The aim of this paper is to illustrate the background of Industrial Assurance. The paper therefore contains as little technical detail as possible. Industrial Assurance is fundamentally similar to Ordinary Assurance, but the organization and administration of Industrial business varies from that of Ordinary business partly as a result of special legislation applicable to Industrial Assurance and partly as a result of the frequent collection of premiums at the home of the policyholder.

The technical and legal side of the business has been dealt with in various papers given before the Institute and the Students' Society. Little has been written of a descriptive character, and it is thought that an appreciation of the nature and day-to-day conduct of the business might help the student to get the technical side more easily into perspective. A problem in Industrial Assurance cannot be tackled from the point of view of Ordinary Assurance.