Latest News
Stay up-to-date with our latest news & announcements
Winter Driving Guidance 2023
The recent cold snap foreshadows the conditions we can expect over the next three months, prompting a timely reminder of the dangers of winter driving.
Whether commuting to and from work, travelling for business, or going on leisure outings, it is critical to take extreme vigilance during this season. Cold temperatures, slippery conditions, and rainy weather can all combine to create hazardous driving conditions.
Risk Management Academy 2023
This year we have three new live webinars covering Motor, Liability and Property risks, taking place in July, September, and October.
Our interactive sessions will comprise of Webinars, E-Learning Modules, Guidance Documents, Manager Checklists, and Policy Templates. We look forward to welcoming you to the Academy and providing you with valuable insights into effective risk management.
Motor – Sustainable Driving Techniques – Thursday 20th July @ 10:00 – 11:30 BST – live webinar event
Liability – Managing Workplace Transport Risks – Wednesday 6th September @ 10:00 – 11:30 BST– live webinar event
Property – Lithium-ion Battery Safety Management Wednesday October 25th @ 10:00 – 11:30 BST – live webinar event
Register your free place at each event.
Protector Insurance are the official Wellness Partner for Airmic Conference 2023
Tuesday morning sports sessions
Protector Insurance are proud to be the Wellness Partner at Airmic Conference 2023. We encourage delegates to sign up and participate at one of the Wellness Sessions (Zumba with Anna or Bootcamp with Ross) to start their day on the morning of Tuesday 20th June.
Protector sponsored the ‘fun run’ at Airmic in Liverpool in 2022.
Hygge Hub – Wellness and Relaxation
'Hygge' is a word commonly used in the Nordics to describe “wellness” and “comfort”. We invite you to take some time out to relax during the conference at our Hygge Hub where there will be an opportunity to take a seat, tune out and listen to wellbeing audio or enjoy a complimentary massage from one of the therapists who will be on hand work their magic to help delegates relax!
Maureen Owen, UK Regional Manager at Protector commented on motivation to support the Wellbeing initiative at this year’s conference:
“The wellbeing of our team is the corner stone of all we do and is at the heart of Protector’s culture. By creating an environment in the workplace which is open and empathetic, it encourages people to come forward and talk about their mental health and the challenges they are experiencing themselves.
A focus on wellbeing in the workplace has benefits for both the individual and the organisation, creating a positive environment which supports productive working. “
Protector Shortlisted for SHE Awards 2023!
We are delighted to be shortlisted for 'Campaign of the Year' at the 2023 Safety & Health Excellence awards.
Our ‘Driven to Distraction’ campaign was designed and implemented to respond directly to a trend of high severity motor crashes that happened across our UK motor insurance portfolio during 2020/21.
Changes to Scottish Fire & Rescue Automatic Fire Alarm Response
From 1 July 2023, SFRS will stop attending automatic fire alarm (AFA) call outs to commercial business and workplace premises, such as factories, offices, shops and leisure facilities unless a fire has been confirmed.
It does not apply to sleeping premises, such as hospitals, care homes, hotels or domestic dwellings but SFRS control room operators will now be asking anyone who reports a fire alarm to check whether there is an actual fire or signs of fire, before sending the nearest resource.
- As a dutyholder you must ensure that your premises are safe for staff, visitors and occupants in the event of a fire. You have a responsibility under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 to maintain the facilities and equipment provided. Failure to do this could lead to prosecution.
- Staff and occupants should be made aware of how to respond safely to AFA activations in each premises. Ignoring them or assuming the fire and rescue service has been notified could put people at risk.
- You should contact us to discuss the changes in response to AFA activations.
For futher information please see Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals.
In addition, SFRS held a virtual dutyholder engagement event where 253 attendees joined to receive guidance and advice on the subject, ahead of the change in response from 1 July 2023.
Gulliksen Remains Alive & Relevant
We are being asked by some local authority and housing clients if the case of Gulliksen v Pembrokeshire County Council (2002) has reduced in relevance since the Barlow v Wigan MBC (2021) case in the Court of Appeal last year.
The issue is whether roads or paths (in housing estates) are highways maintainable at public expense or not.
To help our English & Welsh highway authorities and social housing clients understand the situation as it now stands, Phil Anstee, Claims Technical Lead at Protector and Siobhan Hardy, Consultant at Forbes Solicitors explore the issues in a bitesize video and accompanying notes.
Gulliksen Remains Alive & Relevant (PDF, 297KB)
Risk Management Academy October 2022
Thank you to everyone who joined us last Wednesday at our first live risk management event ‘Driven to Distraction’, we hope you enjoyed it and found it useful.
If you missed it, you can watch the presentation here.
We have two more live MS Teams events in October,
- Wednesday 19th October – Managing Contractor Safety
- Wednesday 26th October – Timber Frame Construction
Book your free place by adding the each of the events above to your calendar.
And don’t forget to download your free Driven to Distraction resources.
We look forward to seeing you at our next live events.
Risk Management Academy October 2022
Throughout the month of October we will be delivering three new risk management modules covering Fleet, Liability and Property risks.
The Live MS Teams events are specifically designed for managers, supervisors and those that have a day to day responsibility for ensuring a safe working environment that protects, people, assets and brand image.
New Risk Management guidance for Energy Crisis
Unprecedented price increases in 2022 are now making energy bills unaffordable for many more households. At the same time, colder periods and freezing temperatures are becoming increasingly common. March 2018 brought the ‘Beast from the East’ gripping the UK with up to 50cm of snow in higher areas. Winter temperatures in 2019 plummeted as low as -15°C in many counties. Our latest guidance documents have been produced to highlight the potential upcoming insurance issues and offer recommendations on how to prevent losses occurring during this ‘imperfect storm.’
Successful conferences bring summer cheer
Protector were pleased to attend the recent commercial and public sector risk management conferences that took place in Liverpool and Manchester this summer.
First up, it was AIRMIC for the first time, followed by ALARM which we have been coming to for a number of years. Click below to read more.
Protector are going to Airmic!
We are excited to share that we will be exhibiting for the first time at the annual Airmic conference being held at the ACC in Liverpool from 6th-8th June.
We look forward to welcoming delegates from across the market to our stand during the conference where members of our One Team UK will be there to greet you!
Number 1 Service Provider for 5th Year Running!
Protector's Broker Partners have voted Protector as No. 1 service provider for an amazing 5th year in a row!
Check out the 2021 results below.
OneTeam - Client Testimonial
At Protector, part of our DNA is to build unique relationships with our clients and we live and breathe this through our OneTeam approach. It's great to see this in practice and receive such positive comments from one of our clients!
"...You are the first insurance company we feel that actually cares about us as a customer, we want to develop that further." - Nigel Thornton, Compliance Director at Collett.
Fleet Manager of the Year Nomination 2022!
We are delighted that Ian Summers, Group Fleet Manager at City Facilities Management has been nominated for Fleet Manager of the year at the upcoming Fleet News Awards taking place on March 16th 2022 at the Grosvenor Hotel in London!
Whiplash webinar: Seismic change or minor tremor?
Protector hosted an interactive panel session on The Whiplash Reforms. The session took place on 23rd September which was 100 days after the implementation of the reforms, by this point our experts from across the industry have managed to experience all aspects of the reforms to which their views were tested and there predictions for the future outlined.
The session was chaired by David Ruddock, Protector Claims Manager, UK. Panellists include Rod Watson, Marsh Claims Control Executive, Ian Davies Kennedys' Head of Motor and Meera Sims, Protector Casualty Claims Manager and Ian Summers, Group Fleet Manager at City Facilities.
Since 1st August 2021 Protector are now members of the IFB
The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) is an organisation specifically focused on the detection and prevention of organised fraud. They act as a central hub for sharing insurance fraud data and intelligence.
Being a member of the IFB means we get access to their training portal, counter fraud resources and databases including the Insurance Fraud Register.
Protector's Fleet Risk Management Academy
After the successful delivery of Module 1 to specific motor fleet clients, we have shared the full course on our brand new website.
Module 1 offers an introduction to the wider fleet risk programme focusing on, risk factors by road type, incident reporting, suitable & sufficient risk assessment, policy development and how effective leadership can improve driver safety performance.
Whiplash Reforms
The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) Whiplash Reforms came into force on 31st May 2021. The changes were included within the Civil Liability Act 2018 and apply to motor accidents occurring from 31st May 2021. Our FAQ summary tells you what you need to know.