In his new post, Mr Canning will focus on establishing LIU Europe in the Birmingham area, drawing on his previous experience of underwriting liability business for a number of major insurers in the UK.

Commenting on the appointment, the firm’s managing director commercial business UK and Ireland, Paul Kurgo, says: “While we have been servicing Birmingham and the Midlands business from our Bristol office, the establishment of a presence in Birmingham, which represents a major insurance market in the UK, is a logical move for us and allows us to provide a local underwriting service that our brokers and clients demand.”

Last week, LIU Europe appointed Matthew Hogg to head its newly established Strategic Assets division.

The London-based unit has been set up to underwrite a range of specialist risks, including intellectual property, reputational risks, cyber insurances and non-material damage business interruption.

Mr Hogg joined LIU Europe in January, from Marsh.

The group says the £6 million cash transaction is in line with its focus on targeted growth in specialty lines, and will strengthen Codan’s position as the third-largest marine insurer in the Nordic region.

TrygVesta’s portfolio represents around 7% of the entire marine hull market in the region, with 2009 net written premiums totalling around £48 million.

Together with the renewal rights, TrygVesta’s marine hull operations in Ballerup, Bergen and Stockholm, which employ 24 staff, will be transferred to Codan.

Completion is expected during the Spring of 2010 and is subject to regulatory approval.

In a poll of over 2,000 people, 49% said they were feeling “unfulfilled” in their jobs, and 21% were annoyed by a lack of career progression.

The health insurer is therefore recommending some simple changes that can make a big difference, starting out with healthcare advice and support for employees.

Subsidised fitness facilities, either on or off-site, can also raise the spirits and employers can easily enhance the working day by providing free fruit.

The firm’s clinical director occupational health, Dr Jenny Leeser, comments: “Dissatisfaction at work can lead to problems for businesses with employees taking more sick days than necessary … as well as looking at job content, there are a few simple health–related changes companies can take to minimise short-term absence, improve productivity and maintain good health and wellbeing among the workforce.”

Alongside its useful suggestions, Bupa has launched a flexible private medical insurance product for businesses with more than 50 employees.

Bupa Select offers tailored cover, meaning the scheme can provide benefit options previously only available to large employers.

In other Bupa news, the insurer has recently revamped its online trading platform for intermediaries who sell its individual protection products.

Transactions have been made smoother by allowing users to tailor products to suit their clients’ needs and upload multiple product applications in a single action.

The service, which is being provided in conjunction with Allianz Legal Protection, aims to assist SME customers with contract and professional negligence disputes.

It offers a free legal assessment of any dispute by a commercial solicitor and, if the the case has merit, the solicitor will go on to act on a “no win, no fee” basis.

Firms will also be offered “After The Event” legal expenses insurance with Allianz Legal Protection to cover the costs of disbursements and a defendant’s costs, should the case be unsuccessful.

Allianz Legal Protection spokesman, Peter Dobie, comments: “Where the customer has a valid case and is concerned about the potential costs involved in litigation, this service can mean the difference between just surviving and thriving.”

He adds: “Firms can make well-informed decisions about whether to take legal action, confident that they have a knowledgeable professional team behind them, leaving them to continue the important job of running their business without disruption.”

Allianz Commercial head of SME, affinity and broker markets, David Martin, sums up: “This unique service will provide SMEs with the confidence to make important commercial decisions in the knowledge that they are covered by an insurer of financial strength and security – making us a trusted partner for our customers.”

Since mid-2007, orders have decreased significantly, resulting in substantial job cuts and site closures.

However, new figures from manufacturers’ organisation, EEF, show growth in both output and orders, and the insurer has identified risks that could be facing companies that have downsized during the recession.

Firms may increase their stock of goods and materials, employ casual labour and work longer hours, and with this in mind, RSA recommends:

Business contents insurance may need to be increased to cover additional materials on the premises.

Employer’s liability and product liability cover are essential where tight deadlines may require staff to work longer hours, or at a pace that can lead to accidents and mistakes.

Where temporary staff are brought in, employers should ensure that they are sufficiently trained and abide by health and safety regulations.

RSA’s UK head of communications, Jon Sellors, says: “With news that the manufacturing sector is improving, competition for orders will be fierce and many companies may over-promise to secure contracts.”

He adds: “It is essential that companies approach their insurance broker for risk management advice in order to best take advantage of this current industry growth.”

According to the construction magazine, recent figures from insurance research body, RISCAuthority, indicate that 40% of fires involving a loss exceeding £150,000 are related to timber-frame and light-gauge steel-frame buildings.

Concerns centre on the performance of fire-stopping devices in cavities that separate the frame from cladding once a building is complete.

Aviva’s property risk manager, Allister Smith, has suggested that premiums could rise or cover could be refused because of “disproportionate losses” from large buildings of modern construction.

In November, a fire at a tower block in Peckham cost six lives and the RISCAuthority has now submitted a report to the London assembly fire investigation panel, warning about the risks of some modern building methods.

The assembly is proposing to undertake its own investigations this month.

In December, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) reported that fire damage reached record levels in the first half of 2009.

Insurers paid out £639 million or £3.6 million every day for damage caused by fires.

ABI director of general insurance and health, Nick Starling, said: “While the numbers of fires may have been falling, the increase in large-scale fires is increasingly putting lives at risk, and puts more pressure on businesses in these already difficult trading times.”

The drainage inspection specialist has developed DrainShield UK, an independent, stand-alone, decade-long warranty on any work carried out by the firm.

Cover applies across both the commercial and domestic property sectors and is transferable from one property owner to another.

Best of all, it apparently comes at no cost to the customer.

Auger managing director, Dave Brewster, points out that the scheme will reduce any future liability to insurers, should a repair fail in the 10 year period.

He explains: “Responsibility for repair or installation effectiveness will remain with Auger for the first 12 months under current consumer protection legislation but will now be enhanced so that should a repair or installation fail within 10 years of works being done, insurance cover will step in to assist the property owner.”

The policy is underwritten by Liberty Insurance and administered by MD Insurance.

In other domestic insurance news, the Financial Ombudsman Service recently drew attention to a “significant number” of complaints relating to companies that sell insurance covering domestic plumbing and heating emergencies.

According to the watchdog, some firms have left homeowners without heating for weeks, leading to “damaging knock-on effects”.

The move follows a government consultation on how best to respond to a Law Lords’ ruling which decided pleural plaques – an asbestos-related condition – are not compensatable.

Insurers have long argued that the plaques, which are areas of fibrosis present on the inner surface of the ribcage and the diaphragm, do not impact on health or lead to asbestos-related diseases.

In agreement, the Government will be providing fixed payments of £5,000 for individuals who had begun, but not resolved, a legal claim for compensation for pleural plaques at the time of the House of Lords’ ruling in October 2007.

It will also establish an Employers’ Liability Tracing Office to help people who develop an asbestos-related disease to trace the relevant insurer and obtain full compensation.

In addition, an Employers’ Liability Insurance Bureau will be set up to act as a fund of last resort for sufferers of asbestos-related disease who cannot trace the insurance records needed to gain compensation.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has welcomed the news.

Director of general insurance and health, Nick Starling, says: “Insurers remain determined to ensure that all those entitled to compensation receive it.”

He adds: “Insurers also support the Government’s aim to provide more research into asbestos-related diseases, and will be contributing £3 million to help them to fund that research.”

Returning to pleural plaques, insurance companies are still fighting their corner under Scottish law as the Damages (Asbestos Related Conditions) (Scotland) Act 2009 includes the condition as one for which compensation is payable.

Aviva, AXA, RSA and Zurich mounted a legal challenge in the form of a judicial review in April 2009, but in January, the Court of Session in Edinburgh ruled in favour of the Scottish Parliament.

Grounds for an appeal are under consideration.

Subject to regulatory approval, the move will increase the speciality insurer’s equity capital to over $1 billion.

US-based Corsair Capital is providing $150 million of the cash, which will be topped up from private equity funds managed by Torus’ majority shareholder, First Reserve Corporation.

Commenting on the deal, Torus’ chief executive, Clive Tobin, says: “We are extremely pleased to receive this endorsement of Torus from Corsair, an experienced investor in the financial services industry with a long and successful track record of supporting high growth insurance companies, at a time when capital is scarce.”

Corsair chairman, Nicholas Paumgarten, adds: “This investment is consistent with our historical practice of partnering with highly experienced management teams.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Corsair will appoint representatives to Torus’ board.

In other news, Torus has appointed Alex Maza to oversee its US Management Liability platform, effective immediately.

Mr Maza will focus on building the group’s offering for publicly traded and private entities in the US, initially providing Directors & Officers, Employment Practices, Fiduciary and Fidelity Liability products.

Plans are in place to offer Professional Indemnity as well as private equity and financial institution coverage on a selective basis.

According to research by Local Data Company, retail property vacancy rates across Britain have risen to 12%, with some towns seeing as much as 24% of shops lying empty.

With the biggest two threats to an empty property fire and malicious damage, Aviva advises “now more than ever it’s imperative that landlords take all necessary steps to ensure that their buildings are adequately protected and insured correctly”.

Landlords should therefore notify their insurer when a property becomes empty, implement risk management measures and check out their policy conditions.

The group’s property risk manager, Allister Smith, comments: “Empty units must be adequately protected – every year, over three million properties are vandalised and 25% of this malicious damage occurs in empty properties with arson costing £2 billion.”

He adds: “Landlords also have a duty of care to anyone visiting the property, so failure to remove hazards or have sufficient warning signs, could mean the landlord is liable for any injury, even if a visitor is trespassing.”

Mr Smith suggests a number of other ways that property owners can ease their worries over empty units including: attending immediately to any minor damage; regularly removing graffiti and fly-posters; ensuring intruder alarms and CCTV systems are in working order and continuing the operation of sprinkler systems and fire alarms.