AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON JUNE 19, 1997

                                                     Registration No. 333-

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8

                          REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

           THE HARTFORD STEAM BOILER INSPECTION AND INSURANCE COMPANY
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

         Connecticut                     06-0384680
(State or other jurisdiction of       (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)      Identification number)

One State Street, Hartford, Connecticut
P.O. Box 5024                               06102-5024
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)    (Zip Code)

           THE HARTFORD STEAM BOILER INSPECTION AND INSURANCE COMPANY
                             1995 STOCK OPTION PLAN
                            (Full Title of the Plan)

                       R. Kevin Price, Corporate Secretary
           The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company
            One State Street, P.O. Box 5024, Hartford, CT 06102-5024
                                 (860) 722-1866
            (Name, address and telephone number, including area code
                              of Agent for Service)


               CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
===============================================================================
                                Proposed
                                Maximum    Proposed
                                Aggregate  Maximum
                      Amount    Offering   Aggregate    Amount of
Title of Securities    to be    Price per  Offering     Registration
To be Registered   Registered   Share(1)   Price(1)      Fee(1)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock,
no par value    1,850,000 shares  $52.625  $97,356,250   $29,501.89

(1)      Estimated  solely  for the  purpose  of  calculating  the amount of the
         registration  fee using the average of the high and low sales prices of
         the  Registrant's  Common Stock on June 11, 1997 as reported by the New
         York  Stock  Exchange  Composite   Transactions  Reporting  System,  in
         accordance with Rule 457(h).


<PAGE>


                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference

The following  documents  filed with the Commission are hereby  incorporated  by
reference in this Registration Statement:

(a) The Registrant's  Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
1996.

(b) All reports filed by the Registrant with the Commission  pursuant to Section
13(a) or 15(d) of the  Exchange  Act of 1934,  as  amended  since the end of the
fiscal year ended December 31, 1996.

(c)  The  description  of  the  Registrant's   Common  Stock  contained  in  its
registration statement filed on Form 8-A dated April 21, 1990.

All documents  subsequently filed by the Registrant  pursuant to Sections 13(a),
13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a  post-effective
amendment  which  indicates that all securities  offered have been sold or which
deregisters  all  securities  then  remaining  unsold,  shall  be  deemed  to be
incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the date of filing
of such documents.

Item 4.  Description of Securities

Not applicable.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Counsel and Experts

Certain legal matters in connection  with the Plan have been passed on by Robert
C. Walker,  Esquire,  Senior Vice President and General  Counsel to the Company.
Mr. Walker is eligible to participate in the plan. Mr. Walker's current holdings
in Registrant common stock consist of the following: 2,032 shares held directly,
approximately 303 shares held through the Registrant's Thrift Incentive Plan and
approximately 100 shares held through the Registrant's  Employee Stock Ownership
Plan, and 60,000 presently exercisable stock options.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers

Section 8 of the Company's Charter provides that to the fullest extent permitted
by the Connecticut General Statutes, the personal liability of a director to the
Company  or its  stockholders  for  monetary  damages  for  breach  of duty as a
director  shall be limited to an amount  that is

                                      -2-
<PAGE>

not less than the compensation received by such director for serving the Company
during the year of the violation.  This limitation does not apply to a breach of
duty of the director  which (i)  involves a knowing and culpable  violation by a
director;  (ii)  enables a director  or an  associate  to  receive  an  improper
personal  gain;  (iii) shows a lack of good faith and a conscious  disregard for
the duty of the director to a company under  circumstances in which the director
was aware that his conduct or omission created an unjustifiable  risk of serious
injury to the company;  (iv)  constitutes a sustained  and unexcused  pattern of
inattention  that  amounted  to an  abdication  of the  director's  duty  to the
company;  or (v) creates a  liability  for an  unlawful  distribution  under the
Connecticut Business Corporation Act ("CBCA").

The CBCA permits a corporation  to indemnify its directors and officers  against
liability  (including  judgments,  settlements,  penalties  and  fines)  if such
individual acted in good faith,  reasonably believed that his or her conduct was
in the  corporation's  best interests and, in the case of criminal  proceedings,
had no  reasonable  cause to  believe  his or her  conduct  was  unlawful.  In a
proceeding by or in the right of the corporation,  the corporation may indemnify
a director or officer  only for  reasonable  expenses,  and may not  indemnify a
director who is adjudged liable to the corporation. Indemnification is mandatory
when an officer or director is successful in the defense of any proceeding.  The
CBCA also permits a  corporation  to pay or reimburse  the  reasonable  expenses
incurred by a director who is a party to an action,  suit or proceeding (whether
civil,  criminal,  administrative  or  investigative)  in  advance  of the final
disposition of such action,  suit or proceeding  provided that (i) such director
affirms in writing  such  director's  good faith  belief  that the  standard  of
conduct required under the statute has been met; (ii) such director  furnishes a
written undertaking to repay the corporation if it is ultimately determined that
such  standard has not been met; and (iii) a  determination  is made pursuant to
the statute that the facts then known would not preclude  indemnification  under
the statute.

The Company (with respect to  indemnification  liability)  and its directors and
officers  (in  their  capacities  as such) are  insured  against  liability  for
wrongful acts (to the extent  defined) under an insurance  policy with limits of
$25,000,000.

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed

Not applicable.

Item 8.  Exhibits

See Exhibit Index attached hereto.

                                      -3-
<PAGE>

Item 9.  Undertakings

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) to file,  during  any  period in which  offers or sales  are being  made,  a
post-effective  amendment to this registration statement to include any material
information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in
the  registration  statement or any material  change to such  information in the
registration statement;

(2) that, for the purpose of determining  any liability under the Securities Act
of  1933,  each  such  post-effective  amendment  shall  be  deemed  to be a new
registration  statement  relating to the  securities  offered  therein,  and the
offering of such  securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof;

(3) to remove from  registration by means of a  post-effective  amendment any of
the securities  being  registered  which remain unsold at the termination of the
offering;

(4) that, for purposes of determining  any liability under the Securities Act of
1933, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or
Section 15(d) of the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934 (and,  where  applicable,
each filing of an employee  benefit  plan's  annual  report  pursuant to Section
15(d) of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference
in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein,  and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

Insofar as indemnification  for liabilities  arising under the Securities Act of
1933 may be permitted to  directors,  officers  and  controlling  persons of the
registrant pursuant to the foregoing  provisions,  or otherwise,  the registrant
has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities  and Exchange  Commission
such  indemnification  is against  public  policy as expressed in the Act and is
therefore,  unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against
such liabilities  (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred
or paid by a director,  officer or  controlling  person of the registrant in the
successful  defense of any  action,  suit or  proceeding)  is  asserted  by such
director,  officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been  settled by  controlling  precedent,  submit to a court of  appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such  indemnification  by

                                      -4-
<PAGE>

it is against  public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the
final adjudication of such issue.




                                      -5-
<PAGE>


                                   SIGNATURES


         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  the
registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement  to be  signed  on its  behalf  by  the  undersigned,  thereunto  duly
authorized,  in the City of Hartford, State of Connecticut,  on this 19th day of
June 1997.

                                               THE HARTFORD STEAM BOILER
                                               INSPECTION AND INSURANCE COMPANY


                                              By: /s/ Gordon W. Kreh, President
                                                      Gordon W. Kreh, President

Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities Act of 1933,  this  registration
statement has been signed below by the following  persons in the  capacities and
on the date indicated.

(Signature)                                          (Title)


/s/ Gordon W. Kreh                       President, Chief Executive Officer
Gordon W. Kreh                           and Director


/s/ Saul L. Basch                        Senior Vice President, Treasurer
Saul L. Basch                            and Chief Financial Officer (Principal
                                         Financial Officer and Principal
                                         Accounting Officer)


(Richard G. Booth)*                      Director

(Colin G. Campbell)*                     Director

(Richard G. Dooley)*                     Director

(William B. Ellis)*                      Director

(E. James Ferland)*                      Director

(Lois D. Rice)*                          Director

(John M. Washburn, Jr.)*                 Director

                                      -6-
<PAGE>

(Wilson Wilde)*                          Director



*By:     /s/ Robert C. Walker
         Robert C. Walker
         Attorney-in-Fact
         June 19, 1997


                                      -7-
<PAGE>

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

EXHIBIT NUMBER                                                       PAGE NO.

5(i)              Opinion of Robert C.                                  9
                  Walker as to the legality
                  of the shares of common
                  stock being registered

24(i)(a)          Consent of Coopers &                                 11
                  Lybrand

     (b)          Consent of Robert C.                                  9
                  Walker (contained in
                  opinion listed in
                  Exhibit 5(i)

25                Power of Attorney                                    12


                                      -8-
<PAGE>
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "secsgml_size_bytes": 13001}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "HARTFORD STEAM BOILER INSPECTION & INSURANCE CO", "cik": "0000310823", "assigned-sic": "6331", "irs-number": "060384680", "state-of-incorporation": "CT", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-29605", "film-number": "97627137"}, "business-address": {"street1": "ONE STATE ST", "city": "HARTFORD", "state": "CT", "zip": "06102", "phone": "2037221866"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "ONE STATE STREET", "street2": "P.O. BOX 5024", "city": "HARTFORD", "state": "CT", "zip": "06102-5024"}}
AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON JUNE 19, 1997

                                                     Registration No. 333-

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8

                          REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

           THE HARTFORD STEAM BOILER INSPECTION AND INSURANCE COMPANY
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

         Connecticut                     06-0384680
(State or other jurisdiction of       (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)      Identification number)

One State Street, Hartford, Connecticut
P.O. Box 5024                               06102-5024
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)    (Zip Code)

           THE HARTFORD STEAM BOILER INSPECTION AND INSURANCE COMPANY
                             1995 STOCK OPTION PLAN
                            (Full Title of the Plan)

                       R. Kevin Price, Corporate Secretary
           The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company
            One State Street, P.O. Box 5024, Hartford, CT 06102-5024
                                 (860) 722-1866
            (Name, address and telephone number, including area code
                              of Agent for Service)

               CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
===============================================================================
                                Proposed
                                Maximum    Proposed
                                Aggregate  Maximum
                      Amount    Offering   Aggregate    Amount of
Title of Securities    to be    Price per  Offering     Registration
To be Registered   Registered   Share(1)   Price(1)      Fee(1)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock,
no par value    1,850,000 shares  $52.625  $97,356,250   $29,501.89

(1)      Estimated  solely  for the  purpose  of  calculating  the amount of the
         registration  fee using the average of the high and low sales prices of
         the  Registrant's  Common Stock on June 11, 1997 as reported by the New
         York  Stock  Exchange  Composite   Transactions  Reporting  System,  in
         accordance with Rule 457(h).
PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference

The following  documents  filed with the Commission are hereby  incorporated  by
reference in this Registration Statement:

(a) The Registrant's  Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
1996.

(b) All reports filed by the Registrant with the Commission  pursuant to Section
13(a) or 15(d) of the  Exchange  Act of 1934,  as  amended  since the end of the
fiscal year ended December 31, 1996.

(c)  The  description  of  the  Registrant's   Common  Stock  contained  in  its
registration statement filed on Form 8-A dated April 21, 1990.

All documents  subsequently filed by the Registrant  pursuant to Sections 13(a),
13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a  post-effective
amendment  which  indicates that all securities  offered have been sold or which
deregisters  all  securities  then  remaining  unsold,  shall  be  deemed  to be
incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the date of filing
of such documents.

Item 4.  Description of Securities

Not applicable.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Counsel and Experts

Certain legal matters in connection  with the Plan have been passed on by Robert
C. Walker,  Esquire,  Senior Vice President and General  Counsel to the Company.
Mr. Walker is eligible to participate in the plan. Mr. Walker's current holdings
in Registrant common stock consist of the following: 2,032 shares held directly,
approximately 303 shares held through the Registrant's Thrift Incentive Plan and
approximately 100 shares held through the Registrant's  Employee Stock Ownership
Plan, and 60,000 presently exercisable stock options.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers

Section 8 of the Company's Charter provides that to the fullest extent permitted
by the Connecticut General Statutes, the personal liability of a director to the
Company  or its  stockholders  for  monetary  damages  for  breach  of duty as a
director  shall be limited to an amount  that is

                                      -2-
not less than the compensation received by such director for serving the Company
during the year of the violation.  This limitation does not apply to a breach of
duty of the director  which (i)  involves a knowing and culpable  violation by a
director;  (ii)  enables a director  or an  associate  to  receive  an  improper
personal  gain;  (iii) shows a lack of good faith and a conscious  disregard for
the duty of the director to a company under  circumstances in which the director
was aware that his conduct or omission created an unjustifiable  risk of serious
injury to the company;  (iv)  constitutes a sustained  and unexcused  pattern of
inattention  that  amounted  to an  abdication  of the  director's  duty  to the
company;  or (v) creates a  liability  for an  unlawful  distribution  under the
Connecticut Business Corporation Act ("CBCA").

The CBCA permits a corporation  to indemnify its directors and officers  against
liability  (including  judgments,  settlements,  penalties  and  fines)  if such
individual acted in good faith,  reasonably believed that his or her conduct was
in the  corporation's  best interests and, in the case of criminal  proceedings,
had no  reasonable  cause to  believe  his or her  conduct  was  unlawful.  In a
proceeding by or in the right of the corporation,  the corporation may indemnify
a director or officer  only for  reasonable  expenses,  and may not  indemnify a
director who is adjudged liable to the corporation. Indemnification is mandatory
when an officer or director is successful in the defense of any proceeding.  The
CBCA also permits a  corporation  to pay or reimburse  the  reasonable  expenses
incurred by a director who is a party to an action,  suit or proceeding (whether
civil,  criminal,  administrative  or  investigative)  in  advance  of the final
disposition of such action,  suit or proceeding  provided that (i) such director
affirms in writing  such  director's  good faith  belief  that the  standard  of
conduct required under the statute has been met; (ii) such director  furnishes a
written undertaking to repay the corporation if it is ultimately determined that
such  standard has not been met; and (iii) a  determination  is made pursuant to
the statute that the facts then known would not preclude  indemnification  under
the statute.

The Company (with respect to  indemnification  liability)  and its directors and
officers  (in  their  capacities  as such) are  insured  against  liability  for
wrongful acts (to the extent  defined) under an insurance  policy with limits of
$25,000,000.

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed

Not applicable.

Item 8.  Exhibits

See Exhibit Index attached hereto.

                                      -3-
Item 9.  Undertakings

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) to file,  during  any  period in which  offers or sales  are being  made,  a
post-effective  amendment to this registration statement to include any material
information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in
the  registration  statement or any material  change to such  information in the
registration statement;

(2) that, for the purpose of determining  any liability under the Securities Act
of  1933,  each  such  post-effective  amendment  shall  be  deemed  to be a new
registration  statement  relating to the  securities  offered  therein,  and the
offering of such  securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof;

(3) to remove from  registration by means of a  post-effective  amendment any of
the securities  being  registered  which remain unsold at the termination of the
offering;

(4) that, for purposes of determining  any liability under the Securities Act of
1933, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or
Section 15(d) of the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934 (and,  where  applicable,
each filing of an employee  benefit  plan's  annual  report  pursuant to Section
15(d) of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference
in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein,  and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

Insofar as indemnification  for liabilities  arising under the Securities Act of
1933 may be permitted to  directors,  officers  and  controlling  persons of the
registrant pursuant to the foregoing  provisions,  or otherwise,  the registrant
has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities  and Exchange  Commission
such  indemnification  is against  public  policy as expressed in the Act and is
therefore,  unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against
such liabilities  (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred
or paid by a director,  officer or  controlling  person of the registrant in the
successful  defense of any  action,  suit or  proceeding)  is  asserted  by such
director,  officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been  settled by  controlling  precedent,  submit to a court of  appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such  indemnification  by

                                      -4-
it is against  public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the
final adjudication of such issue.

                                      -5-
SIGNATURES

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  the
registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement  to be  signed  on its  behalf  by  the  undersigned,  thereunto  duly
authorized,  in the City of Hartford, State of Connecticut,  on this 19th day of
June 1997.

                                               THE HARTFORD STEAM BOILER
                                               INSPECTION AND INSURANCE COMPANY

                                              By: /s/ Gordon W. Kreh, President
                                                      Gordon W. Kreh, President

Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities Act of 1933,  this  registration
statement has been signed below by the following  persons in the  capacities and
on the date indicated.

(Signature)                                          (Title)

/s/ Gordon W. Kreh                       President, Chief Executive Officer
Gordon W. Kreh                           and Director

/s/ Saul L. Basch                        Senior Vice President, Treasurer
Saul L. Basch                            and Chief Financial Officer (Principal
                                         Financial Officer and Principal
                                         Accounting Officer)

(Richard G. Booth)*                      Director

(Colin G. Campbell)*                     Director

(Richard G. Dooley)*                     Director

(William B. Ellis)*                      Director

(E. James Ferland)*                      Director

(Lois D. Rice)*                          Director

(John M. Washburn, Jr.)*                 Director

                                      -6-
(Wilson Wilde)*                          Director

*By:     /s/ Robert C. Walker
         Robert C. Walker
         Attorney-in-Fact
         June 19, 1997

                                      -7-
EXHIBIT INDEX

EXHIBIT NUMBER                                                       PAGE NO.

5(i)              Opinion of Robert C.                                  9
                  Walker as to the legality
                  of the shares of common
                  stock being registered

24(i)(a)          Consent of Coopers &                                 11
                  Lybrand

     (b)          Consent of Robert C.                                  9
                  Walker (contained in
                  opinion listed in
                  Exhibit 5(i)

25                Power of Attorney                                    12

                                      -8-