Drone Cover - A First for Business Insurance

Drone cover - a first for business insurance - Vero Insurance has responded to the growing threat of injury or damage caused by commercial drones by updating its public liability cover to include their use in normal business activities. This is the first standard commercial public liability policy to include drone cover. It is available to any business using drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as a tool to aid their primary operations. Drones are used to record a range of useful aerial images. For example, maintenance contractors are now using them to inspect assets like power lines. Other users include the geology and mining industries, infrastructure surveying, livestock monitoring, maintenance and news gathering. Vero customer using a drone as part of their normal business activities can be covered if the vehicle causes an injury or property damage to a third party. (However, cover does not apply to businesses in which the operation of drones is the primary function.) The Vero update stipulates that businesses must have valid CASA Operators and Controllers Certificate if required. Drones must also be operated in accordance with Civil Aviation Safety Regulations, must not cause a breach of privacy and remain within the controller’s line of sight. They must also weigh less than 10 kilograms, not be jet propelled or carry a payload other than fixed camera, surveillance, monitoring, or measurement equipment.