final-report-of-the-advisory-committee-on-falsework-bragg-report - Flipbook - Page 76
Finally there is the point that the insurers thems elves,
thro ugh the enquiries that they make to establish
risks, can contribute directly to safer practices. Such
activity in Britain is small. In France, however, some
at least of the insurers engage indep endent expe rts to
perform checks and sur veys on their behalf. For
example the indepe ndent organisations such as
SOCOTEC and the Bureau Veritas can be engaged by
insurers to check a contractor's design s and also to
monitor constru ction. Presumably on the basis of
these reports the insurers either secure an impro ve-
ment in performance by the contractors or penalise
the defaulting contractor by the imposition of punitive
additions to his premi ums . W e have earlier given
details of the Germ an system which has simi lar
features.
W e were not able to assess the direct effects of this
system but we would expect them to be beneficial. As
the size of individual projects increases and costs rise
British insurance companies may well be drawn
towards a similar system.
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