Health and safety consultancy in the UK has moved well beyond risk assessments and toolbox talks. Today's consultants advise on duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015), the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and — for higher-risk buildings — the Building Safety Act 2022. The advice you give can sit at the heart of a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation or a coroner's inquest.
Professional indemnity (PI) insurance is the cover that responds when a client or third party argues that your advice or risk assessment work caused them a financial or legal loss. For health and safety consultants, fire risk assessors and CDM advisors, it sits at the centre of a sensible insurance programme alongside public liability and employers' liability.
Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is an independent, FCA-authorised broker based in Bristol. We arrange professional indemnity insurance for consultants holding membership of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM), NEBOSH-qualified practitioners, and consultants listed on the Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register (OSHCR).
What does PI insurance cover for health and safety consultants?
A health and safety consultant's PI policy typically responds to allegations of:
- Negligent advice or risk assessment work — for example a workplace risk assessment that did not identify a specific hazard later involved in an injury, or fire risk assessment (FRA) findings later argued to have been inadequate.
- Errors in CDM advice — including duties under CDM 2015 as a Principal Designer, Principal Contractor advisor or as an external CDM advisor to the client.
- Errors in Building Safety Act advice — particularly around Principal Designer and Principal Contractor duties under the Act for higher-risk buildings, and the convergence of safety roles under both CDM and the Building Safety Act 2022.
- Errors in accreditation or audit advice — including ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety management), SafeContractor, CHAS and Achilles.
- Breach of professional duty — including departures from the codes of conduct of IOSH and IIRSM.
- Breach of confidentiality, libel and slander — for example arising from incident investigation reports or expert opinion.
- Loss of documents and data — including client records, training records and audit evidence.
Policies typically include defence costs, regulatory investigation costs (including costs of attending HSE or fire and rescue authority interviews under caution) and, in many cases, cover for inquest representation where your advice is in scope.
PI is written on a "claims made" basis. Because health and safety claims can emerge years after the advice was given — particularly in fire safety and industrial disease — continuous cover and adequate run-off cover are essential.
Common health and safety PI claim scenarios
Real claims vary widely, but the following patterns recur:
- Missed fire compartmentation in a fire risk assessment. An FRA does not flag deficiencies in compartmentation or escape routes later argued to have contributed to fire spread. Post-Grenfell, fire risk assessors face heightened scrutiny, and the definition of a "competent person" under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 continues to tighten.
- Risk assessment that did not address a specific machinery hazard. A workplace risk assessment fails to identify a guarding or interlock issue on equipment subsequently involved in an injury, and the employer seeks to pass on costs.
- CDM advice errors on a complex project. Advice as an external CDM advisor or Principal Designer is later argued to have fallen short, contributing to issues during build or post-occupation.
- ISO 45001 audit advice fails certification. Pre-audit consultancy work is alleged to have left the client unprepared, with the cost of recertification and lost contracts argued as consequential loss.
- Industrial disease claim emerging years after advice. Advice on dust, noise or hazardous substance exposure is revisited in a long-tail occupational disease claim, with claimants seeking to attribute outcomes to allegedly inadequate consultancy input.
Indicative claim values vary widely. Lower-value workplace risk assessment disputes can resolve within tens of thousands of pounds including defence costs. Fire safety, CDM and Building Safety Act claims can reach well into six or seven figures once consequential remediation costs and third-party claims are taken into account.
Choosing the right cover for your health and safety consultancy
A number of factors shape the right limit and wording:
- Type of work. Generalist occupational H&S advice typically sits at lower limits. Fire risk assessment, CDM advisory work and Building Safety Act roles attract higher limits.
- Sectors served. Construction, manufacturing, healthcare, education and social housing each carry distinct exposures. Working on higher-risk buildings (HRBs) under the Building Safety Act 2022 elevates the risk profile materially.
- Accreditations. BAFE SP205 for life safety fire risk assessors, OSHCR registration and IOSH chartered status often feature in client procurement requirements.
- Limits of indemnity. Small consultancies focused on general workplace H&S often start at £500,000 to £1 million. Fire risk assessors — particularly those working on residential and complex buildings post-Grenfell — frequently need £2 million to £5 million or more. HRB advisors under the Building Safety Act often need £5 million to £10 million.
- Run-off cover. Claims relating to fire safety, CDM and industrial disease can emerge many years after engagement. Adequate run-off cover after retirement or business sale is essential.
Why work with Apex as your health and safety PI broker
Apex Insurance Brokers is an independent broker, FCA-authorised (firm reference 724952), with a focus on UK professional services firms. For health and safety consultants we provide:
- Specialist understanding of the discipline — including the practical implications of CDM 2015, the Building Safety Act 2022, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, OSHCR registration and ISO 45001.
- Access to a panel of insurers willing to underwrite health and safety consultancy — from sole-trader consultants and small partnerships through to larger multidisciplinary practices and fire risk assessment specialists.
- Tailored wordings that reflect the specific services you provide — from generalist H&S advice to FRA work on higher-risk buildings, CDM and BSA Principal Designer roles, and accreditation support.
- Claims advocacy — guiding you through notification, defence and resolution, including HSE and fire and rescue authority investigations and inquests where in scope.
- A long-term relationship — annual reviews and proactive support when your scope of work or accreditations change.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need PI insurance to register with OSHCR? Registration with the Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register requires appropriate professional indemnity cover as part of its membership criteria. Most consultants on OSHCR carry PI of at least £1 million, with higher limits depending on the work undertaken.
What limit should a fire risk assessor carry post-Grenfell? Limits have moved upward across the FRA market. Many residential and commercial fire risk assessors now carry £2 million to £5 million or more, with higher-risk building advisors often carrying £5 million to £10 million. The right limit depends on the building types you assess and your client base.
Are CDM advisor and Principal Designer duties covered under a standard PI policy? A correctly arranged policy can cover both CDM 2015 Principal Designer duties and Building Safety Act 2022 Principal Designer duties. These roles should be disclosed clearly to the insurer because they sit at the higher end of the H&S risk spectrum.
Does PI cover HSE prosecutions and inquest representation? PI policies do not pay HSE fines (which are uninsurable as a matter of public policy), but they typically cover legal costs of attending HSE interviews under caution, regulatory investigations and inquest representation where your work is in scope, subject to policy terms.
Are occupational disease claims covered years after the advice was given? Provided you have continuous PI cover or adequate run-off, claims relating to advice given in the past can be notified to your current policy. This is a key reason to maintain run-off cover after retirement or business sale.
How does the Building Safety Act 2022 affect my insurance? The Building Safety Act 2022 created new statutory duties for those working on higher-risk buildings, and overlaps with CDM 2015 duties. Insurers underwrite this work carefully, and your policy should explicitly contemplate BSA roles where you take them on.
Do I need separate public liability and employers' liability? Yes. Public liability covers third-party injury and property damage arising from your operations (for example during site visits), while employers' liability is a statutory requirement if you employ staff. PI sits alongside these, not in place of them.
Get a quote
To discuss professional indemnity insurance for your health and safety consultancy, contact Apex on 0117 325 0027 or info@apexinsurancebrokers.co.uk. You can request a quote or start a proposal at proposal.apexinsurancebrokers.co.uk.
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About Apex Insurance Brokers — Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FCA firm reference 724952. Registered in England and Wales, Companies House 07014570. Last reviewed: May 2026.