That time of year plant insurance

[6feetdown]

All mod places I've worked are highly regulated where munitions are involved

 

[Monkeybusiness]

All mod places I've worked are highly regulated where munitions are involved

I know, it was tongue in cheek to a certain extent.
However, insurers are massively risk-averse and I’d imagine any mention of MOD sites would load premiums.
We used to predominantly cut trees around power lines for Scottish Power, WPD and National Grid. These companies all had their own authorisation protocols (largely based around national guidelines, but they all expanded massively on these with their own safety rules) and as a business we had to jump through a lot of hoops to work on all of these networks. In reality, because of the very strict protocols (which subsequently created a barrier to entry for firms who don’t do the job exactly by the book) that were largely rigorously enforced through regular audits (with the exception of National Grid, which was a joke in many ways!) we had to run a very tight ship.
All of my lads were expensively trained and assessed, and subsequently audited to the hilt (they are all very good guys, many of whom don’t work for me any more), and our kit also had to tick all of the boxes.
The NFU have insured my vehicles and tractors forever, I have a good working relationship with my local office, and they also insure me as a smallholder (I keep a few sheep etc). They however cannot/will not provide my business with insurance because of the perceived high risk we display… I’ve explained to them many times that what we do is highly controlled and massively regulated, and that they are happy to insure every farmer in the land who largely aren’t interested in risk assessments, training, LOLER, PUWER, working time directives, work at height regulations etc (which combines to make farming one of the most dangerous industries to be in) but that falls on deaf ears.
Mentioning MOD firing ranges must therefore put the shits up any insurer spoken to I’d have thought!

 

[V8Druid]

I know, it was tongue in cheek to a certain extent.
However, insurers are massively risk-averse and I’d imagine any mention of MOD sites would load premiums.
We used to predominantly cut trees around power lines for Scottish Power, WPD and National Grid. These companies all had their own authorisation protocols (largely based around national guidelines, but they all expanded massively on these with their own safety rules) and as a business we had to jump through a lot of hoops to work on all of these networks. In reality, because of the very strict protocols (which subsequently created a barrier to entry for firms who don’t do the job exactly by the book) that were largely rigorously enforced through regular audits (with the exception of National Grid, which was a joke in many ways!) we had to run a very tight ship.
All of my lads were expensively trained and assessed, and subsequently audited to the hilt (they are all very good guys, many of whom don’t work for me any more), and our kit also had to tick all of the boxes.
The NFU have insured my vehicles and tractors forever, I have a good working relationship with my local office, and they also insure me as a smallholder (I keep a few sheep etc). They however cannot/will not provide my business with insurance because of the perceived high risk we display… I’ve explained to them many times that what we do is highly controlled and massively regulated, and that they are happy to insure every farmer in the land who largely aren’t interested in risk assessments, training, LOLER, PUWER, working time directives, work at height regulations etc (which combines to make farming one of the most dangerous industries to be in) but that falls on deaf ears.
Mentioning MOD firing ranges must therefore put the shits up any insurer spoken to I’d have thought!

hot works used to be the same 99% of insurers ran a mile ... or loaded you massively ... fair play to my local NFU office they came and made their own assessment and covered me for a lot less than the previous (aviva) ever did

 

[Rob65]

hot works used to be the same 99% of insurers ran a mile ... or loaded you massively ... fair play to my local NFU office they came and made their own assessment and covered me for a lot less than the previous (aviva) ever did

Try using the words ‘hot works’ and ‘explosives ‘ in the same sentence to an insurance company. .

When some people think something is expensive they say “I’ll need a mortgage to cover that”. Our insurance is literally the price of a small house and I’m not exaggerating.

 

[Stroppymonkey]

Try using the words ‘hot works’ and ‘explosives ‘ in the same sentence to an insurance company. .

When some people think something is expensive they say “I’ll need a mortgage to cover that”. Our insurance is literally the price of a small house and I’m not exaggerating.

Our fleet and liability insurance is over £22000 this year. I could get a nice house with that as mortgage payment !

 

[V8Druid]

Our fleet and liability insurance is over £22000 this year. I could get a nice house with that as mortgage payment !

that's the level of premium Aviva were charging me for my insurances .. 'til I got NFU involved .. they quartered the premiums .. with better levels of cover

 

[doobin]

Jesus and I thought mine were high, I’m barely into five figures for fleet, plant and liability!

 

[Storrsy]

Make sure read the small print on the plant insurance. I had added cover for my own plant but when I looked into it it had to be in a locked compound every night. That’s not possible for me as my plant isn’t in a compound when it’s on site . When I queried it they wouldn’t budge.

I had the same with Trust insurance when I used to use them- completely pointless spending anymore money with them. I use Cornish Mutual now, not had to make a claim yet but I liked the fact they actually came out and looked at everything took serial numbers before insuring me

 

[Grahams]

Yeah, but don’t you work on MOD firing ranges? If I were your insurer I’d be loading your premiums pretty highly too, waiting for the inevitable claim for a new machine after you disturb a ‘missing’ anti-tank mine or similar!!!

Not very likely. Main thing is it is very niche so they don't have easy tables to assess the risk and like so much these days, the skilled underwriters are few and far between and most can't be bothered to work out the risk so refuse cover. The few that will cover us know we have very little chaoice so can price what they want.

 

[Storrsy]

Jesus and I thought mine were high, I’m barely into five figures for fleet, plant and liability!

Over £10k a year on insurance? Streuth.

 

[Smiffy]

Over £10k a year on insurance? Streuth.

That's just to insure the security van on the way back from the cash machine

 

[Canal Navvy]

That's just to insure the security van on the way back from the cash machine

Is that 'cash in Transit' ?

 

[Stroppymonkey]

I had the same with Trust insurance when I used to use them- completely pointless spending anymore money with them. I use Cornish Mutual now, not had to make a claim yet but I liked the fact they actually came out and looked at everything took serial numbers before insuring me

Cornish Mutual refused to insure me :-(

 

[Storrsy]

Cornish Mutual refused to insure me :-(

Did they say why?

I had the lovely Becky pay a visit- well worth the premium

 

[Stroppymonkey]

That's just to insure the security van on the way back from the cash machin

Did they say why?

I had the lovely Becky pay a visit- well worth the premium

Because we work with gas and water and electric and do hot works we are deemed too high a risk..

 

[doobin]

Over £10k a year on insurance? Streuth.

Soon adds up. Think it's approx 4.5k for plant and tools, 3k for motors and 2.5k for liability

 

[Brendan]

Ended up going through fsb in the end, didn't get a price from JCB after chasing a couple of times

 

[DaveDCB]

I’ve been using a broker call John peers from Wrexham
Couple of old Welsh women in a small office are really easy to deal with so have been using them for a few years now
I’ve never claimed so don’t know if they are any good when it comes to the crunch

John Peers Ltd
Heulwen, Old Road Bwlchgwyn, Wrexham LL11 5UG
Tel: 01978 758226

Just insured with these, very helpful and responsive - and cheaper than JCB!

So I’ve cancelled my last policy with JCB , im a customer of 20 years!! Took them 4 days to call me back to discuss policy change which is too slow in my book!

 

[Brendan]

Just insured with these, very helpful and responsive - and cheaper than JCB!

So I’ve cancelled my last policy with JCB , im a customer of 20 years!! Took them 4 days to call me back to discuss policy change which is too slow in my book!

Just had to renew public liability and fsb broker was over 1k cheaper than my old provider

 

[Simon edwards]

just chucking a scenario out there, currently have a contractors all risk policy and fleet to cover machines and vehicles and am a limited company.This currently comes to about 12 grand a year.
In an alternate universe I could run one van,several sub 3 ton mini diggers and be a sole trader/ owner operator.never taking on contracts or price work,just day rate man and machine.
Anyone currently insure this type of setup, am sort of looking at future options,what sort of policy and premiums would be required?