Surveying the heart of Johannesburg and showcasing ARQ’s potential

Working in the risk management team requires certain skills that can’t be acquired performing a nine to five job behind a desk.

Surveyors are tasked with many challenges, one of which is that they must have a “degree” in operating a GPS system! If they somehow manage to confuse the lovely lady with the husky voice then they could find themselves having to take unnecessary detours and keep clients waiting.

Surveyors also have to constantly keep an eye on their watches and determine the time required to carry out a survey. They need to know their stuff, have a sharp eye for spotting potential risks and have the expertise to inform the client about safer solutions.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of the know how that’s required to be a surveyor, which David Lubbe presented on when visiting businesses in the Johannesburg area on 13 April. Two brand team Etanans, Kurt Solomon and Bruce Ceprnich, and Alan David-Andersen, from the Botswana Insurance Company, who is a loss adjuster/surveyor, joined him. Alan used to live in South Africa, but he moved to Zimbabwe and then to Botswana. Driving to the CBD Alan said, “I still recall the old streets and hangouts we used to visit. I heard that there is a plan to revitalise the city which I hope comes off, as it was, and could be, a great meeting place with a terrific atmosphere. Driving here now does make me nervous; I am not the fastest or fittest person around, so if something does happen, I am glad David is here… not to protect me, but I think I could outrun and outlast him in the survival stakes!”

One of the reasons for Alan visiting South Africa, in addition to attending a loss adjustor seminar, was to see how the Advanced Risk Questionnaire (ARQ), developed by Etana’s Marcel Wood, works when surveying client’s sites and writing reports on the potential risks that could be linked to the buildings. The ARQ also allows underwriters to formulate calculated decisions, making it a valuable tool for insurance companies. Many insurance entities, like the Botswana Insurance Company, had heard about the competencies of the ARQ and were keen to learn more about it.

The group’s first destination was a building that used to house OK Bazaar stock and resources during the 80s and 90s. It was looking slightly worse for wear and had been “prime real estate” for squatters, but the new owners and tenants had taken on the challenge to fix up the face brick building to suit their needs.

The main office and working space is on the third floor of the building, which is an area of 1 000m². Etana will only be providing cover for this section. David and Alan checked every aspect of the building from the electrical installation to the date the fire extinguishers were serviced, the alarm systems, the storage of paint and other flammable materials and the durability of the doors in a case of a fire breaking out.

The second survey took place in an industrial area near Robertsville, at a purpose-built garment factory designed to suit certain manufacturing needs and specialised machinery. The workforce at this company, Martone Textiles, is a lot larger than the previous company, which presents numerous challenges in ensuring safety and direction in the case of an emergency. Alan, David, Kurt and Bruce went through the factory with its expensive machinery and found out that if one piece of equipment breaks down and requires major maintenance, Martone Textiles puts itself at risk in terms of business interruption. In addition, they only produce garments on order, so there are deadlines to adhere to.

“Both sites present the fundamentals of risk surveying in terms of maximum probable loss (MPL),” said David. “The first business has a simplified set of risk requirements due the nature of their business and size of their workforce. The second company is the complete opposite – they store expensive machinery and valuable stock all at the same factory. If a fire were to break out, they could stand to lose a great deal. These situations allowed me to showcase the potential of the ARQ tool, and the way it enables us surveyors at Etana to construct reports that will allow our underwriters to formulate beneficial decisions when writing business.”

“Although we do not have the capacity to have a dedicated risk management team visit potential sites that require insurance cover, I personally have had the opportunity to conduct surveys like David and the rest of the Etana team,” Alan said.

“David and I carry out similar procedures when inspecting a building, and I really liked his professionalism and his way with clients. The ARQ and its specialised function is one area that sets Etana apart from other insurance companies, and after spending time with David drawing up reports using ARQ, I am impressed with its capabilities.”

Heading back to Etana House, after the eventful morning, David successfully achieved his goal of covering two surveys, while still be able to present in front of Alan, Kurt and Bruce. Alan gained valuable insight into the ARQ tool, which hopefully will go on to revitalise the way surveys are done in both South Africa and Botswana. The two brand “students” for the day were given firsthand experience of what it takes to be a surveyor and the level of knowledge required to carry out surveys.

“It was an incredible morning; we visited interesting places and got a real feel for the work the risk management team does,” commented Kurt. “The two buildings we visited presented us with a magnitude of different risk offerings. David was very professional in the way he surveyed the premises, and his knowledge of aspects like fire protection and prevention, electrical reticulation, the safety thereof and design layout of the building was amazing.”

People in Risk