The Role of the Commercial Insurance Broker in Risk Management

As Risk Management has developed as a discipline inCommercial Insurance clients will also seek a broker
it's own right, the insurance broking industry haswho can help to plan a programme for handling such
recognised that additional technical services areexposures including the buying of insurance, and who
needed by its business clients as well as morecan offer advice on the cremation of risk retention
innovative solutions to insurance buying.levels and the implementation of loss-prevention
Brokers have responded to this need by theschemes.
establishment of risk control departments specialisingThe Commercial Insurance Broker's general role in this
in health and safety issues, technical engineering skills,context is therefore to ensure that the client's
the establishment of management companies thatbusiness risk exposures are properly handled, and in
can look after the captive insurance companies ofthe financial area, this means by both by business
their major clients, and the transition from theinsurance and non-insurance measures.
conventional commission-earning basis to a fee basisIn addition the broker should, through his skilful
which reflects much more accurately the work andnegotiating, volume of profitable account and
professional advice supplied by the broker rather thaninnovation, produce more effective insurance-buying
relating directly to the amount of insurance that isprogrammes and, last but by no means least, help
being sold.the client to reduce his business losses.
The Business Insurance buyer in looking for theThe overall objective of Business Insurance Broker's
broker that can help him with his risk managementrisk management services are therefore to improve
will require one who is prepared to spend athe client company's financial performance by helping
considerable amount of time becoming familiar withto reduce expenditure upon insurance and avoid
the client's operations and risk exposures.potential loss situations.