PI/PL insurance safety critical software

[Acme Thunderer]

Thanks Acme Thunderer, it's more of an eerie blue light than a hot glow.

I've seen a lot of adverts for Sellafield contractors recently and they're all umbrella only. I wonder how the umbrellas deal with this particular issue?

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But it is quite hot and if you can see the glow you probably have a very big problem and are not worried about the colour.[emoji16]

It is possible that the umbrella/agency is having it underwritten by end client themselves. Heard of that before when someone wanted to take a bunch of contractors to sea in a big black metal tube

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[mb31]

NLUK sadly the truth is nowhere near as intriguing as you suggest but I can see your logic there.

Lance, I have a friend who works as a senior partner at one of these insurance companies. He told me that if I buy an off the shelf product against a generic job title then he doubts I'll be covered for my type of work. All insurance companies look for any excuse to avoid paying out.

I couldn't really find a good fit in the drop down menus anyway so I gave a few companies a call and they asked questions like "could you give me an example of the work you'll be doing for the client?" I gave an honest answer like "I'm advising the client on how to address nuclear safety issues", The insurance brokers refuse to cover.

My current approach is to send my CV and role description to the underwriters and it has paid off to some extent because Caunce O'Hara have been in touch with a reasonable quote. The only issue is that the role profile was fairly generic because the client wanted to strike an offer quickly against an existing advert. With hindsight I should have negotiated a higher rate but this is my first contract and at least I'm technically doing the right thing with the insurance. The role profile is the client's responsibility.

smatty, you sound like you have some experience of working on the safety critical stuff. I don't have the skillset to develop software. In my permie role I provided independent nuclear safety assessment for systems and inevitably the CCFs and key reliability claims limits were tied in with the software and complex hardware. Consequently I had to delve into the software development life-cycle from planning through to integration. I generally review software artefacts against safety standards like BS EN 60880. My permie work was always overseen by the licensee and often the regulator too. You'd be surprised how rubbish the money was in comparison to the observers.

[NotAllThere]

If you talk to PI insurers who cover contractors, you'll find that no-one ever paid out. But why do you care whether you're actually covered, so long as you are within the terms of your contract'

If you're going through a brolly, the brolly will be responsible. If you're going through your ltd co, then you really need to get a grip on what "limited liability" means.

Anyway, you've got answers. I'm closing this thread.