Employers’ Liability Insurance

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Essential legal protection for food and beverage manufacturers employing staff - from factory operatives to drivers and office teams.

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We compare quotes from leading insurers

  • Allianz
  • Aviva
  • QBE
  • RSA
  • Zurich
  • NIG

EMPLOYERS’ LIABILITY COVER THAT PROTECTS YOUR PEOPLE & YOUR BUSINESS

Why Employers’ Liability Insurance Matters in Food & Beverage Manufacturing

Food and beverage manufacturing is a people-intensive industry - with busy production lines, shift work, manual handling, forklift movements, sharp tools, hot surfaces, cleaning chemicals, cold storage environments, and strict hygiene routines. Even well-run factories can experience incidents such as slips and trips, repetitive strain injuries, machinery accidents, burns, or exposure to allergens and cleaning agents.

Employers’ Liability (EL) insurance is designed to protect your business if an employee claims they were injured or became ill as a result of their work. It typically covers your legal defence costs and any compensation you become legally liable to pay (subject to policy terms).

For most UK businesses with employees, employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement. It’s a foundational cover for manufacturers - and often sits alongside public liability, product liability, property insurance, business interruption, and engineering breakdown.

What Does Employers’ Liability Insurance Cover?

Employers’ liability insurance is focused on claims made by employees (and, in some cases, labour-only contractors or others deemed to be working under your control) who allege injury, illness or disease caused by their work. It’s particularly important in manufacturing settings where hazards exist even with strong health & safety controls.

While each insurer’s policy wording varies, employers’ liability insurance commonly covers:

  • Compensation – damages awarded to employees where you are legally liable.
  • Legal defence costs – solicitors, experts, court fees and defence expenses (subject to terms).
  • Injury at work – slips/trips, falls, forklift incidents, cuts, crush injuries and burns.
  • Work-related illness – respiratory issues, dermatitis, chemical exposure, hearing loss, RSI.
  • Temporary staff / agency workers – where you are responsible (coverage depends on arrangements).
  • Claims arising from negligence allegations – failure to provide safe systems, training or PPE.
  • Legal liability at multiple sites – factories, depots, cold stores and offices (declared).
  • Historic claims – for long-tail injury/illness where cover was in force at the time.
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Is Employers’ Liability Insurance Legally Required?

In most cases, yes. If you employ staff in the UK, you will usually need employers’ liability insurance. This includes many part-time employees and, in some cases, casual staff. Many manufacturers also rely on seasonal labour and agency staff - and responsibilities can become complex depending on who controls the work and provides supervision.

Employers’ liability is commonly arranged with a standard limit that satisfies legal expectations and commercial contract requirements. We’ll guide you through what’s typical for your industry and workforce profile.

Even if you believe you fall into an exemption category, it’s still worth checking - because a gap in EL cover can create significant exposure for directors and the business.

Common Employers’ Liability Claims in Food & Beverage Manufacturing

Manufacturing claims are often linked to day-to-day operational realities: high throughput, repetitive tasks, wet floors, chilled environments, shift work fatigue, manual handling and maintenance activities. Below are common claim scenarios that employers’ liability insurance is designed to respond to.

  • Slips, trips and falls in wet washdown areas, loading bays, or cold stores.
  • Manual handling injuries from lifting, stacking, pallet work, or repetitive movements.
  • Forklift and MHE incidents in busy warehouse and goods-in/goods-out zones.
  • Machinery accidents during operation, cleaning, or maintenance interventions.
  • Cuts and lacerations from blades, slicers, or packaging equipment.
  • Burns and scalds from steam lines, hot-fill processes, ovens, or kettles.
  • Chemical exposure to cleaning agents leading to dermatitis or respiratory issues.
  • Repetitive strain injury (RSI) from packing, trimming, or production line tasks.

Why manufacturing claims can be complex

Employers’ liability claims often involve investigations into training records, supervision, risk assessments, maintenance logs, PPE issuance, and safe systems of work. Insurers may appoint solicitors and experts to assess causation and liability. Having the correct cover in place helps you respond professionally and protect the business while ensuring staff are treated fairly and supported.

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Who Needs Employers’ Liability Insurance?

Employers’ liability is relevant to virtually every food and beverage operation with staff - from single-site producers to multi-site manufacturers. It applies across a wide range of roles and working arrangements.

We commonly arrange employers’ liability cover for businesses employing:

Factory & Operations Teams

  • Production operatives and line workers
  • Machine operators and packers
  • Quality control and lab staff
  • Maintenance engineers and fitters
  • CIP, hygiene and washdown teams
  • Forklift drivers and warehouse operatives

Commercial & Support Teams

  • Office staff, sales teams and admin
  • Drivers and distribution staff
  • Site management and supervisors
  • Apprentices and trainees
  • Seasonal staff and temporary workers
  • Contractors under your control (depending on arrangements)

What Affects the Cost of Employers’ Liability Insurance?

Employers’ liability pricing is influenced by workforce exposure, claims history, and the strength of your health & safety culture. For manufacturers, insurers will also consider the nature of your processes - for example, working with hot oils, steam, blades, heavy lifting, frozen storage, chemicals, or high-speed automation.

Typical rating factors include:

  • Number of employees and payroll split by role type
  • Manual vs non-manual work proportion
  • Use of forklifts, MHE and warehouse operations
  • Hot works, steam systems, ovens or heated processes
  • Use of cleaning chemicals and COSHH controls
  • Claims and incident history (including near misses)
  • Training, induction and supervision approach
  • Maintenance, guarding, and safety systems

Practical steps that can help reduce risk (and improve insurer confidence)

Strong health & safety doesn’t just reduce incidents - it often strengthens insurer appetite and can improve pricing and terms. Examples include:

  • Documented risk assessments and method statements (RAMS) for key tasks
  • Regular machine guarding checks and lock-off / isolation procedures
  • Manual handling training and workstation ergonomics
  • Clear traffic management plans for forklifts and pedestrians
  • Washdown and slip-prevention regimes (flooring, signage, footwear)
  • COSHH assessments, PPE issuance and training for chemicals
  • Accident/near-miss reporting and corrective action tracking
  • Formal inductions for agency and temporary workers
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Why Choose Insure24 for Employers’ Liability?

Food and beverage manufacturing isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” industry. Your risk profile depends on your production methods, staffing model, and site layout. Insure24 helps you structure employers’ liability insurance in a way that aligns with how your operation actually works - so you’re not paying for the wrong cover, or missing key exposures.

  • Specialist advice for manufacturing and processing operations
  • Help presenting your risk profile clearly to insurers
  • Guidance on workforce splits, payroll and role descriptions
  • Fast turnaround on quotes with clear explanations
  • Ongoing support as you hire, expand or add sites
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How to Get Employers’ Liability Insurance

Getting the right employers’ liability cover is usually straightforward when the insurer understands your staffing and operations. We’ll guide you through the key information needed and present it clearly to markets.

  • 1. Confirm your employee count and payroll split (manual / clerical)
  • 2. Explain your processes and key workplace hazards
  • 3. Review your health & safety controls and training approach
  • 4. Compare quotes and select appropriate limits
  • 5. Bind cover and receive certificates/documents
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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What is employers’ liability insurance?

Employers’ liability insurance protects your business if an employee claims they were injured or became ill due to their work. It typically covers legal defence costs and compensation where you are legally liable, subject to policy terms.

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Is employers’ liability insurance mandatory for manufacturers?

In most cases, yes. If you employ staff in the UK, you will usually need employers’ liability insurance. There are limited exemptions, so it’s important to check your position and ensure you remain compliant.

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Does employers’ liability cover agency and temporary workers?

It can, depending on the arrangements and who controls the work. Some agency workers are covered by the agency’s insurance, but if you supervise and control their work, you may have exposure. We’ll help you structure cover appropriately.

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What types of incidents can lead to an employers’ liability claim?

Common examples include slips and trips, manual handling injuries, forklift incidents, machinery accidents, cuts, burns, chemical exposure and repetitive strain injury. Claims can also arise from alleged failures in training, supervision or safe systems of work.

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How much employers’ liability cover do food manufacturers need?

The right level depends on your workforce and contracts, but many UK policies are arranged at a standard limit that meets legal expectations. We’ll help you match cover to your employee exposure and buyer requirements.

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Does employers’ liability cover contractors?

Bona fide subcontractors usually carry their own insurance, but if you control the work or engage labour-only contractors, you may still have exposure. We’ll ask about your labour model and advise on the correct approach.

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What information do you need to quote employers’ liability?

We typically need employee numbers and payroll split by role type, a summary of your manufacturing activities, your sites, and any claims history. Details of training and risk controls can help obtain better terms.

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Can employers’ liability be combined with other covers?

Yes. Employers’ liability is commonly bundled within a combined manufacturing policy alongside public liability, product liability, buildings/contents, business interruption, equipment breakdown and stock covers.

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