[Insurance system. Prevention from viewpoint of the insurer]

The purpose of an insurance must not be restricted to the payment of claims to those insured persons who suffered a loss, for loss prevention is much preferable to claim settlement. A whole range of different institutions and measures has been established by the Swiss insurers, in which many insurance branches participate. The loss preventing activities can be listed as follows:--Activities of the fire insurers to prevent and fight fires. This is the prevailing duty of the Consulting Agency for Fire Prevention (BfB) as well as the Fire Prevention Service for Industry and Trade (BVD).--Activities of the accident insurers to prevent accidents. The fight against accidents, mostly traffic accidents, in sports and at home is the foremost task of the Swiss Council for the Prevention of Accidents (BfU), an institution created by the Conference of Accident Insurance Managers (UDK) and the Swiss National Accident Insurance Fund (SUVA).--The Health Service in life insurance, after all the periodical medical examinations and consultations granted by many insurers to their insured persons, as well as the pamphlets aiming at health education published by several Companies and finally institutions and measures to promote fitness, e.g. VITA-Parcours.