To which potential customer are you more likely to extend a policy: one of the subjects of Discovery Channel's Dangerous Catch, or Fred, who's pushing paper all day a few cubes away?
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For individuals in most occupations, Drewberry says that it's possible to take out income protection in order to cover monthly earnings should time have to be taken off work due to sickness or injury. But with 1.3 million workers in 2009-2010 claiming poor health as a result of—or exacerbated by— their current or past professions (and 152 who actually lost their lives), income insurers create a list of jobs they believe to be too risky to cover under any circumstances.
According to Drewberry, the most common types of work for which income protection insurers usually decline cover are as follows:
• Armed Forces – Even traveling to some of the dangerous locations where military officers regularly operate can impose an income insurance premium rating, let alone going there to fight. Those in the military also are far more likely to come into contact with explosives, diving and flying, all of which are risky activities.
• Construction/Laborers – Construction workers and laborers are more likely to engage in intense physical work, operate heave machinery and work at heights, all of which significantly increase the risk of injury (however, the chances of illness are no greater than any other type of work).
• Seafarers/Fishermen – Spending time out at sea is a risk in and of itself, but the risk of injury due to the use of machinery, dangerous work and slips and falls also is extremely high. For this reason an exclusion is also usually placed on bargemen.
• Security/Police – Unfortunately police, security guards and prison officers often have to deal with some of the most unsavory, dangerous characters, which can often lead to work-related injuries and cause high levels of stress.
• Drivers/Couriers – Spending tons of time on the road can be dangerous. When it comes to business miles, most insurers look to impose a premium rating or lower the occupation definition used for business travel of more than 20,000 miles per year. But for professional drivers, cover is often declined outright.
• Underground/Mining – Insurers often decline coverage for an occupation that involves working underground, such as miners and those engaged in tunnelling. There is not only the risk of a cave-in, but working underground often involves the use of heavy machinery, explosives and can impact on health due to the lack of natural light and poor air quality.
• Aviation – There is nothing wrong with the occasional flight for business or pleasure, but insurers are reluctant to insure any occupation that involves being in the air for extended periods of time, which rules out any form of pilot. In fact, even flying a personal light aircraft as a hobby can lead to special terms being imposed, or an outright decline.
• Cleaning – Most insurers also decline cover for many types of cleaners, with some insurers declining cover for all types of cleaner. Cleaning often involves coming into contact with dangerous or hazardous waste materials and the use of industrial grade chemicals, which insurers try to avoid as often as possible.
• Sports/Coaches – Participating in most recreational sports is fine, but anyone involved in professional sports requires specialist insurance as the risk of injury is naturally far higher, and this applies to both athletes and coaches. Certain recreational sports and activities can even command an exclusion or a rating if it is deemed to be "extreme."
• Other – Any job that involves working at heights, with explosives, on or under water, underground, with heavy machinery, with waste materials, with chemicals, high business miles or being in the air will often be an excluded occupation for income protection cover.
To see Drewberry's full report, click
