Mass Timber Insurance Playbook republished following major endorsements and global interest

Industry leading guidance on mass timber buildings is to be updated with further endorsements from three of the UK’s most significant insurance bodies. The hugely successful Mass Timber Insurance Playbook, originally launched in May 2023, has received backing from the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the Fire Protection Association (FPA), and RISCAuthority.

The playbook, which has been downloaded 7,500 times since its initial release, will be reissued on 4 December 2024 to celebrate this latest recognition. The content, which continues to be well received by insurers and the larger construction ecosystem, will remain largely the same with the additional endorsements added in.

Remarking on the updated version, Louise Clark, Policy Advisor, ABI commented:

“The Mass Timber Insurance Playbook is a great example of collaboration across the supply chain, and the Association of British Insurers is proud to support this publication. Understanding and acting on the necessary risk mitigations when building with mass timber is essential, and this playbook sets this out clearly. Consideration of the insurance implications when at the planning, design and build stages is crucial for everyone involved, so that we can build and live in truly resilient buildings.”

The playbook was authored by two insurance experts: Professor Jim Glockling and Philip Callow.

Following 19 years as the Technical Director to the FPA and RISCAuthority, and previous time running a number of key fire laboratories and working as a forensic fire investigator, Jim now consults on behalf of insurers and the military, working on solutions to complex risk scenarios and supporting academia as visiting professor at the University of Central Lancashire.

Philip Callow is the founder and CEO of Rosetta Risk Management (RRM) and has been involved in construction insurance and innovation for over 22 years.

Jim Glockling commented: “The need for, and challenges presented by, mass timber buildings must never be underestimated and solutions supporting progress are urgently required. Through thoughtful and honest collaboration between stakeholders this document accepts the challenges, confronting them head on yet still allowing designers the freedoms to bring their skills to the fore to address them. It has been a pleasure working on this with Phillip Callow and Simon Corbey (ASBP) and his team, and its creation is a clear statement that the mass timber industry is maturing apace.”

The playbook enables a collaborative approach between construction teams and insurers, opening the door to more equitable insurance for mass timber buildings. It has generated interest from across the globe, with a US version adapted by Mike Hastings at Hastings Risk Management, with generous input from the original authors, published by Woodworks on 14 November.

The project to develop the guidance was managed by The Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (ASBP), with expert input from cost consultants Gardiner and Theobald, and mass timber experts Eurban. It was generously funded by Built by Nature, with contributions from Marsh and Zurich Resilience Solutions, and endorsements from the London Engineering Group, PEFC UK, RIBA, TDUK and Woodknowledge Wales.

The ASBP is hosting a free webinar on 4 December, 1-2pm with the authors, industry supporters, and funders to celebrate the relaunch and to receive updates on the latest developments for the construction and insuring of mass timber buildings.

The original version of the Playbook is available as a free download here. A revised version will go live on 4 December, available from the same link.

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Published on: www.thefpa.co.uk