Personal trainer insurance

Public liability insurance for personal trainers

In case your PT business causes an injury, illness or property damage.

What’s typically covered by public liability insurance?

Claims against your business for:

• damage caused by your business to someone else’s property
• injury caused by your PT business, or because of your work
• accidental damage or injury caused by your employees

If you do employ anyone, you’re usually required by law to have employers’ liability insurance too.

For example:

• a client breaks their arm in a training session and decides to claim against you
• your pregnant client falls during a workout with you, and needs hospital treatment

Read more about public liability insurance

Employers’ liability insurance

In case an employee gets sick or injured while working for you.

What’s typically covered by employers’ liability insurance?

Claims against your business for:

• an injury or illness that comes as a result of working for you (including temps and casual workers)

**Employers’ liability insurance is required by law if you have people working for you. Without it, you could be fined up to £2,500 a day for each employee.**

For example:

• one of the trainers you employ is injured while using faulty equipment in your studio and claims compensation
• a temp you’ve hired dislocates their shoulder during a park run and makes a claim against you

Tools insurance

In case specialist kit like your kettlebell is lost, stolen or damaged.

What’s typically covered by tools insurance?

• your fitness and assessment equipment, like a percussive therapy device or other portable electronic tools
• theft or accidental damage while your tools are on a client’s premises, or in transit (in the UK, and in a vehicle you own or lease)

For example:

• your kettlebell set is stolen during a break-in at your studio
• while running a park bootcamp you lose your latest generation flywheel training device

Read more about tools insurance

Stock insurance

In case the supplies you rely on are lost, stolen or damaged.

What’s typically covered by stock insurance?

• loss, damage or theft of the essentials you keep in stock, like protein and energy products or branded materials

For example:

• a new import of keto bars you keep in stock for clients is stolen from your business premises
• a fire in your studio damages your stock of branded towels and water bottles

Read more about stock insurance

Business and office equipment insurance

In case something happens to equipment like your treadmill or tablet.

What’s typically covered by business and office equipment insurance?

• accidental loss, damage or theft of the equipment you use to run your PT business, like your laptop or tablet

For example:

• the tablet you use to track your clients’ workouts is stolen from your bag during an outdoor training session
• a flood in your workout space damages three new treadmills and your laptop

Read more about business and office equipment insurance

Legal expenses insurance

In case you’re faced with legal costs while running your PT business.

What’s typically covered by legal expenses insurance?

• the costs you incur from day-to-day business issues, like a contractor dispute
• legal costs associated with property damage, nuisance or trespass
• dealing with HMRC, tax and compliance issues, if they end up costing you money or you need legal representation
• a tax advice helpline, 24/7 confidential legal support and crisis PR assistance to help you protect your reputation as a sought after PT

For example:

• HMRC investigate your business tax affairs as part of a random spot-check, and you need legal representation, with cover for your costs
• a summer temp sues you for unfair dismissal

Read more about legal expenses insurance

Personal accident insurance

In case you or anyone you’ve covered has an accident at work or elsewhere.

What’s typically covered by personal accident insurance?

• injury or death at work – or off duty – for anyone covered by your PT insurance policy
• lost income, medical costs and hospitalisation benefit

For example:

• you’re running a bootcamp and a client drops a kettlebell, breaking a bone in your hand and forcing you to take two weeks off work
• your employee falls down some steps at a wedding, breaking their knee and signing them off work for three months

Read more about personal accident insurance

Can I just cover my most expensive tools?

Make sure you cover the total cost of replacing all your tools or you’ll only get a proportion of your claim paid out if something happens to them. Learn about tool cover.

Which type of workers do I need insurance for?

Employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement if you employ people.

If you have people working for you, including bona fide subcontractors (BFSC), labour-only subcontractors (LOSC), part-timers, or full-time staff, employers’ liability insurance is required by law.

Read on for our simplified guide to the difference between labour-only subcontractors and bona fide subcontractors.

Will tools insurance cover all my equipment?

Depending on what you use to do your work, you may need other covers.

You may need more than tools insurance – for example, business equipment insurance if you have a work laptop, plant insurance if you use machinery.

Does PT insurance cover my work correctly?

Make sure you’re picking the right cover to protect you properly. It’s important to know that if you have another trade or job, you’ll need additional cover. For example, do you need to consider massage insurance or fitness instructor insurance?

Do I need cover for other types of work?

If you provide other services, make sure you’re covered:

• Gym insurance
• Fitness instructor insurance
• Dance teacher insurance
• Life coach insurance
• Nutritionist insurance
• Massage insurance
• Physiotherapy insurance
• Health & alternative therapy insurance
• Sports coaching insurance
• Yoga teacher insurance
• Zumba instructor insurance
• More health, fitness & wellbeing insurance

Other types of insurance

• Limited company insurance
• Self-employed insurance
• Freelance insurance
• Consultant insurance

Which public liability cover limit should I choose?

Think about the maximum possible loss your business could face in the event of a claim, and make sure you take legal fees and damages into consideration. You can choose from three levels of coverage – £1 million, £2 million, or up to £5 million.