On many construction and engineering sites, refrigeration isn’t a “nice to have”. It can be essential for:
If the power fails, refrigeration can fail quickly. Even a short outage can cause temperature excursions that ruin materials, trigger rework, or delay critical path activities. The knock-on effects can be bigger than the value of the stock itself.
In the UK market, “power failure insurance” is often arranged as an extension to a property or engineering policy. It’s commonly linked to:
For construction and engineering businesses, the right structure depends on where the refrigeration sits:
The key is matching the cover to the exposure: stock spoilage, plant breakdown, project delay, and contractual penalties.
Insurers look at refrigeration risk as a combination of:
Common real-world causes include:
On construction sites, the environment is harsher: dust, vibration, temporary wiring, frequent changes, and multiple contractors. That’s why underwriters often ask more questions for site-based refrigeration.
Cover varies by insurer and wording, but these are the usual building blocks.
This can cover the value of stock that becomes unusable due to a rise (or sometimes fall) in temperature following:
For construction and engineering firms, “stock” might include:
Watch-outs:
This covers physical damage or breakdown of the refrigeration equipment itself, typically under an engineering breakdown section.
Watch-outs:
If your refrigeration fails because the incoming supply fails, you may need a specific extension.
Watch-outs:
If refrigeration failure causes:
…then BI or increased cost of working can be essential.
Watch-outs:
Construction and engineering risks are often insured through a combination of:
Refrigeration failure can touch multiple sections:
Because of these overlaps, it’s important to map the scenario:
Even well-arranged cover can fail if the wording doesn’t match the loss. Common issues include:
To get competitive terms, expect questions like:
If you can provide clear answers and evidence of controls, you’re in a stronger position.
Insurers like practical controls that reduce both frequency and severity.
A generator on paper isn’t enough. Consider:
If you suspect a loss, speed and documentation matter.
The more evidence you can provide, the smoother the claim tends to be.
A common mistake is buying a spoilage limit that matches “typical stock”, not “peak stock”. For construction and engineering firms, peaks happen when:
A simple approach:
A local power failure overnight causes a refrigerated store to rise above tolerance. High-value resins are written off.
A temporary cold container on site loses power when the generator fails to start. Adhesives and coatings are ruined, and the programme slips.
During commissioning, a control fault causes temperature swings that damage stored components.
These scenarios show why it’s important to align the policy to the real operational setup.
If you store temperature-sensitive materials or rely on refrigeration for project delivery, it’s worth stress-testing your insurance before a loss happens.
Speak to Insure24 to review your construction and engineering insurance programme, confirm your maximum values at risk, and make sure refrigeration failure and power failure exposures are properly covered. Call 0330 127 2333 or request a quote via insure24.co.uk.
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