvantage, regardless of how good your work was. Investing in consistent, systematic record-keeping is one of the highest-return risk management activities available to any fire protection contractor. 

If you would like to review your current insurance arrangements, or receive a quotation under our Fire Protection Insurance Scheme, please call us on 01892 511144, or contact us to Get a Quote or Request a Callback.