Source: http://online.wsj.com, November 4, 2013
The ACE Group today announced the release of a new advisory entitled, “Healthcare Construction: Managing the Environmental Risks.” The advisory discusses the potential risks and considerations healthcare organizations should identify during new construction or renovation projects. The advisory also examines opportunities to help mitigate the risks of potential pollutant exposures and describes how healthcare organizations can meet higher standards of care and take a proactive approach to risk management to help minimize the potentially harmful effects of pollutants during construction.
“To keep pace with the advances in medical technology and the advent of healthcare reform, healthcare organizations have begun to upgrade their facilities or build new ones to better serve their patients,” said Craig Richardson, Senior Vice President, ACE Environmental Risk. “During new healthcare construction or renovation projects, environmental risks can be a challenge because of the hazards the work poses to patients, staff and visitors. ACE’s Environmental Risk Practice understands these risks and has developed this advisory to provide useful information to help healthcare facilities better mitigate future pollution risks.”
The ACE Environmental Advisory was authored by Gerry Rojewski, Vice President and North America Product Line Manager for the ACE Environmental Contractor Program. The advisory is part of a larger series of papers that ACE produces, which are designed to provide useful information on current industry topics faced by risk managers.
Additionally, the advisory explains how healthcare organizations should put preventative measures in place at the onset of a project which include securing the appropriate environmental insurance coverage. According to Mr. Rojewski, “It’s a critical step for healthcare organizations to ensure they have the appropriate pollution insurance coverage in place as part of their overall construction project strategy.” He added, “When seeking the right environmental coverage, contractors should purchase a policy that can be tailored to suit their needs. More specifically, they should consider an owner-controlled insurance program (OCIP), which provides pollution coverage for all construction activities at a particular facility or group of facilities. ACE recently launched a Contractor Pollution Liability (CPL) healthcare-specific OCIP program for this very reason. Our program helps both healthcare facility owners and contractors prevent coverage gaps resulting from a wide variety of environmental risks during construction projects by using a single policy form.”
To access the report, please visit our website. The material presented in this report is not intended to provide legal or other expert advice. It is presented as informational only. Readers should consult legal counsel or other technical experts, as applicable, with any specific questions they may have.
ACE Environmental Risk, is a division of ACE USA, and part of the ACE Group. ACE Environmental Risk offers a full range of environmental liability solutions designed to minimize bottom-line impacts, and provide hands-on management for those liabilities. For more information about ACE Environmental Risk and its range of products and services, please visit our website.
Insurance is provided by insurance companies within the ACE Group. All products may not be available in all jurisdictions. The product information above is a summary only. The insurance policy actually issued contains the terms and limits of the contract.
ACE USA is the U.S.-based retail operating division of the ACE Group, headed by ACE Limited, and is rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best Company and A+ (Strong) by Standard & Poor’s. ACE USA, through its underwriting companies, provides insurance products and services throughout the U.S. Additional information on ACE USA and its products and services can be found at www.acegroup.com/us. The ACE Group is one of the world’s largest multiline property and casualty insurers. With operations in 53 countries, ACE provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident supplemental health insurance, reinsurance, and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. ACE Limited, the parent company of the ACE Group, is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ACE) and is a component of the S&P 500 index.