Does Your Department Have Adequate Insurance Coverage?

• Include vehicles, computers, office furniture, lab equipment, fine arts, and miscellaneous equipment.
• Give special consideration to anything that is essential to your department's work.
• Read about UC's Basic Property Insurance, including deductibles, limitations, and exclusions.

Important: This equipment is not automatically covered under the university's basic property insurance program.

• Determine if the owner already has insurance for these items, or if your department would be responsible if they are lost or stolen.
  • Important: Get written proof of insurance or indemnity wording in a contract. Don't rely on verbal agreements to absolve your department of responsibility.
• Request that uninsured equipment be included under the university's property insurance:
  • Contact EH&S Risk Management, (858) 534-2454.

• Consider situations that may expose your department to risk. Examples include:
  • Field trips
    • Use the Field Operational Planner.
  • Special events at off-campus locations
    • See Planning Special Events Off-Campus.
  • Frequent shipping of expensive items
• Consider vehicle policies. Insurance coverage differs for university-owned, employee-owned, or rented vehicles. Read more about vehicle insurance:
  • UC San Diego Vehicle Insurance
  • Personal Vehicle Usage for UC San Diego Business
  • Using a Private Automobile: Insurance Requirements
  • Rental Car Insurance Coverage
• Consider university-owned property that employees:
  • Transport in a personal car
  • Use at home (e.g., equipment used for telecommuting)
• Read about university policies before using outside suppliers and services:
  • Signing Contracts and Agreements
  • Proof of Insurance

• Review the UC San Diego automatic insurance programs to see if they provide sufficient coverage for your department. Be sure to note restrictions, exclusions, limits, and deductibles.
• Find out if your department is enrolled in any by-request (optional) insurance programs.
  • Check department records for enrollment forms or annual renewal forms.
  • Contact EH&S Risk Management, (858) 534-3820, if you can't find current renewal forms or have questions.

• Read about by-request (optional) insurance programs, including their limitations and exclusions.
• Contact EH&S Risk Management, (858) 534-2454, for more information or to enroll in a program.
  • Ask about customized insurance coverage for special cases.

• Review department policies that could contribute to losses. Examples include:
  • Key control
  • After-hours policies for office space, classrooms, and labs
  • Off-campus events and programs
• Ask UC San Diego Police to perform a free security survey. An officer will:
  • Review your department's procedures
  • Identify practices that put your department at risk
  • Recommend theft devices and alarms suitable for your area
  Contact Crime Prevention, (858) 534-3644, to request a security survey.
• Attend Risk Management classes to learn about protecting your department's assets.