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What makes human element programs effective?
Everett McCallum,
Director, Technical Risk Services,
Echelon Insurance

As part of a business’ risk mitigation plan, there is heavy reliance on physical systems and well-established organizational processes to manage risk. While important, their effectiveness is shaped by the way they are operated, maintained, and managed, which ultimately comes down to human behaviour and decision-making. In severe losses, many trace back to a common set of underlying gaps due to human behaviour and decision-making:

Unclear ownership and accountability

Missing or inconsistent standards and procedures

Insufficient training and competency validation

Limited verification, tracking, and continuous improvement

Human element programs are structured policies and procedures that reduce risk by creating consistency in operational processes and decision-making. As operations and hazards become more complex, the impact of human decisions increases, making well-managed programs essential.

How to determine what human element programs your business needs

The human element programs your business needs will depend on how it operates and where exposures exist. While exposures will vary between businesses, the following programs address common areas where human behaviour can affect the likelihood or severity of a loss, and can serve as a strong starting point for business owners:

Preventive maintenance: Equipment, utilities, and building components can deteriorate or fail when maintenance is informal or inconsistent. A preventive maintenance program helps define what needs attention, how often, and who is responsible.

Hot work management: Cutting, welding, grinding, and other heat-producing work can introduce ignition sources near combustibles, dust, or flammable liquids. A hot work program helps control ignition sources before, during, and after the work.

Fire protection inspection, testing, and maintenance: Fire protection systems may not operate as intended if inspections are missed, or deficiencies are not corrected. An inspection, testing, and maintenance program helps identify and address issues before performance is affected.

Contractor management: Contractors can introduce unfamiliar hazards, work practices, or ignition sources. A contractor management program helps confirm expectations, qualifications, and oversight before and during the work.

Housekeeping: Combustible materials, poor storage practices, and obstructed access can allow hazards to build or go unnoticed. A housekeeping program helps maintain orderly conditions and reduce unnecessary fuel sources.

Smoking controls: Improper smoking practices and discarded materials can create ignition sources near combustible storage, waste areas, or exterior exposures. A smoking control program helps define where smoking is permitted and how materials are safely discarded.

Business continuity and emergency readiness: A serious event can quickly expose gaps in response roles, communication, critical operations, and recovery priorities. A business continuity and emergency readiness program helps clarify how the business will respond and recover.

Evaluating whether human element programs are effective.

The effectiveness of a human element program depends on two factors: alignment and execution.

Start by reviewing where losses could occur and how human actions or decisions may influence the outcome. This helps determine whether the right programs are in place and whether existing programs are properly targeted to the risk.

Once the right programs are identified, focus on execution. Effective programs should have clear ownership, documented expectations, comprehensive training, and regular follow-up to confirm that critical tasks are being completed.

When these elements are in place, human element programs are more likely to be applied consistently, remain relevant to the business, and reduce the likelihood or severity of loss.

How can Brokers support business owners with their human element programs?

To support customers in establishing and maintaining effective human element programs, Brokers should collaborate closely with insurers to share risk mitigation expertise and educational resources. Since risks associated with human behavior are always present, it is essential that commercial customers receive ongoing education, coverage tailored to their unique needs, and guidance in implementing – and regularly reviewing – their programs. Providing proactive support can help business owners significantly reduce their exposure.

Copyright © 2026 Echelon Insurance. All rights reserved. This article is provided by Echelon Insurance (“we”) for general information purposes to help Brokers and their commercial customers understand how human element programs can reduce the likelihood and/or severity of loss created by human behaviour. While we believe this article is comprehensive, it is provided “as is” and we do not guarantee it is complete. All responsibility and risk relating to specific incidents, including use of this form, are assumed by the commercial enterprise.

® Registered trademark of Echelon Insurance.
May 19, 2026
From Cracked Engines to Critters: Common Boat Claims and Avoidable Oversights

From Cracked Engines to Curious Critters: Lessons from Aviva’s Marine Experts

From common boat claims to expensive boat owner oversights, these are insights brokers can use. Aviva’s NauticLife boat insurance provides customers and brokers with comprehensive solutions.

Behind every Aviva boating claim is the Marine Assessment Unit, a three‑person team of experts with deep industry knowledge. They share key insights brokers should know, including common claims, surprising coverage, and an endorsement customers shouldn’t overlook.

A common boat claim: Improper winterization

Every spring, the unit reviews numerous cracked engine claims.

“In many cases, winterization damage is easy to identify. It typically happens when engines aren’t winterized correctly or at all. We often receive claims from vendors who aren’t aware this type of damage isn’t covered,” says Aviva Marine Assessment Specialist Don Sendall.

Educating new boaters is critical. “After Labour Day, boaters should monitor temperature drops and schedule service early. Waiting for one last fall run can lead to costly engine repairs next season,” Sendall adds.

“Policies are restrictive when it comes to freezing losses. Proper maintenance leads to a better overall experience and fewer unfortunate losses,” says Shawn McKone, Senior Manager, Technical Lead, Lifestyle Department.

Another claim cause: Expired engines

Another frequent claim involves engines that suddenly fail.

“Some claims are covered, but most aren’t. It’s usually an older motor with an internal failure—that’s part of owning something mechanical,” says Sendall. Engines 15–20 years old are expected to break down, sometimes catastrophically. Annual maintenance with a qualified technician remains the best defence.

Did you know? Critter damage may be covered

Discovering raccoons under shrink wrap is a common spring surprise.

“Boats are warm, enclosed spaces—ideal nesting spots. The biggest challenges are repairing chewed upholstery and cleanup,” says Sendall.

While many policies exclude animal damage, Aviva’s NauticLife policies include raccoon damage coverage – often surprising brokers and customers.

Biggest caution: Navigational limits

One of the most important questions brokers should ask is where customers plan to operate their watercraft. Traveling beyond navigational limits can leave vessels uninsured, especially for snowbirds heading south.

“If overlooked, a vessel could be uninsured without the owner realizing it. Given the potential loss, it’s critical to avoid this,” says McKone.

Coverage you can count on

Aviva’s NauticLife boat insurance offers protection for all kinds of pleasure craft.

For more information about NauticLife and our other Lifestyle products please visit Aviva.ca

May 19, 2026
Re-entry expected to begin after wildfire in rural Alberta county holds steady

EDMONTON – Some residents who were forced out of their homes this week by a wildfire northwest of Edmonton could be allowed back today.

Officials with Woodlands County say on social media that re-entry will only be for residents of Zone 1, and the rest will remain out.

People in the area are asked to fill out a waiver, which the county says is necessary because there is still an active fire.

About 140 people were told to leave their homes on Monday due to a wildfire near the town of Whitecourt.

Alberta Wildfire says the fire is about 51 hectares in size and not expected to grow beyond its current boundaries.

The county has said one residence was lost in the fire.

May 15, 2026
Is insurance facing its Napster moment?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the canary in the coal mine for the insurance industry, and the industry needs to prepare for what’s coming, speakers said May 11 at Insurance Brokers Association of Alberta’s Convention 2026 in Banff.

“This is the insurance Napster moment,” says Pete Tessier, president of MGA Taycon Risk and the Canadian Association of Managing General Agents (CAMGA), referring to the music sharing service that faced a copyright infringement lawsuit and was shut down in 2001.

“All of you in your offices have clients, that’s your music library,” Tessier says while moderating a Carrier CEO Panel at the conference. “You’re going to have to decide if you’re going to let AI come and take it from you, or if you’re going to own the AI and the technology.

“That’s the mistake the music industry made, and now they give away a million streams, and they get 12 cents for it.”

As an example, Tessier says he helped build an AI underwriting assistant, which took 28 minutes and could compare inspection reports against submission forms to see what was accurate.

“And if you put your heads in the sand and ignore it, there are going to be changes that you don’t want happening,” Tessier says. “It’s coming…it scares me a lot, because I don’t think we get the wave of this…”

Number 1 topic

Evan Johnston, president and CEO of Wawanesa, says he was in Europe about two weeks ago, talking to approximately 20 insurance company CEOs about what was happening in the industry and what we could probably expect to see in Canada. The topics ranged from talent to climate change and others, but the Number 1 topic was AI, Johnston says.

“It’s very clear to me that AI is going to change this industry, and it’s certainly going to change our organization,” Johnston says. “And when I talked to that group of leaders…there were some that were way ahead of us [and] some that were completely denying that this was happening.”

He adds Wawanesa hasn’t really used AI to “change customer experience, but that’s coming.

“The examples and the models that we saw just completely blew my mind,” Johnston says. “So to deny this is going to change our industry, I think, is negligent.”

Louis Gagnon, CEO of Canada for Intact Financial Corporation, recommends the industry use AI as much as possible — “test it, call places where you know that they’re using AI, look at what they do, how they do it, if the experience is good or the experience is not good…

“Ask your accountant to do a little exercise on how much he’s going to charge you, and do it on AI to see what’s the outcome,” Gagnon says. “And I’m not teasing here.”

Full transformation

Within five years, Gagnon predicts AI will transform the ways consumers are shopping. It will also transform the industry through claims and broker relationships, as well as provide industry professionals a chance to spend more time on value-added activity, he suggests.

“I think it’s also going to cut jobs,” Gagnon says. “I think it’s going to reduce the number of people in [an] organization…and it’s going to transform the workforce.

“So, I really think we cannot put our head in the sand and just think that, ‘Well, we’re going to be okay. Things are going to be a bit different. We’re going to be better,’” he says. “I think it’s going to be a bigger change than that.

“So, I think it’s fundamental that we test it, we try it, we play with it, and we try to see in our business where we can implement it,” Gagnon says, adding that some things will go wrong with AI.

“I also think that people in general are going to be very hungry and thirsty for human contacts,” he says. “They are going to be very, very happy to talk to people, to shake hands, to [look] people in the eyes. There’s going to be also that aspect that will not go away.”

Nav Dhillon, CEO of Aviva Canada, agrees the relationship element of insurance will not disappear.

“When a customer has just gone [through] a devastating event and wants to talk to somebody and ensure that their most-loved possessions are back with them or their home [is] rebuilt, [that] won’t go away.”

Dhillon also doesn’t see an end of the industry because of the core purpose of insurance — to help get people back on track.

“This industry has been around for centuries,” he says. “Aviva has been around for over 325 years. It will be around for another 325 or more.”

May 15, 2026
TD Insurance releases client-facing chatbot

Earlier this month, TD Insurance released its first client-facing generative AI chatbot, the TDI Virtual Assistant, to help clients find answers through natural-language conversations.

The virtual assistant retrieves and summarizes information from the TD Insurance website for home, auto and small business insurance to answer general insurance queries. In a conversational tone, it can answer questions on topics such as accident benefits coverage and documentation required to obtain car insurance.

TD started with those three lines of business because they have the largest volumes in its insurance segment, said Kristen Gill, vice president and executive journey product owner at TD Insurance. The insurer plans to expand the chatbot to life and health insurance at a later stage.

TDI Virtual Assistant took about a year to build, said Christopher Cooney, vice president of analytics and modelling at TD Insurance. Its development involved the technology solutions team, insurance experts, lawyers, and Layer 6, TD’s AI research and development centre.

Although Layer 6 had experience developing internal tools at TD, building an external-facing AI posed unique challenges, Cooney added. To mitigate the risk of hallucinations, the chatbot uses retrieval-augmented generation technology, an AI framework that improves large language model accuracy by retrieving data only from trusted content libraries. In this case, TDI Virtual Assistant can only reference material already on TDI’s website.

Another guardrail was to get the tone of voice right when interacting with customers, Cooney said. Users can tell TDI what’s working and not working by clicking the thumbs up or down feedback icon on the chatbot’s responses.

Also in the news: What U.S. budget cuts mean for NatCat forecasts

In its early days, humans will closely monitor the chatbot’s performance to ensure it comes up with satisfactory answers, Gill said. But the goal is to move to machine-assisted monitoring, in which AI helps humans supervise the AI chatbot.

For now, the chatbot is unauthenticated, meaning users don’t need to log in, so it can only answer general queries, Gill explained. If customers need more personalized advice, such as updating their policy details, the chatbot will encourage them to call for assistance.

Eventually, TDI intends to provide an authenticated chatbot service, allowing customers to get personalized advice, Gill said. The technology is still in its infancy, and the insurer’s compliance department is exploring what kinds of changes AI would be allowed to make from a regulatory perspective.

In the future, other client-facing AI applications could include using natural language to help a customer obtain insurance quotes and report claims, Gill added. “We will want to build that capability with the right processes and guardrails and controls to make sure that customer information is safe.”

Special to Canadian Underwriter from Jonathan Got, a reporter with Advisor.ca and Investment Executive.

May 15, 2026
Definity’s strategy for integrating new business lines

Pricing is important, and it’s among the issues facing Definity Financial Corporation as it aligns the expense and loss ratio sides of the recently acquired Travelers Canada business with its own operations.

Those alignment opportunities vary by line of business, Rowan Saunders, Definity’s president and CEO tells a May 8 earnings call in response to an analyst’s questions.

On the commercial side, both Saunders and Obaid Rahman, Definity’s executive vice president for Commercial Insurance say, that market is divided between large account segments where competition has intensified, and smaller accounts.

“We’ve mentioned in a couple of quarters, that the market is bifurcated where competition is most intense in the large account segment,” Rahman tells the call. “Over 80% of our business is not in that segment. When we look at the renewal book that we have, we have strong retention, and we’re still getting strong rate on the majority of that book. We don’t really have any concern with how the renewal portfolio is performing, the margin it’s holding, no concerns there.”

Commercial approach

As for new business within commercial segments, underwriting discipline is pushing a shift in the portfolio mix to ensure Definity is writing more smaller accounts than larger accounts.

“What that’s doing is, it’s having an impact on the overall growth, premium growth percentage by about a couple of points, but we are gaining market share, maintaining our margin and we’re continuing to grow the customer base…,” Rahman tells the call. “We’ve talked about how well the Travelers’ integration is going. We expect that retention of that book to continue to strengthen as we move forward. We’re already very close to where the Definity retention is.”

Related: Definity Q1 earnings show Travelers integration producing results

With Q1 behind them, the company is onboarding new underwriters as part of the transition.

“The first wave of production underwriters from the Travelers side got deployed towards the end of Q1. The second wave is coming in Q2,” he says. “What we see is that extra capacity that will come on board, as well as the new products and capabilities that will keep on rolling through the year. That will give us a boost in growth.”

Meanwhile, the digital platforms on the small business side will help the company gain share on the specialty market side.

“We’re managing the cycle with a lot of discipline in terms of preserving margin. Our small business specialty, as well as the Travelers capabilities com[ing] on board, will continue to give us market outperformance and be sort of in that mid-single-digit range as we go through the year,” Rahman tells the call.

Overall, for commercial lines, and for personal lines home insurance, “there are not any material segments or portfolios that don’t fit our appetite or need significant actions,” Saunders says.

Personal auto probably had the most loss, Saunders says.

“There will be two things happening there,” he says. “There will be their own rate filings that started last year earning through. Then as it converts onto our platform, the portfolio will become aligned with Definity binding rules, segmentation, and pricing. That’s just automatically going to happen over the conversion cycle.”

May 15, 2026
U.S. Supreme Court revives suit against major logistics company with potentially big effects on industry

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed a man to sue a major logistics company after he lost part of his leg in a semi tractor-trailer crash, a decision that could have big ripple effects across the trucking industry.

The justices ruled unanimously in favor of Shawn Montgomery, whose parked vehicle was hit by a speeding truck driver on an Illinois highway in 2017. He wants to sue C.H. Robinson, the country’s largest freight broker by size, over its role in putting the driver on the road despite what he called “serious red flags.”

The decision does not mean Montgomery will necessarily win the lawsuit, which the company is contesting. But the ruling opens the door to increased liability for freight brokers, a key part of the industry.

The Trump administration and companies such as Amazon had argued that letting the suit go forward would expose logistics companies to liability under a “patchwork” of state laws.

The Transportation Intermediaries Association, an industry group, said the decision was “deeply disappointing.”

“This is like asking travel agents to evaluate the safety of a given airline despite the fact that the airline has been licensed to fly by the federal government,” said Chris Burroughs, the group’s president and CEO. “We are working with our members to assess potential next steps to mitigate the consequences of the Supreme Court’s decision.”

Montgomery’s lawyers say the trucker had been cited for careless driving in another crash months earlier and that the carrier he worked for had been involved with at least three crashes in a span of about five months.

Montgomery’s lawsuit said C.H. Robinson should share liability because it hired the carrier despite those problems.

Montgomery’s appeal was backed by more than two dozen states. They said a win for him would help bolster safety in an industry that moves billions of tons of goods across billions of miles every year.

The company argued the suit, filed under state law, must be tossed out because brokers rely on the federal government to regulate carriers and federal law trumps state law.

But in an opinion by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the Supreme Court disagreed. The justices found Montgomery’s claims can move forward because they fall under an exception for safety regulations. The high court overturned a lower-court ruling in the company’s favor.

The decision could increase insurance costs for freight brokers that eventually “cascade through the economy” and result in higher prices for consumers, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in a concurrence joined by Justice Samuel Alito.

Still, “truck safety is a matter of life and death,” Kavanaugh wrote.

C.H. Robinson, which is based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, pointed to another part of his concurrence, where he said the decision does not mean brokers will be “routinely subject” to lawsuits.

“We will keep working with policymakers, advocates, carriers, our customers, and others across the industry to strengthen the national safety system and advance practices that reduce accidents on America’s roads,” said Dorothy Capers, the company’s chief legal officer.

The ruling could have far reaching effects if brokers can be held liable for the actions of the trucking companies they hire, said Brian Watt, who runs a freight logistics company in Florida.

Brokers will now have to focus more on the safety records of the truckers they contract with to haul all kinds of goods, including hazardous materials, instead of just looking for the cheapest and fastest option.

“More than 28,000 federally licensed brokers currently operate in the United States with virtually no meaningful federal safety oversight regarding how they select carriers,” Watt said in a post on LinkedIn. He said there are tougher standards for brokers that arrange shipments out of ports and on railroads, but that highway shipments face fewer restrictions.

The Transportation Department has been cracking down on the trucking industry over the past year by trying to force unqualified drivers, trucking companies and schools out of the industry.

Associated Press writer Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed to this report.

May 14, 2026
What U.S. budget cuts mean for NatCat forecasts

Deep cuts to U.S. government funding for climate research and forecasting by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other agencies will impact catastrophe modelling going forward, Daniel Raizman, global head of client engagement, Climate Risk Advisory at Aon, tells attendees at Insurance Bureau of Canada’s recent 2026 IBC InSight Summit.

“I get asked this question all the time,” he says in response to an audience question. And the short answer is, “Yes.”

Since January 2025, insurers have been framing their messaging around impacts of climate data defunding in terms of how brokers and insurers rely on the data, he says. And this narrative addresses the importance of those data sets to banking and industries that drive key economic sectors.

“We’re notably facing a big setback in terms of research [organization] and potential threat of this data [disappearing], but we’re trying to come at it from a business perspective and say, ‘Hey, we personally rely on this data every day. This is how risk is transacted day-to-day across the insurance and reinsurance industry,’” he tells the audience. “We really care about the preservation of this data.”

Raizman adds the data creates significant value in catastrophe risk management, even without application of a climate lens.

“I would say, 90% of the work I do and the questions I get asked are around, ‘What’s my flood risk today? What’s it look like tomorrow?’” he says, adding clients are less likely to ask what 2050 will look like.

“And I think we have a challenge in managing that as well, because…the language of certain climate modeling is often mid-century, end-of-century. But the reality is that most people care about, ‘What does the next five years look like? What do I face today? How did I get yesterday wrong and [how can we] be better tomorrow?’”

Related: Environmental risks take backseat on list of business leaders’ concerns — in the short term

Much of the conference session’s main portion addressed Canada’s protection gap between what’s covered and what could or should be covered by policies. Panellists spoke to risks around wildfires and flooding that have exposed gaps for Canadian insurers and insureds, as well as inflation’s impact on restoration and replacement costs when customers have claims.

That sparked an audience question on the viability of a future public policy role in closing that gap.

There is work underway with the federal government on building a public-private partnership to help address that gap, notes Ravi Mahabir, vice president of climate at Intact Financial Corporation.

He says such public-private partnerships exist in other jurisdictions, including France and the U.K.

“There are many different constructs that have been deployed in terms of those public-private partnerships to address protection gaps. There are lots of lessons. That’s a good thing,” he tells the summit.

“Public policy is important; a blend of public and private partnership in deploying insurance mechanisms to provide affordable insurance to those high-risk areas. And that should really be a time-bound offering, in that those public private partnerships should really facilitate not just an insurance solution but also risk mitigation, such that those partnerships have phased out period over time.”

There also are misunderstandings within the general public around why insurers might need to reduce coverage or pull out of specific areas where risks are too high, adds Raizman.

“We often get in a blame game…when there’s lack of understanding around the risk that they face, and in realizing that these are businesses at the end of the day.”

May 14, 2026
Meet Aviva Canada’s new chief people officer

Aviva Canada has appointed senior human resources executive Anne Berend as Chief People Officer, effective June 1, 2026.

Berend has 30 years of experience across the financial services, telecommunications, technology, and consumer goods sectors.

“I’m delighted to welcome Anne to my senior leadership team,” Aviva Canada CEO Nav Dhillon comments. “Anne’s deep expertise in talent management will be invaluable as we continue to build on and elevate the brilliant culture and world-class teams we have at Aviva.”

Most recently, Berend was the chief human resources officer at Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, responsible for enhancing areas including talent management, succession planning, and performance management.

Before that, Berend headed up the Human Resources departments at RSA Canada and Meridian Credit Union. In addition, her LinkedIn profile shows five years of executive human resources experience with Rogers Communications from 2012-17, as well as with IBM and Coca Cola before that.

In this new role, Berend will report to Aviva Group and will be a member of Aviva Canada’s executive committee.

May 14, 2026
Envista Forensics Expands Civil and Structural Engineering Team in Calgary with New Project Engineer

TORONTO, ON, MAY 14, 2026/insPRESS/ – Envista Forensics is pleased to announce the continued growth of its civil and structural engineering team in Calgary with the addition of Phillip Adegbayi, MSc., P.Eng. This addition reflects Envista’s ongoing investment in strengthening its forensic engineering capabilities to support complex infrastructure assessments, failure investigations, and insurance-related engineering evaluations across Western Canada.

Phillip is a civil/structural engineer with over 12 years of experience in the design and assessment of infrastructure across the energy, industrial, and commercial sectors. His expertise includes lattice towers, modular construction, and industrial facilities, with specialized knowledge in structural analysis, blast-resistant design, fire protection systems, and code compliance. Throughout his career, Phillip has contributed to a wide range of multidisciplinary engineering projects involving structural appraisals, field inspections, and technical coordination across complex project environments.

Phillip also brings advanced experience in digital engineering workflows, including Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Virtual Design and Construction (VDC), supporting efficient project execution and detailed engineering analysis.

As a Project Engineer with Envista Forensics, Phillip applies his technical expertise to support forensic investigations, failure analysis, and engineering evaluations related to insurance claims and complex loss matters.

“Phillip brings a strong combination of technical expertise, field experience, and advanced engineering analysis capabilities to Envista Forensics,” said Robert Townsley, Regional Technical Leader at Envista Forensics. “His experience with complex industrial and structural systems enhances our growing forensic engineering capabilities in Calgary and across Canada.”

A Commitment to Forensic Engineering Excellence

Envista’s civil and structural engineering experts investigate failures and damage involving buildings, industrial facilities, infrastructure, and specialized structural systems. The team provides technical analysis and forensic evaluations related to construction defects, structural failures, catastrophic events, fire and explosion incidents, weather-related damage, and other complex losses.

Through detailed site investigations, engineering analysis, and code-based evaluations, Envista’s experts help clients determine cause, extent of damage, repair considerations, and risk mitigation strategies for residential, commercial, industrial, and energy-sector projects.

With the addition of Phillip Adegbayi, Envista Forensics continues to expand its civil and structural engineering capabilities across Canada, ensuring clients receive timely, comprehensive, and reliable forensic engineering expertise.

About Envista Forensics

Envista Forensics is a global leader in forensic consulting services. We provide failure analysis, fire and explosion investigations, digital forensics, construction consulting, geotechnical engineering, and damage evaluations following disasters of all kinds.

Envista has served the insurance, legal, and risk management industries for more than 40 years. Our experts travel globally to various offices located across North America, Singapore, and Australia. Visit our website at www.envistaforensics.com for more information.

May 14, 2026