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EMPLOYERS’ LIABILITY INSURANCE FOR STEEL MANUFACTURING
Steel manufacturing is a high-risk working environment: heavy plant, forklifts, cranes, moving machinery, hot works, sharp edges, working at height, dust and fume exposure, noise and manual handling. Even well-managed sites can experience incidents - and when employees are injured or become ill, employers’ liability claims can be expensive to defend and settle.
Insure24 arranges Employers’ Liability (EL) Insurance for steel manufacturers across the UK - built around real-world hazards, subcontractor and labour-only exposure, and the record-keeping insurers expect for robust claims defence.
What Is Employers’ Liability Insurance?
Employers’ Liability (EL) Insurance is designed to cover your business if an employee suffers injury or illness arising out of their work and makes a compensation claim against you (where you are legally liable). It typically covers compensation payments and legal defence costs for insured claims, subject to policy terms.
In steel manufacturing, EL matters because claims can be severe: crush injuries, burns, amputations, falls from height, struck-by incidents, and long-tail occupational illness claims. The cost isn’t only the settlement - it can include legal costs, expert reports, investigation time, and reputational impact.
Is Employers’ Liability Insurance a Legal Requirement?
In many cases, yes. In the UK, most businesses must have employers’ liability insurance if they employ staff. Steel manufacturing sites often have a mixture of employees, agency staff, apprentices, labour-only subcontractors and contractors - and the practical insurance requirement can become complex when people work under your direction or supervision.
If you’re unsure who counts as an “employee” for insurance purposes in your setup, we can help you assess your working arrangements and make sure your EL policy matches how your workforce is structured.
Note: This is general guidance, not legal advice. Requirements can vary depending on your business structure and contracts.
Workforce Types Common in Steel Manufacturing
- Permanent employees (shop floor, maintenance, production, admin)
- Apprentices and trainees
- Agency and temporary staff
- Labour-only subcontractors working under your supervision
- Contractors on-site (specialist maintenance, engineering, commissioning)
The key underwriting question is often control: who directs the work, provides equipment, and supervises tasks?
What Insurers Typically Want to Know
- Number of employees and split by roles
- Use of agency / labour-only subcontractors
- Any work at height, hot works, confined spaces, or heavy lifting
- Machinery and plant hazards (presses, rollers, cranes, forklifts)
- Previous claims and HSE history (where relevant)
- Safety systems: training, RAMS, maintenance, supervision
Good disclosure supports cleaner claims outcomes.
Employers’ Liability Claims in Steel Manufacturing: What Typically Goes Wrong
Many EL claims aren’t caused by “one big mistake” - they come from a chain of small gaps: missing training records, incomplete risk assessments, inconsistent enforcement of PPE, poor housekeeping, or insufficient supervision. In claims handling, evidence matters: if you can demonstrate a safe system of work, the claim is often easier to defend.
Typical Accident Claim Triggers
- Crush and entanglement injuries from machinery
- Forklift / pedestrian collisions and reversing incidents
- Falls from height (MEWPs, ladders, platforms, mezzanines)
- Burns from hot works, hot surfaces, sparks and molten material
- Manual handling injuries and repetitive strain
- Slips, trips and falls from poor housekeeping
- Hand/eye injuries from cutting, grinding, burrs and sharp edges
Strong supervision and consistent controls are often the biggest differentiator.
Evidence That Helps Defend Claims
- Risk assessments and method statements (task-specific, not generic)
- Training/competence records and refresher training
- Equipment inspection and maintenance logs
- Induction and toolbox talk records
- PPE issue records and enforcement evidence
- Accident/near-miss reports and corrective actions
- CCTV where available (handled appropriately)
If it isn’t documented, it’s harder to prove - even when you did the right thing.
Occupational Illness: The Long-Tail EL Exposure
Steel manufacturing can expose workers to noise, vibration, dust, fumes, oils, solvents and chemicals. Occupational illness claims may arise years after exposure - which is why insurers and legal teams focus heavily on historical records, training, and control measures.
The right practical approach is a combination of engineering controls (extraction/LEV, guarding, isolation), administrative controls (safe systems, rotation), and PPE/RPE - supported by competence and health surveillance where appropriate.
Common Illness Claim Types
- Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL)
- Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) where relevant
- Respiratory issues from dust/fume exposure
- Dermatitis from oils/chemicals
- Repetitive strain and musculoskeletal disorders
Claims often hinge on evidence: exposure assessment, PPE/RPE controls, training and enforcement.
Controls That Reduce Illness Risk (and Help Underwriting)
- COSHH assessments and substance inventory
- LEV/extraction maintenance and testing (where used)
- Noise assessments and hearing protection zones
- Health surveillance programmes where appropriate
- PPE/RPE selection, fit testing and training
- Clear housekeeping to control dust build-up
Better controls reduce frequency and severity - and support premium stability at renewal.
Risk Management That Improves EL Outcomes
Employers’ liability is ultimately priced on claims experience and risk confidence. Insurers tend to reward steel manufacturers who can show a consistent safety culture, robust documentation, and proactive improvement. A few high-impact focus areas can materially reduce EL loss.
High-Impact Safety Focus Areas
- Traffic management: segregation of forklifts and pedestrians
- Machine guarding, lock-off procedures and maintenance controls
- Working at height controls and access equipment competence
- Hot works systems and burn prevention
- Manual handling redesign and mechanical aids
- Near-miss reporting with real corrective actions
These are also the areas that often drive the most severe injury claims.
How Insure24 Helps
- We present your risk clearly to insurers to improve appetite
- We help you structure EL alongside PL, products, property and BI
- We align cover with contracts and workforce structure
- We support renewals with improved narrative and updated exposures
- We help you understand what insurers expect in claims defensibility
If you’re expanding, onboarding more contractors, or changing processes, it’s worth reviewing EL to avoid gaps.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Is employers’ liability insurance legally required for steel manufacturers?
In many cases, yes. Most UK businesses must have employers’ liability insurance if they employ staff. Where you use agency staff or labour-only subcontractors, the practical requirement can depend on working arrangements and control. If you’re unsure, speak to Insure24 for guidance.
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What does employers’ liability insurance cover?
EL is designed to cover your legal liability if an employee suffers injury or illness arising out of their work and makes a compensation claim. It typically includes compensation and legal defence costs for insured claims, subject to policy terms.
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Do occupational illness claims fall under employers’ liability?
They can do, subject to policy terms and legal liability. Common long-tail exposures include noise-induced hearing loss, HAVS (where relevant), respiratory issues from dust/fumes, and dermatitis from oils/chemicals. Evidence of controls and records is important in these claims.
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What’s the difference between employers’ liability and public liability?
Employers’ liability relates to injury/illness claims from employees. Public liability is designed to cover third-party injury or property damage claims arising from your operations (for example, visitors or contractors on site), subject to policy terms.
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What information do insurers need to quote EL for a steel site?
Typically: employee numbers and wage roll, role split, site activities and hazards, use of agency/labour-only workers, claims history, and key risk controls (traffic management, guarding, working at height, hot works, training, and maintenance records).
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How quickly can Insure24 arrange employers’ liability insurance?
Once we have your workforce details, activities, claims history and core safety controls, we can usually progress quotes quickly. If you need urgent documentation for onboarding, contracts or audits, call us and we’ll prioritise your request.