This list is made for the site-office wall: print it out, so that when a loss happens, there's no need to remember – just tick things off. The background explanation lives in the documentation article and the notification article – this is the version you can actually use on site.
In brief:
- Order: safety → loss mitigation → documentation → notification on the insurer's claims line.
- Don't "tidy up" the site before taking photos.
- At every step: date, name, photo.
Immediately (within the first hour)
- ☐ Personal safety: treat anyone injured, secure the area, remove the danger
- ☐ Authorities, if needed: fire brigade for a fire, police for theft/break-in (file a report!), ambulance for personal injury
- ☐ Loss mitigation: stop the loss from spreading (temporary covering, shutting off water, isolating power) – take a quick photo before you act!
- ☐ Record the loss-mitigation steps taken and their cost (invoices, labour hours)
Documentation (the same day)
- ☐ Dated photos/video: overview shots (the whole surrounding area) + close-ups (the damage up close), from several angles
- ☐ Site diary entry: what happened, when, who noticed it, at what stage of work
- ☐ Witnesses' names and contact details · record the subcontractors involved
- ☐ For a weather event: save the forecast/warning (screenshot) and any measured data available
- ☐ For theft: a list of the items taken (from your records), photos of the signs of entry, the police case number
- ☐ Gather material proving the pre-loss condition (routine weekly photos, condition surveys)
Notification (without delay)
- ☐ Notify the loss on the insurer's claim notification line or online portal – find the contact details on the policy / the insurer's website
- ☐ Have ready: policy number, the time, place and description of the loss event, estimated loss value, a contact person
- ☐ Note the case number and the handler · save the confirmation of notification
- ☐ For damage to hired plant/equipment: also notify the hire company
- ☐ For loss to a third party (neighbour, passer-by): the affected party's details, without admitting liability (article)
Until the site inspection
- ☐ Preserve the condition of the loss site beyond what mitigation requires – or a full set of photos before any intervention
- ☐ Keep the damaged materials/structures (don't remove the "wreckage" – the loss adjuster will want to see it)
- ☐ Assemble the document file: policy, diary excerpt, photos, invoices, reports
If the case stalls after notification or becomes disputed, let me know: as your broker, that's where I step in. For the day-to-day prevention side, see the loss prevention list.
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This article is for general information only and does not constitute an offer, or insurance or legal advice. The specific covers are determined by the insurers' terms and conditions in force at any given time; the section structure and the range of extensions vary by insurer. At claim time, the primary route is the insurer's claims line or online portal; if a case stalls or is disputed, I help the client as broker, where I can.
