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A PRACTICAL CHECKLIST BUILT FOR ALUMINIUM MANUFACTURERS
Why Aluminium Manufacturers Use a Checklist
Aluminium manufacturing is rarely a “single risk” business. Between heavy machinery, non-ferrous theft exposure, high-value plant, employee injury risk, business interruption, dust/fume controls, and customer contract requirements, small oversights can become uninsured losses or disputed claims.
This page is a practical checklist to help you sense-check cover, reduce gaps, and prepare insurer-ready information so you get faster decisions and more sustainable terms.
1) Core Covers — Are the Basics Correct?
Most aluminium manufacturing claims disputes come down to mismatched values, unclear triggers, missing endorsements, or assumptions carried over from prior years. Start by validating the “boring” basics.
Property Damage & Declared Values
- Buildings sums insured based on rebuild cost (not market value)
- Plant & machinery schedules updated (incl. electrical infrastructure, cranes, extraction)
- Stock & materials reflect peak levels (billets, coils, profiles, scrap, WIP)
- Allowances for debris removal, professional fees, inflation/indexation
- Security/protection warranties are achievable and evidenced
Underinsurance can reduce settlements — especially where stock fluctuates or plant schedules haven’t been reviewed for years.
Business Interruption
- Indemnity period realistic for rebuild + recommissioning
- Gross profit basis aligned with current accounts
- Utilities/suppliers/customers dependencies declared where relevant
- Increased cost of working limit is workable (not token)
- Any waiting days / time excess understood
Aluminium plant lead times can be long. An “average” indemnity period can be too short for specialist machinery replacement.
Employers’ Liability & Workforce
- EL in place and legally compliant
- Payroll split by activity (production / maintenance / warehousing / office)
- Agency labour and labour-only contractors treated correctly
- Claims experience + corrective actions documented
- Overtime/shift patterns understood (severity exposure)
Public & Products Liability
- Limits aligned with customer contracts
- Territory/jurisdiction suitable for exports (UK/EU/Worldwide)
- “Products worked upon / efficacy” style exclusions understood
- Quality control, traceability and batch records described
- Contractual liability exposure reviewed
2) Worker Injury & Machinery Risk Controls
Aluminium manufacturing often involves rotating equipment, pinch points, feed rollers, conveyors, saws, presses and handling systems. Insurers will look for evidence that entanglement and non-routine task risks are controlled.
Machinery Guarding & Entanglement Prevention
- Machine guarding fitted, maintained and audited
- Emergency stops tested and accessible
- Lock-off / tag-out (LOTO) documented and enforced
- Controls for jam clearing and non-routine tasks
- Contractor supervision and permit-to-work for maintenance
- Training records for operators and setters
Manual Handling, Health & Reporting
- Manual handling risk assessments completed and reviewed
- Noise/vibration assessments where applicable
- Health surveillance in place where required
- PPE issue and enforcement evidenced
- Near-miss reporting active (and acted upon)
- Return-to-work and light-duty processes defined
3) Fire, Theft & Business Interruption Exposure
Fire, electrical fault, and non-ferrous theft are common severity drivers. This section helps you check protections, housekeeping and insurer conditions so you don’t fall foul of avoidable requirements.
Fire / Heat / Electrical Controls
- Hot works permit system enforced
- Fire separation between production, storage and offices
- Extraction, dust and fume controls maintained
- Electrical inspections and maintenance records available
- Waste/scrap management reduces ignition sources
Security & Non-Ferrous Theft
- Perimeter protection, access control and visitor process
- CCTV, alarms and lighting maintained (with service logs)
- Yard layout and stock storage reviewed
- Key-holding and response arrangements defined
- Insurer security conditions complied with (no “paper breaches”)
4) Insurer Readiness — What to Prepare Before Renewal
The fastest quotes come from clear, structured submissions. If your broker/insurer needs to chase basic information, the risk can be referred, delayed, or priced defensively.
Information Insurers Expect
- Process overview (extrusion, recycling, casting, machining, finishing, warehousing)
- Up-to-date declared values and asset schedules
- Turnover split (UK/EU/Worldwide) and customer types
- Headcount/payroll split by activity (incl. agency labour)
- Five-year claims history + corrective actions
- Risk improvements since last renewal evidenced
Programme Structure Checks
- Combined vs separate policy approach reviewed
- Consistency between property, BI and liability definitions
- Warranties/conditions are understood and achievable
- Critical plant dependencies described (and what happens if they fail)
- Contract requirements checked against actual cover
If you want, we can turn this into a one-page insurer summary that reduces back-and-forth at renewal.
“We tightened our BI indemnity period, updated plant values and formalised LOTO and guarding audits — renewal was faster and the insurer’s questions dropped dramatically.”
Operations Manager, UK Aluminium ManufacturerWHAT WE’LL DO WITH THIS CHECKLIST
- Identify gaps in cover, values and policy triggers
- Sense-check BI structure and indemnity period
- Help present your worker injury controls and training evidence
- Align contracts, territories and liability limits
- Package an insurer-ready submission to speed up quoting
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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What insurance does an aluminium manufacturer typically need?
Most aluminium manufacturers consider property damage, business interruption, employers’ liability, public liability and products liability as core.
Depending on the plant and contracts, extensions such as machinery breakdown, stock/theft, transit and environmental liability may also be relevant.
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Why do BI claims get reduced for manufacturers?
Common reasons include underinsurance, an indemnity period that’s too short, incorrect gross profit calculations,
missing dependencies (utilities/suppliers/customers), or conditions/warranties that weren’t met at the time of loss.
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Do insurers ask about machine guarding and LOTO?
Yes. For injury-exposed environments, insurers often want to understand guarding standards, maintenance controls,
lock-off/tag-out procedures, training records, incident reporting, and how non-routine tasks (like jam clearing) are controlled.
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How do customer contracts affect liability limits?
Contracts can specify minimum limits, territories/jurisdictions, and particular endorsements. If you export aluminium products,
territory and jurisdiction become especially important. Limits should reflect contract requirements and real severity exposure.
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Can Insure24 review our existing policies against this checklist?
Yes. We can sense-check values, BI structure, key conditions/warranties, and liability alignment with contracts — then present a clearer,
insurer-ready submission to improve turnaround times and reduce coverage gaps.