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Risk inspections

are essentially a meeting between, you, your broker, and a professionally trained Risk Inspector, who performs a thorough review of your farm to identify hazards that could increase the likelihood of a loss or claim. It can be initiated by you, your broker, or your insurance company.

They will work with you to schedule a mutually convenient date and time for the appointment, and encourage an open discussion, interaction and many questions, so you can get the most out of the meeting.

It starts with a Risk Inspector meeting you at your farm. Risk Inspectors are trained to understand how different factors like staff, equipment and the work environment interact with each other, subsequently discovering potential liabilities. They will identify areas within your operation that might not be seen by the untrained eye as an obvious cause harm in the event of an accident. The meeting is meant to be an open discussion with you, educating you on tips to eliminate or reduce these risks to decrease the chance of a loss occurring. From there, you can work with your Broker to ensure you have the proper insurance coverage to protect your farm.

Reasons for a risk inspection:

1. Educate in loss prevention

2. Identify hazards

3. Reduce or eliminate the probability of a loss occurrence

4. Verify building valuations

Having someone visit your farm can be a bit nerve racking, but Trillium Insurance’s professional team of Inspectors work closely with you and your broker to make sure this process is simple and easy.

So what are Inspectors actually looking for?

1. Electrical wiring: we use thermal cameras to determine if there are any hotspots that need to be addressed or could cause a structural fire.

2. Plumbing: what plumbing has been replaced? Is there older piping with cracks or damage that could cause flood damage?

3. Wood burning appliances: we will confirm that it has been installed properly and has been cleaned and inspected by a WETT certified inspector.

4. Oil tanks: we’ll look at the overall age and condition of the tank. Oil can cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage and major environmental impact if it leaks.

5. Potential injury or liability hazards – nobody wants to cause harm to individuals visiting or working on your property.

During the inspection, the Risk Inspector will:

1. Adhere to your Bio security protocols

2. A Qualified Electrician will remove the electrical panel covers for thorough inspection

3. Tour your property to develop and verify a site layout with accurate building dimensions

4. Give you a debrief upon completion of the inspection

5. Prepare a written report for you and your broker, identifying recommendations for quality management and loss prevention.

The written report details your property and will include any recommendations for improvement. Some recommendations may involve costs incurred when acting on them, but they will be minor to the upset and disruption experienced in the event of a loss.

From there, you can help keep your operation running by keeping a checklist of items that can be reviewed on a regular basis to reduce your chances of having a claim. To get yourself started, you can use the one found on Trillium Mutual Insurance’s website here.