When disaster strikes—whether it’s a storm, fire, flood, or impact damage—the immediate priority is ensuring safety and preventing further damage. This is where a make safe comes in. However, when make safes are inadequate, they can lead to further property damage, financial loss, and disputes with insurers. Understanding their importance and knowing your rights can be crucial to ensuring your insurance claim runs smoothly.
1. What is a Make Safe?
A make safe is a temporary measure taken after an insurable event to prevent further damage or safety hazards while full repairs are assessed. Make safes may involve:
- Securing a damaged roof with a tarp after a storm to prevent water ingress.
- Boarding up broken windows or doors to maintain security.
- Removing hazardous debris or stabilising structures to ensure safety.
- Addressing electrical hazards after water damage or fire.
- Removing damaged or contaminated building materials.
- Installing fans and dehumidifiers for claims that involve water.
2. Who undertakes a Make Safe?
In most cases, the insurer is responsible for arranging a make safe through their appointed contractors, including builders, electricians, roofers etc. This ensures the insurer acknowledges the damage and takes steps to prevent further loss.
However, if the insurer delays or the situation is urgent, policyholders may arrange a make safe privately. Before doing so:
- Seek insurer approval first to avoid disputes over reimbursement.
- Take photos and videos before, during, and after the work as evidence. This will prevent the insurer later arguing they didn’t have an opportunity to assess the damage.
- Use a licensed contractor to ensure the work meets safety standards.
- Get the contractor to provide a report, clearly outlining the works they undertook and why.
If a make safe is done incorrectly or fails, report it to the insurer immediately and request urgent rectification.
Remember – if the insurer doesn’t offer a make safe, you can request them to undertake it!
3. Why Are Make Safes Critical?
An effective make safe is crucial for several reasons:
- Prevents Further Damage – Without a proper make safe, initial damage can worsen, leading to higher repair costs and potential claim disputes.
- Ensures Health & Safety – A compromised roof, exposed electrical wiring, or structural instability poses risks to occupants and nearby properties.
- Compliance with Insurance Policies – Most insurance policies require policyholders to take reasonable steps to prevent additional loss after an event. Failure to do so may impact your claim. By undertaking a make safe you’re preventing further damage.
Too often, we see insurance contractors refusing to undertake a make safe simply because a claim decision has not yet been made. This delay can cause significantly more damage—especially in cases involving mould, water ingress, or structural issues.
If your insurer is not arranging a make safe, formally request one in writing and escalate the issue if they fail to act. Lodging a complaint can be crucial in proving later that the insurer’s inaction contributed to additional damage, strengthening your case for full repairs and compensation.
4. Common Failures and Risks in Make Safes
Unfortunately, not all make safes are executed properly. Common issues include:
- Insurers delay or don’t complete make safe – Insurers often delay make safes while they investigate a claim, arguing that no action is required until liability is determined. However, this approach is inappropriate and can lead to significant additional damage, particularly in cases involving water ingress, mould, or structural instability. A make safe is not about accepting liability—it is a reasonable and necessary step to prevent further loss, as required under most insurance policies. By failing to act promptly, insurers risk worsening the damage, increasing repair costs, and exposing policyholders to health and safety risks. If an insurer refuses to arrange a make safe, policyholders should push back, document their requests, and escalate complaints if necessary.
- Poor Workmanship – Tarps not secured correctly, allowing water to pool and seep into the home, leading to mould.
- Delays in Action – Insurers or their contractors taking too long to arrange a make safe, allowing further damage to occur.
- Inexperienced Contractors – Some insurers prioritise cost over quality, using contractors who are not adequately trained to perform the make safe correctly.
- Minimalist Approach – Insurers may opt for the cheapest short-term solution instead of addressing the risk adequately, leading to repeat failures.
5. Insurer Obligations and Policyholder Rights
Insurers have a duty to act in utmost good faith and ensure that their appointed contractors perform adequate make safes. If an insurer fails in this duty:
- You have the right to push back if you believe the make safe is inadequate.
- You can request a second opinion from an independent builder or expert.
- In some cases, inadequate make safes can lead to AFCA complaints, where insurers have been held accountable for their failure to prevent further loss.
6. Real-World Examples
Case Study 1: A Failed Tarp Leading to Mould Growth
A homeowner’s roof was damaged in a storm, and the insurer arranged for a tarp to be installed. However, the tarp was improperly secured, leading to significant water pooling in the ceiling cavity. This resulted in extensive mould growth, additional repair costs, and delays in the claim settlement. The insurer initially denied responsibility, but following escalation, they were required to cover the additional repairs due to their failure to ensure a proper make safe.
Case Study 2: A Successful Make Safe Avoiding Further Damage
A property suffered storm damage to its roof, but a prompt and properly installed temporary roof covering prevented further water ingress. The insurer also installed fans and dehumidifiers within the property to dry out the internals. This allowed for a smoother claims process, with minimal delays and lower repair costs.
7. How Policyholders Can Protect Themselves
If you’ve experienced damage to your property and require a make safe:
- Document Everything – Take photos and videos immediately after the event, during the make safe installation and after the make safe has been completed.
- Request Details from the Insurer – Ask who will be performing the work and what measures will be taken.
- Get a Second Opinion – If the work seems inadequate, consult an independent expert.
- Follow Up Regularly – Ensure the insurer follows through on necessary repairs after the make safe is completed and a more permanent fix is identified and required.
- Keep a Record of All Communications – Emails, phone logs, and insurer responses can be invaluable in case of a dispute, particularly where you consider an insurer appointed supplier has erected a failed make safe.
- Make a complaint – if the insurer is not undertaking a make safe make a complaint to the insurer.
89. What to Do If a Make Safe Has Failed
If a make safe has failed and led to further damage, taking swift action is essential:
- Photograph and Document the Issue – Take clear pictures of any additional damage caused.
- Report it to the Insurer Immediately – Notify them in writing and request urgent rectification.
- Escalate the Complaint – If the insurer dismisses your concerns, escalate the issue within their complaints department.
- Consider Independent Assessments – Engaging a building inspector or remediation expert can provide evidence to support your claim.
- Take action to minimise damage – Ensure you take action to minimise the damage to your property. Ensure you follow the instructions above including notifying the insurer and taking video/s photos.