Our business is subject to numerous hazards that could subject us to substantial monetary and other liabilities. If accidents occur, they could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations . Our business is subject to numerous hazards, including electrocutions, fires, natural gas explosions, mechanical failures, weather-related incidents, transportation accidents and damage to utilized equipment. These hazards can cause personal injury and loss of life, severe damage to or destruction of property and equipment and other consequential damages and could lead to suspension of operations, large damage claims and, in extreme cases, criminal liability.
Our safety record is an important consideration for our customers. If serious accidents or fatalities occur, we may be ineligible to bid on certain work, and existing service arrangements could be terminated. In addition, if our safety record was to deteriorate, our ability to bid on certain work could be adversely impacted. Further, regulatory changes implemented by OSHA could impose additional costs on us. Adverse experience with hazards and claims could have a negative effect on our reputation with our existing or potential new customers and our prospects for future work.
Our current insurance coverage may not be adequate, and we may not be able to obtain insurance at acceptable rates, or at all. We are partially self-insured for our major risks, and our insurance does not cover all types or amounts of liabilities. Our insurance policies for individual workers’ compensation and vehicle and general liability are subject to substantial deductibles of $1.0 million per occurrence. We are not required to, and do not, specifically set aside funds for our self-insurance programs. At any given time, we are subject to multiple workers’ compensation and personal injury claims. Our insurance policies may not be adequate to protect us from liabilities that we incur in our business.
In addition, due to a variety of factors such as increases in claims and projected increases in medical costs and wages, insurance carriers may be unwilling to provide the current levels of coverage without a significant increase in collateral requirements to cover our deductible obligations. Furthermore, our insurance premiums may increase in the future and we may not be able to obtain similar levels of insurance on reasonable terms, or at all. Any such inadequacy of, or inability to obtain, insurance coverage at acceptable rates, or at all, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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