Risk management surveys are normally required when:

• The risk is new business to the insurer, underwriting agency and / or broker.
• The risk renews; sometimes this might be a routine re-survey.
• There has been a loss.
• When there has been a mid-term adjustment to the policy –
  • If there are new premises
  • If premises are vacated
  • If new processes are introduced
  • When sums insured are increased
• The policy is yet to have been agreed – pre-cover.
• Premises are yet to have been built – pre-build.

• To describe, assess and classify a risk, to enable informed decisions to be made on insurer acceptability.
• To put forward ways to improve the risk. These are requirements and recommendations and are almost always to the mutual benefit of both policyholders and insurers.