Fire and water remain the two most frequent and severe loss drivers on construction sites, yet they are increasingly interlinked risks in today’s complex project environments — where temporary services, evolving materials, climate volatility and compressed schedules heighten exposure. While traditional controls focus on compliance and post-event response, early-warning alert technologies for fire detection, water ingress and system failures are reshaping how these risks can be managed proactively.

This session examines why fire and water losses continue to dominate construction claims, how early-warning and sensor-based solutions materially reduce loss severity and what this means for insurability, claims outcomes and project continuity. Aimed at experienced risk professionals, the presentation focuses on how risk managers can move ahead of the curve — embedding early detection into project risk governance, aligning contractors and insurers around data-driven prevention and positioning their organisations for a future where real-time risk visibility becomes a prerequisite rather than a differentiator.