We are only too well aware of the possibility of fires breaking out in buildings and the devastating consequences that can ensue. This column will not address the general topic of fire safety, however, but rather the topic of fires on construction sites. 

In recent years we’ve all seen the press reports of the high-profile blazes at the Bank Buildings in Belfast, the Mackintosh building at Glasgow School of Art, the Mandarin Oriental hotel at Hyde Park in London and of course last year at the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris – all buildings that were undergoing or had recently undergone major renovation works. The question of how the risk of fire (and similar risks) on construction sites should be allocated between the parties involved – and what insurance cover should be maintained in respect of it – is an important one. It is also one that is getting increasing attention from insurers in the light of those recent fires. 

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