Electrical and Insurance Surveyors' Society
1897 Mr A. C. Cockburn, of the Norwich Fire Office, attempted to arrange a joint meeting of electrical surveyors (mainly employed by the insurance companies) but this did not succeed. There was simply not enough interest between the various insurance companies for a standardised approach. Instead the Institution of Electrical Engineers led the development of such rules.
Mr Cockburn was concerned about major insurance companies formulating their own differing electrical rules. As well as the Norwich, the Phoenix, the Westminster and the Guardian each had their own electrical rules.
1907 Mr Cockburn tried again. The time was then ripe for electrical surveyors to get together, not only to discuss the risks and hazards associated with new innovations and agree a uniform approach. So the Society came into existence.
Mr Cockburn managed to gather 15 electrical surveyors, from the then major insurance companies to meet for an informal dinner for friendly discussion on technical matters. This was held at the Holborn Restaurant.
1908 the Society's membership was expanded to include 2 surveyors from each of the major insurance offices of the day, comprising the chief electrical expert and the chief surveyor.
1910 the decision was made to put the meetings on a more formal and regular basis.
By 1912 membership had increased to 31 and around 25 attended each meeting.
It was also decided then that topics for meetings would be expanded to include all subjects arising out of the ordinary professional work of fire and electrical surveyors of the time, & not purely electrical subjects.
By 1916 to reflect the contributions of all disciplines of insurance surveying the society's title was expanded to The Electrical & Insurance Surveyors Society.
1959 membership was extended to include all insurance surveyors, provided they were over 40 years old and had attained at least 10 years fire surveying experience.
The society changed its name several time to reflect its changing role.
Finally became The Fire Insurance Surveyors Society.
Presentations included all aspects of Risk Control and touched on Security and Health & Safety.
2010 Merged into The Association of Insurance Surveyors.
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] Insurance Surveyors