As a plasterer, you know that your work can take you to a wide range of locations and settings, from private homes to commercial sites. Whether you’re self-employed, or lead a team of contractors, you’ll know that things don’t always go to plan and even when you do everything right, accidents can happen. These accidents can result in damage to property or even injury to another person. When this happens and someone believes your plastering activities were responsible for damage or physical injury to a person, it can result in a significant financial penalty for you or your business.

Public liability insurance for plasterers may protect you against financial losses incurred as a result of damage to property or personal injury that someone suffers as a direct or indirect result of your plastering work that you are held responsible for. This might include, for example, accidentally spattering belongings or carpet with plastering mix and ruining them, or a visitor to the worksite tripping over a ladder or other work equipment and injuring themselves.

You may be required, for example, to repair the damage that has been caused or pay for an injured party’s medical expenses if they are injured. When you add this to the legal costs of defending yourself, it can result in a significant financial burden. In really serious cases, it can bankrupt your business, or, if you are operating as a sole trader, may even result in personal bankruptcy. Public liability insurance may cover your costs in defending against property and personal injury damages claims as well as paying any financial restitution for damages that a court decides you are liable for.

Even though public liability insurance for plasterers is not required by law in most cases in Australia, it is highly recommended to protect your business and give you peace of mind. It can protect you against unexpected events on a work site that you could be held responsible for so that, depending on the outcome in court, you are financially covered. It can also cover your legal fees in defending yourself in court against a damages or injury claim when you believe you are not at fault.

Public liability insurance is relatively inexpensive for a sole trader but can nonetheless cover you for millions of dollars in damages, depending on the policy. If you work for large clients, government or local authorities or lead a team beyond a certain size, you may also be required to hold public liability before you can bid for or undertake certain contracts. Sometimes even home builders will require plasterers (or other subcontractors) to have an appropriate amount of public liability insurance (and to provide a current certificate or indemnity letter) as proof before they can start work.

Public liability insurance may protect you from significant legal costs and potential financial penalties that could arise when property damage or personal injury occurs on your job site. It ensures that when the unexpected happens you have the peace of mind that this type of insurance gives.