All professionals should seek out appropriate insurance. The first step is to understand the main insurance options and why you might need them.
All professionals should seek out appropriate insurance. The first step is to understand the main insurance options and why you might need them.
This article is provided by the good people at BizCover.
BizCover is one of two insurance providers (the other is MARSH) promoted by FITREC via our INSURANCE page. All information provided is general in nature and should not be relied upon as advice.
Personal Trainers Business Insurance: What policies should I consider?
Working as a Personal Trainer is a rewarding career, but also one with unique risks. Trainers may take many steps to help keep their clients and themselves safe as they work to achieve their fitness goals.
One such step might be buying business insurance.
What types of insurance might PTs need?
There are many types of business insurance that Personal Trainer might consider, depending on their unique business needs. Here are two of the most common:
Public Liability
Physical risks are part of working as a Personal Trainer. While you may worry about your own fitness (more on that later), a good PT cares about the physical wellbeing of others too. It might be important con consider an insurance policy to help protect your business if someone is injured due to your business activities.
Public Liability insurance is designed to provide protection* for you and your business in the event a customer, supplier , or a member of the public are injured or sustain property damage as a result of your negligent business activities.
For example, if a client or passerby trips over a weight or other equipment and injures themselves in fall, you could be found liable. Public Liability insurance provides financial protection if someone suffers an injury because of your Personal Training business.
It also covers you for third-party property damage. So, if you accidentally damage a client’s property during a session, your policy will also provide you with financial protection.
Professional Indemnity
Providing clients with advice is a big part of working as a Personal Trainer. You create exercise plans, advise how to safely perform exercises, and may recommend what foods to eat. An insurance policy to help protect you against claims resulting from your professional advice may be worth having.
Professional Indemnity protects you against losses claimed by a third party due to alleged or actual negligence or errors in your professional services or advice. Your Professional Indemnity insurance will meet the associated compensation payable to a third party together with your defence costs (which can include legal costs, investigator costs and expert fees).
This type of insurance can be very important for PTs, as even the best-intentioned advice could result in a serious injury for a client.
Consider this real-life example: a middle-aged man started a 12-week exercise program with a personal trainer, who did the prerequisite health checks and assessments first. The man performed a specific exercise on the PT’s advice and suffered a severe spinal injury as a result. Forty-eight hours later, the man could barely move and had to have spinal fusion surgery on his back.
After a 2-year long court case, the trainer was found to be negligent in not providing a safe training program. The PT’s Professional Indemnity policy covered this claim as the trainer was giving advice to perform the exercise.
How much does it cost to cover my business?
Every Personal Trainer is different. Once you’ve assessed the risks you face as a PT, BizCover can help you find the right policies to cover your business. Prices with BizCover start at $230 for Public Liability and Professional Indemnity combined.
*As with any insurance, cover is subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions contained in your policy document. The information contained on this webpage is general only and should not be relied upon as advice.