The University of Edinburgh. College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. Western General Hospital Site. Royal Edinburgh Hospital Site

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1 The University of Edinburgh College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine Western General Hospital Site Royal Edinburgh Hospital Site HEALTH AND SAFETY Insurance

2 Contents Aim 1 Introduction 2 Public Liability Insurance 3 Claims against the University 4 Short-term visitors 5 Adding equipment to the Insurance Register 6 Equipment loan policy and indemnity 7 Further information 8 Aim To summarise University of Edinburgh insurance arrangements. Introduction This Section contains an overview of the University s insurance provisions. The insurance policies may be accessed electronically at: The University s Insurance Office arranges cover for the University s buildings, contents, motor vehicles, travel and legal liabilities such as employers liability and professional indemnity. Certain specific ad hoc covers are also arranged. The range of insurance provisions that affect the University is wide. Some impact upon the position of members of staff, who may need to consider their own insurance provisions in respect of work or University based activities. Corporate insurance policies dealt with by the Insurance Office include: all risks business interruption directors and officers liability employer s liability indemnity household flats money providers products liability indemnity property damage research establishment expenditure Public Liability Insurance The University holds Public Liability Insurance to indemnify it against any successful claim for damages by a non-employee, on grounds of negligence by the University. Research Workers who are not employed by the University of Edinburgh are recommended to take out Personal Insurance Cover against accidents at work. Further advice may be obtained from:

3 Health and Safety Department The University of Edinburgh Charles Stewart House 9-16 Chambers Street Edinburgh EH1 1HT Telephone: Fax: Claims Against the University From time to time external individuals or organisations seek to lodge claims against the University, normally seeking financial compensation for a perceived wrong. In some such cases claims are submitted by lawyers on behalf of the aggrieved party. If such claims are received, they should be referred in the first instance, without response to the University Secretary; this is because the legal entity against which a claim is made is the University Court rather than any constituent part of the University and thus it is on behalf of the Court that a response must be sent. If the claim relates to a research grant or contract or an intellectual property rights matter, it will normally be referred to Edinburgh Research and Innovation, which has in-house legal expertise. In other cases, the University Secretary will normally consult the University s law agent if necessary. In all cases, he shall inform the University's insurance brokers via the Finance Department - it is a condition of the University s insurance that the brokers are advised about claims without delay and are consulted before any action is taken. Short-Term Visitors The presence of short-term visitors should be registered on the Visitor Registration Scheme, details of which will be available from local administrators. The Scheme includes an aspect of insurance cover. Adding Equipment to the Insurance Register The University has appointed Zurich Municipal as it' Engineering Insurers for items such as lifting equipment and pressure vessels. As a result, notification of these items should be made to the Insurance Office, Finance Department (insurance@ed.ac.uk) and not, as was formerly the case, to the Health and Safety Department. Please ensure you include in an to the Insurance Office, all relevant details of the equipment (serial number, model, location, etc.) together with the contact name and telephone number of a person responsible for the equipment (e.g. lab manager, etc.). The Insurance Office will then arrange for the item to be registered, and it will then be inspected as required.

4 The University s Health and Safety Policy relating to Mechanical Equipment has been updated to take account of changes to arrangements. Equipment Loan Policy and Indemnity The University of Edinburgh occasionally receives free on-loan laboratory or medical equipment from suppliers for evaluation, research, design, investigation, and/or trial demonstration. In addition, some University stores operate a consignment stocking system where laboratory or medical consumables are kept in fridges or freezers which are loaned to the University by the consumables supplier, to store products until use. All loan equipment requires to be indemnified by the supplier when on University premises to ensure that, if the equipment fails in some way, which results in damage to property, fire, injury or death, there is a clear provision for the University to pursue claims against the supplier of the equipment. As such, this policy will ensure indemnity procedures are in place before loan equipment is delivered to University premises. Follow the link below to the University s procurement website, which provides further information on the procedures that should be undertaken at departmental level together with the indemnity and equipment questionnaire forms that should be completed for each item of equipment on loan. Free on-loan equipment may already be in place within University buildings on the WGH/REH campus, and general guidance has previously been provided regarding the priority for action, based on perceived risk of certain types of loan equipment, that being: 1. Medical or Veterinary equipment, whether patient connected or non-connected should be indemnified directly (for human or animal use). 2. Clinical diagnostic equipment, laboratory or imaging or otherwise, used to provide clinical or research based diagnostics data should be indemnified directly. 3. Research or scientific laboratory equipment, as soon as practically possible. 4. Fridge / freezers loaned to store consignment stock, as soon as practically possible. The forms provided on the University s procurement website are designed to address laboratory, scientific and medical equipment. If any further advice is required regarding this matter, or any of the above, please andy.kordiak@ed.ac.uk Further Information Information available from the Insurance Office regarding useful polices for staff and students who are travelling on University business at home or abroad includes: all risks motor insurance personal accident travel insurance

5 The Insurance Office can be contacted at: Insurance Office The University of Edinburgh Charles Stewart House 9-16 Chambers Street Edinburgh EH1 1HT Telephone: Fax: Last reviewed/updated: January 2015