In light of the increasingly litigious freight forwarding environment, operators need to make sure that the business understands what is being transported and the associated risks, says Kennedy Ntenjwa, marine broking centre manager at Aon South Africa.
This is particularly relevant to the transport of hazardous chemicals such as pharmaceuticals, combustible substances or dangerous gases.
“As a transport company, you are ultimately liable for any damage to property or loss of life. A relatively new risk that is surfacing in this space is environmental impairment, where the operator can be held liable for the damage and repair of an ecosystem.”
Cover in this space can vary from R250 000 through to R25m, he adds.
Much more stringent and detailed roadworthiness regulations are also on the horizon, says Ntenjwa.
“Operators will need to familiarise themselves with these new developments as insurance cover is dependent on the vehicle being roadworthy, ultimately necessitating the implementation of a comprehensive vehicle maintenance programme.”
