Construction Insurance Engineering
Mar 28, 2022
מאת: עומרי ניסני, מהנדס בניין וסוכן ביטוח מורשה
ביטוחי בנייה הם לא ביטוחים "רגילים" משום שהם מקפלים בחובם ניואנסים שמצריכים ידע הנדסי. סוכנות הביטוח איציק סימון, שהינה בעלת וותק של למעלה מ-30 שנה בתחום ביטוח קבלנים וחברות בנייה, היא כיום אולי הסוכנות היחידה בישראל שמפעילה פונקציה של מהנדס בניין אזרחי שהוא גם סוכן ביטוח במשרה מלאה.
הסוכנות מציעה מתודולוגיה יוצאת דופן של הנדסת ביטוחי בנייה ואנחנו דוברים ברמת שפת אם הן את השפה ההנדסית מהשטח והן את השפה הביטוחית.
הרעיון המרכזי מאחורי הנדסת ביטוחי בנייה הוא "הנגשה ביטוחית". כלומר, מבחינת המבוטחים (הקבלנים והיזמים), הנדסת ביטוחי בנייה מתייחסת למכלול הסיכונים והחשיפות בפרויקט (כמה שפחות "פינות פתוחות"). יש בה כדי לסייע בהשגת ביטוחי בנייה גם במצבים מורכבים כאשר המבוטחים המעוניינים נתקלים בסירוב.
מבחינת חברת הביטוח, מחלקת ההנדסה שלנו יודעת להיות "גשר-מקצועי" ולהסביר לחתמים את מהות הפרויקט המדובר במקרים שבהם פערי ידע מקצועיים גורמים לדחייה שאיננה מחויבת המציאות.
הנדסת ביטוחי בנייה לא מסתכלת על הביטוח כהצעה "סטנדרטית" אלא יורדת ל עומק הדברים. בין השאר בהיבטים עתירי סיכון כמו עבודה בגובה, ביצוע עבודות תשתית ועבודות עפר, שימוש בכלי צמ"ה, שימוש בעגורנים, עבודות על פיגומים ניידים וקבועים, גידור אתרי בנייה, ביטוחי החזקת קרקע, ביטוח נזקים למבנים סמוכים, סעיפים ספציפיים שקשורים לעבודה בחום ועוד.
From: Omri Nissany, Civil Engineer and Licensed Insurance Agent
Construction insurance is not "ordinary" insurance because it involves nuances that require engineering knowledge . The Itzick Simon Insurance Agency, which has over 30 years of experience in the field of insurance for contractors and construction companies , is currently perhaps the only agency in Israel that employs a civil construction engineer who is also a full-time insurance agent .
The agency offers an exceptional methodology of " construction insurance engineering " and we speak both the engineering language from the field and the insurance language at a native level.
The main idea behind construction insurance engineering is " insurance accessibility ." That is, from the perspective of the insured (contractors and developers), construction insurance engineering addresses the full range of risks and exposures in the project (as few "open corners" as possible). It can assist in obtaining construction insurance even in complex situations when interested insureds encounter refusal.
From the insurance company's perspective, our engineering department knows how to be a "professional bridge" and explain to the underwriters the essence of the project in question in cases where gaps in professional knowledge cause a rejection that is not necessarily true.
Construction insurance engineering does not look at insurance as a "standard" offering, but rather goes into the details. Among other things, high-risk aspects such as working at height, performing infrastructure and earthworks, using heavy equipment, using cranes, working on mobile and permanent scaffolding, fencing construction sites, land tenure insurance, damage insurance for adjacent structures, specific sections related to working in heat, and more.
"The Atmosphere at the Construction Site": An Insurance Agent with Mud in His Shoes
The combination of an insurance agency with an engineering department is based on direct familiarity with the " atmosphere at the Israeli construction site" and its unique characteristics. For example, common execution methods, insurance terms in tenders issued by the work orderers, the industry's workforce, levels of responsibility (for example, the role and responsibilities of the construction manager), and more.
This is not knowledge that can be learned in theory . Only a civil engineer and project manager who has spent days (and nights) on construction sites knows what this means. We call it " an insurance agent with mud in his shoes ." How does it work in practice? Here are three excellent examples of the benefits of an insurance agency that also operates an engineering department.
השילוב של סוכנות ביטוח עם מחלקה הנדסית מבוסס על היכרות בלתי אמצעית עם האווירה באתר הבנייה הישראלי על מאפייניו הייחודיים. למשל, שיטות ביצוע נפוצות, תנאי הביטוח במכרזים שמונפקים על ידי מזמיני העבודה, כוח האדם בענף, מדרגי האחריות (למשל, תפקידו ואחריותו של מנהל העבודה) ועוד.
לא מדובר בידע שאפשר ללמוד בתיאוריה. רק מהנדס בניין ומנהל פרויקטים שבילה ימים (ולילות) באתרי בנייה יודע במה הדברים אמורים. אנחנו קוראים לזה "סוכן ביטוח עם בוץ בנעליים". איך זה עובד בפועל? הנה שלוש דוגמאות מצוינות ליתרונות שגלומים בסוכנות ביטוח המפעילה גם מחלקה הנדסית.
Complex projects may encounter a refusal to insure due to the insurance company's concern about the risks associated with the execution method. Sometimes this difficulty can be overcome by construction insurance engineering that aims to change the execution method. This was the case, for example, in a special project we accompanied to renovate the Tower of David Museum in Jerusalem and work planned adjacent to the walls of the Old City in the capital.
The project stalled because insurance companies (in Israel and abroad) were not willing to insure it given the various risks. The challenges were many, for example:
· The Israel Antiquities Authority set conditions for the execution method (such as prohibiting the drilling of piles close to the wall).
· A real chance of delays in schedules in light of the high chance of discovering archaeological finds, resulting in extended work and extended insurance exposure.
· Working on an active site that is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists a year, both during and after the work.
· Real concern about damage to a site that is thousands of years old and in a place that has been built and destroyed countless times throughout history.
Our insurance agency led the process of obtaining insurance in two main ways, led by our senior structural engineer, Omri Nissany. In the first stage, our engineering department conducted a preliminary survey to examine the risks in the project and adapt the methods for carrying out the work. In the second stage, in light of the survey findings and thanks to professional engineering knowledge, the agency sent the planners to propose an alternative implementation method that would allow for the issuance of a proper policy.
Tower of David: Obtaining insurance after refusal due to engineering examination and subsequent change in execution method
Construction insurance engineering stands out in its full importance when contractors and developers wish to insure a project but are refused due to failure to meet threshold conditions that are not necessarily essential. Below is a small example.
A contracting company in Eilat sought to promote the first urban renewal project in the resort city according to the TAMA 38 plan. When it came to insure the work, it was met with refusal. The insurance company rejected the request based on a threshold condition that insurance for TAMA 38 would only be given to those who had carried out at least two such projects in the past.
Since the contracting company planned to carry out the first TAMA 38 project in the city, it clearly did not have two completed projects on its resume. Its representatives contacted us for a response, and thanks to the "Construction Insurance Engineering" function, we were able to bridge the gaps.
How did we do this? We analyzed the projects the company had completed and saw that at least two of them combined embodied the experience required for TAMA 38. In one project in the city, reinforcement was carried out for existing buildings, and in a second project, construction additions were successfully added. At the same time, we found that the contracting company was professional and reliable in other projects as well. We presented the above basis to the insurance company, thereby removing the barrier to purchasing a high-quality, broad, and comprehensive contractor insurance policy.
First TAMA 38 project in the city: TAMA 38 insurance without prior experience in urban renewal
There are cases where "Construction Insurance Engineering" helps the insurance company understand what the project is about and avoid rejecting applications due to lack of professional knowledge. Here is an example. A contracting company contacted us after encountering a refusal to insure a specific project to reinforce a structure with carbon fiber.
The insurance company that refused to insure the project was reluctant to issue the policy due to a misunderstanding about the nature of the carbon fiber reinforcement work. Our insurance agency worked to conduct a survey and examine all the risks in the project. We then contacted the relevant parties at the insurance company and explained to them that the work was not complex and that there was nothing to be afraid of.
"Carbon fiber reinforcement may sound complex," we emphasized, "but in practice and in the current case, it is superficial excavation work around the columns to wrap them with a reinforcing sheet. The work required is less dangerous than projects that are insured at the current level, such as reinforcing structures by pouring concrete." The end result was obtaining a proper and high-quality insurance policy, and getting started with the work.
No need to be afraid of carbon fiber: obtaining insurance after explaining the nature of the work to the underwriter
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