In December 2019, we experienced a code injection vulnerability on our website that caused search engine results for our site to divert to an overseas website. Out of an abundance of caution, we suspended sign-ups, logins and purchases while our security was enhanced. The problem has been resolved, so we have reinstated all these functions […]

(1) LIVE WEBINARS What? Our webinars are a live presentation by our risk managers and/or external specialists. You will see a Powerpoint presentation, with a video camera insert showing the presenter. In our webinars, you cannot be seen or heard by other attendees or by the presenter. We run our webinars through GoToWebinar. When? Our […]

Our webinars typically generate plenty of good questions and unfortunately we can only pick a few of those to answer as examples “on air”. Our webinar on Liabilities in Landscapes on 28 November 2019 was no exception, but in this case we have decided to follow up on some of the unanswered questions online (in […]

The entire world is talking about climate change and it is unsurprising that many professionals in the construction industry (who are responsible for a large amount of the world’s CO2 emissions) have declared a climate change emergency. Consultants in the construction industry are increasingly being expected to adapt their practices in response to climate change […]

The Shergold-Weir “Building Confidence” Report was delivered in February 2018 and published in April 2018, in response to the fatal Grenfell Tower fire in London, the expensive Lacrosse fire in Melbourne, and a number of high-profile product failures including asbestos contamination in supposedly asbestos-free materials. Commissioned by the Building Ministers Forum, the Report laid out […]

We are often asked by consultants working in the construction industry – “how long does my liability last?”. The answer is not always simple and in fact, it is sometimes quite complicated – given the different jurisdictions in which consultants practice, the different types of claims which can be brought and the different triggers for […]

The industry is talking about novation. A ‘design and construct’ procurement model where the consultants are novated to the builder has become commonplace on many commercial construction projects. How this project delivery model may be impacting project outcomes – both positively and negatively – has become a topic of much discussion. Novation was the topic […]

It doesn’t take a misplaced banana peel to cause a slip injury. Although personal injury claims aren’t the biggest cause of notifications under consultants’ professional indemnity insurance, they are a regular periodic contributor, and slip resistance is a key factor within those. A ramp in a shopping centre, in a potential wet area exposed to […]

In the current landscape, architects and other consultants are becoming increasingly exposed to litigation and risk of claims arising from their contractual obligations. There is a general awareness in the construction industry about clients’ ability to commence litigation or make a claim from another party who might have caused them to suffer loss or damage […]

It’s time to celebrate the end of the financial year!  On a less exciting but equally important note, the end of financial year is a good time to consider what records you need to keep and how you might go about destroying any records if the circumstances and time are right. Why keep your documents […]