Five years after the professional indemnity (PI) market crisis, cover for engineering firms remains a thorny issue amid fears that premiums will rise.

The Association of Consulting Engineers Australia (ACEA) says despite relatively soft market conditions the availability of PI insurance is being hampered as clients shift their risk onto consulting firms.

CEO Megan Motto says PI insurance remains a complex issue for engineers.

“ACEA members are continually required to maintain high levels of PI insurance, and this is a difficult and challenging issue for many businesses.

“The average consulting engineering firm requires PI cover of about $5 million, but due to the nature and size of some engineering projects the figure can sometimes blow out to $20 million.

The association has launched a partnership with leading insurance brokers based on a successful UK model. The “PI Pathway” program gives engineers access to a network of preferred brokers specialising in PI cover.