My Account
We compare quotes from leading insurers
PUBLIC LIABILITY COVER FOR PCB FACTORIES & WORKSHOPS
What is Public & Third-Party Liability Insurance?
Public (third-party) liability insurance is designed to protect your PCB manufacturing business if you are held legally liable for injury to a third party or damage to third-party property arising from your business activities. For manufacturers, this typically includes your premises risks (visitors, contractors, loading bays) and can also include activities away from your site (deliveries, demonstrations, installation/commissioning where applicable).
Public liability is not the same as product liability. Product liability is about damage or injury caused by your products after they leave your control. Public liability is about your activities and your premises. Many manufacturers arrange both covers together because they address different loss triggers.
For PCB manufacturers, public liability becomes particularly important when you host customer audits, factory acceptance tests, contractor works, or have frequent deliveries and collections. Even a minor incident can lead to substantial claims once legal costs are included.
What Does Public Liability Insurance Cover for PCB Manufacturers?
Public liability insurance is usually written around “legal liability for injury or property damage” arising from business activities. The detail matters: the policy schedule, business description, limits, territorial scope, and exclusions all influence what happens at claim time. Below are typical cover areas manufacturers use public liability for.
Typical Covered Incidents
- A visitor slips/trips at your factory during an audit or site tour
- Accidental damage to a customer’s property during a site visit or commissioning activity (if included)
- Damage caused during delivery/collection (e.g., forklift incident affecting third-party property)
- Injury to a third party caused by your operations (e.g., contractor injury where you are alleged to be at fault)
- Legal defence costs for covered claims (subject to policy terms)
What Public Liability Usually Does NOT Cover
- Employee injuries – this is employers’ liability (usually required in the UK)
- Defective products in the field – typically product liability (often combined with PL)
- Professional advice/design – often needs professional indemnity
- Pure financial loss – losses without injury/property damage are commonly excluded
- Pollution clean-up – may be excluded or restricted; environmental liability may be needed
The key is alignment: if your policy says “manufacturing only” but you also do on-site installation or commissioning, you can create a gap. The insurer must understand your true activities so that “work away”, contracting scope, and subcontractor use are correctly catered for.
PCB Manufacturing Claim Examples (Public Liability)
These examples show how public liability claims typically arise in manufacturing environments. They also demonstrate why careful housekeeping, contractor control and accurate policy descriptions matter.
Example 1: Customer Audit Injury
A customer attends a supplier audit and slips in a workshop area. They allege inadequate signage and claim medical costs and loss of earnings.
- Typical policy: Public liability
- Key evidence: risk assessments, housekeeping records, signage, incident logs
- Common issue: late notification and incomplete incident reporting
Example 2: Contractor Damage to Third-Party Property
During planned works, a contractor damages a third-party’s property. The third party alleges you failed to control the contractor.
- Typical policy: Public liability (and contractor’s liability)
- Key point: clarify liability split and subcontractor insurance requirements
- Common issue: “bona fide subcontractor” conditions not followed
Example 3: Forklift / Loading Bay Incident
A delivery driver’s vehicle is damaged in the loading area after an impact incident. They allege site controls were inadequate.
- Typical policy: Public liability
- Key evidence: traffic management plans, training logs, CCTV if available
- Common issue: disputes where vehicle insurance and liability overlap
Example 4: Work Away / Site Damage
An engineer attends a customer site to support installation or troubleshooting. Accidental damage occurs to customer equipment.
- Typical policy: Public liability (if “work away” is included)
- Key point: ensure contracting/site activities are declared
- Common issue: policy described as “manufacture only” creating a coverage question
Choosing Limits, Territory & Contract Alignment
Many PCB manufacturers buy public liability because a customer contract requires it. That’s normal — but the policy should still match your operations. A policy that “ticks a box” can still contain exclusions that cause problems later. The key decisions are your limit of indemnity, territory, activities and endorsements.
Typical Limits
- Common contract limits: £2m / £5m / £10m
- OEM and high-reliability sectors often request £5m+
- Consider total footfall, visitor volume and site activities
- Review any aggregate limits and how they apply across claims
- Check defence costs treatment (inside or in addition to the limit)
Territory & Activity Notes
- UK-only vs UK/EU vs worldwide – choose based on actual activity
- If engineers travel, confirm work-away cover applies for visits/commissioning
- Disclose subcontractor use and ensure compliance with any conditions
- Avoid “silent” overseas exposure created by contract terms or site work
- Review pollution exclusions if you store or use chemicals at the premises
We host frequent customer audits and had contractors on-site regularly. Insure24 reviewed our policy wording, updated our activity description, and ensured our public liability matched our real operations — which made compliance and renewals far easier.
Quality Manager, UK PCB ManufacturerFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
+-
Do PCB manufacturers need both public and product liability?
Most do. Public liability relates to incidents arising from your activities and premises (visitors, contractors, site work),
while product liability relates to injury or property damage caused by your products after they leave your control.
Many policies combine both covers, but they respond to different triggers.
+-
Does public liability cover damage caused by my products?
Typically product-related claims are addressed under product liability (often arranged alongside public liability).
Public liability is intended for your activities and premises. The exact response depends on policy wording and the circumstances of the claim.
+-
We occasionally visit customer sites — is that covered?
It can be, but only if your policy includes “work away” / off-site activities and your business description matches what you actually do.
If you provide installation, commissioning, servicing or training, it’s important to disclose this to insurers.
+-
What limit of public liability do PCB manufacturers usually buy?
Common limits are £2m, £5m or £10m depending on customer requirements, premises exposure and site activities.
OEMs and higher-reliability sectors often ask for £5m or higher.
+-
Does public liability cover pollution or chemical spills?
Many public liability policies restrict or exclude pollution, especially gradual pollution and clean-up costs.
If you store or use chemicals and have credible spill exposure, environmental liability insurance may be appropriate.
+-
Can Insure24 review our policy wording and contracts?
Yes. We can review your policy schedule, business description, key exclusions, limits and territory, and help align cover with customer contract requirements.
We’ll also highlight common gaps and where additional cover (product recall, PI, environmental, cyber) may be needed.
UNIQUE INSURANCE
TAILORED FOR YOU
Public liability is a core cover for PCB manufacturers — especially if you host audits, contractors and regular deliveries. Speak to Insure24 to ensure your public liability matches your real activities and contract requirements, and avoid gaps at claim time.
PROTECT YOURSELF
- Third-party injury and property damage protection
- Cover aligned to premises exposure, audits and visitors
- Options for work-away / site activities where needed
- Contract-aligned limits and territory
- Support with wording reviews and gap identification