CRIS® Curriculum
The Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist (CRIS®) core curriculum
is comprised of five basic-to-intermediate-level courses. All of the courses
are directly focused on the unique risk management and insurance needs of
construction projects and contractors. They are designed for construction
industry financial executives, risk managers, insurance buyers, adjusters,
and the insurance agents, brokers, and underwriters who serve the construction
industry. Completing the core curriculum qualifies you to use the CRIS certification
for 24 months and additional courses or seminars may be completed during
that period and every 12 months thereafter to maintain the certification.
Generally one online course or one approved seminar or conference will satisfy
this renewal requirement.
If you are a newcomer to insurance, we recommend you start with
the optional "Fundamentals of Construction Risk Management and Insurance"
course. This is a basic course that will acquaint you with the risk management
process, the insurance coverages that contractors typically buy, and how
the insurance industry operates. While it will not count towards earning
the CRIS certification, it will introduce important terminology and concepts
used in the core curriculum, help you better understand construction insurance,
risk finance, and contractual risk transfer, and give you a sound foundation
for further learning.
Depending on your current level of knowledge of the subject matter,
a CRIS course will typically take 6 to 10 hours to complete. The CRIS courses
are intended to cover the essential elements of the subjects they address
at a basic-to-intermediate level. Thus, the CRIS program will be an intensive
learning experience for newcomers to commercial lines insurance, eliminate
many important knowledge gaps for insurance professionals who have little
experience with construction accounts, and be a helpful review of the fundamentals
for seasoned construction risk and insurance professionals.
Several new online CRIS CE courses will be added each year and
certain seminars and conferences will also qualify for reaccreditation.
The CRIS CE courses will focus on specific issues, trends, and problems
affecting contractors. The core courses and planned continuing education
courses are listed and summarized below.
Optional CRIS Foundation Course
Required CRIS Core Courses
CRIS Reaccreditation Courses
Planned CRIS Continuing Education Courses
- Advanced Commercial General Liability (CGL)
- Advanced Umbrella Insurance
- Contract Bonding
- Contractors CIP Issues
- Contractors Professional Liability Insurance
- Controlled Insurance Programs (CIPs)
- Insurance for Construction Defects
- Insurance Rating, Premium, and Audit Fundamentals
- Risk Control Basics
- Risk Finance for Contractors
- Risk Management and Insurance for Design-Build Contractors
- Third-Party-Over Actions
- Understanding Construction Risks
Approved Seminars and Conferences
Course Descriptions
Fundamentals of Construction Risk Management and
Insurance
This optional foundation course was designed primarily for construction
company employees who have little experience working with insurance. However,
it would also be very helpful for someone who is beginning a career in the
insurance industry. It provides a general overview of the risk management
process, including the loss exposures of most concern to contractors and
the risk management tools that are used to treat them. The property and
casualty insurance coverages that contractors typically buy are described
along with a description as to how they match up with the important exposures.
Lastly, the operation of the insurance industry is reviewed from an insurance
buyer's perspective to provide insight into the roles and responsibilities
of underwriters, agents, brokers, and adjusters. This course is not required
to obtain the CRIS certification. CE credit is available for this course.
Commercial Auto, Surety, CIPs, and Miscellaneous
Lines
This course reviews the various types of insurance often needed
by contractors that are not covered in the other core courses. This includes
auto liability and physical damage, professional liability, pollution liability,
employment practices liability, and directors and officers liability insurance.
It also provides a basic review of claims-made and occurrence coverage triggers,
wrap-up or controlled insurance programs (CIPs), and surety bonds.
Commercial Liability Insurance for Contractors
This course provides a general overview of standard commercial
general liability insurance and umbrella liability insurance, with specific
attention to provisions that most affect coverage or create problems for
some or all contractors. It covers elements required to trigger coverage,
application of standard policy exclusions, and various standard endorsements,
all within a construction context. Suggestions for modifying coverage to
address potential coverage gaps and other problematic provisions are provided
where appropriate.
Contractual Risk Transfer in Construction
This course reviews the ways in which risk is allocated in construction
contracts. In addition to a technical review of the types of techniques
available, this course examines strategies for maximizing the effectiveness
of risk transfers in construction contracts. Topics include indemnification
provisions, waivers of subrogation, limitations of liability, insurance
requirements, and some of the key areas of risk allocation in standard construction
contracts. Tips for writing and negotiating fair and effective insurance
requirements are provided where appropriate, as well as for verifying compliance
with these requirements.
Property Insurance for Contractors
This course focuses on builders risk and contractors equipment
insurance, including suggestions for maximizing the effectiveness of the
coverages. It also includes a review of important concepts with respect
to insuring the contractor's office or other permanent property. Topics
include covered and excluded property, covered and excluded perils, covered
parties, and alternative methods of reporting covered values. Various policy
provisions that impact the scope of coverage — such as subrogation, occupancy,
and cancellation — are also examined. Suggestions for modifying coverage
to address potential coverage gaps and other problematic provisions are
provided where appropriate.
Workers Compensation for Contractors
This course provides a general overview of standard workers compensation
and employers liability insurance, with specific attention to provisions
that most affect coverage or create problems for some or all contractors.
In addition to the standard policy provisions, key statutes that impact
contractors workers compensation exposure and costs, such as independent
contractor liability, employee leasing, overtime pay, and various federal
acts, are also addressed. Suggestions for modifying coverage to address
potential coverage gaps and other problematic provisions are provided where
appropriate.
CRIS Reaccreditation Courses Descriptions
Additional Insured Issues
This course on additional insured issues in construction provides
an introduction to important risk management and insurance concepts for
all contracting parties to a construction project. It provides an overview
of the ways in which insured status under another party’s insurance program
can be used as a risk transfer technique and examines in detail the terms
and conditions on which insured status is provided in all the major lines
of construction insurance. While other lines are also addressed, particular
emphasis is placed on additional insured status under general liability
insurance, since that is where the most important contractual risk transfers
are located. The course describes and analyzes standard endorsement language
used to make owners, contractors, subcontractors, lessors, and design professionals
insureds under another entity’s CGL policy. It explores complex and emerging
coverage issues such as “other insurance” concerns; recent revisions to
the most widely used CGL additional insured endorsements; problematic coverage
exposures such as completed operations and third-party-over suits; and relevant
caselaw interpreting the language under which additional insured status
is provided.
Contractors Pollution Liability
This contractors pollution liability course was developed to examine
the scope of contractors’ pollution liabilities, including the legal theories
upon which they are based. Pollution risks present unique challenges for
contractors. While some pollution incidents are immediately apparent, others
occur slowly, often undiscovered, for a period of time. In many cases, these
damages may fall within the pollution exclusions of their commercial insurance
policies. The scope of coverage for these risks under basic policies—including
the standard commercial general liability (CGL), business auto, and umbrella
policies—is examined in some detail, with specific attention to the risks
that are not covered under these policies. Finally, the course takes an
in-depth look at contractors pollution liability insurance and the scope
of coverage available under these policies. Contractors pollution liability
insurance is a nonstandard line of coverage; therefore, policy terms vary
from one form to another. This course examines both the many similarities
in these policies and the significant differences that can have a profound
impact on a contractor’s coverage. A detailed overview of the purpose and
function of contractors pollution liability insurance is provided, including
a discussion of coverage triggers, covered damages, exclusions, and policy
conditions, to name a few.
Controlled Insurance Programs
This course provides a basic understanding of controlled insurance
programs (CIPs), commonly referred to as “wrap-ups,” as they are currently
used in the United States. It discusses owner controlled programs (OCIPs)
and contractor controlled insurance programs (CCIPs), outlining the requirements
for a CIP to be feasible, possible problems that may arise and how to avoid
them, the important insurance coverage issues for sponsors and participating
contractors to consider, and administrative and safety programs that must
be implemented to ensure success. The text seeks to maintain a balanced
perspective, discussing sponsorship from both an owner’s and contractor’s
viewpoints and including much information on the issues often encountered
by participating contractors, along with suggestions for resolving them.
Thus, this course should be helpful to those who are considering the possibility
of sponsoring a CIP as well as those who work on projects insured in CIPs.
Design-Build Risks and Insurance
This design-build risk and insurance course was developed to provide
an introduction to important risk management techniques and concepts for
design-build construction project participants. It provides a general overview
of the design-build construction project delivery method, including the
advantages and potential disadvantages of this approach for both project
owners and the design-build team. Specific attention is given to the risks
encountered in design-build construction with an emphasis on those provisions
that present unique or non traditional risk allocations. Significant attention
is given to the scope of coverage contractors have for these risks in their
basic insurance program, as well as their professional liability insurance
policies. A detailed overview of the purpose and function of contractors
professional liability insurance and architects and engineers professional
liability insurance is provided, including a discussion of coverage triggers,
covered damages, exclusions, and policy conditions, to name a few.