liability insurance for portable sawing?

[Duncan]

I am wondering if any of you out there have looked into liability insurance for portable milling.  I was haveing a problem with one of the overexcited offbearers (customer)  reaching in to pull boards off and just about had a coranary when he was getting close to the debarker.  The though passed through my mind that it would be a possibility of lost fingers or some such other accident...  Well putting me out of business.

Anyone had any accidents, suits, or other such experiences?

Kelly

[Kirk_Allen]

No accidents so far!

This months WM Way had a 2/3 page add from BC Palmer and Company, Inc. who is selling insurance for sawmills.  The number on the advertisement is 888-225-6371

[Kirk_Allen]

OK, feeling kinda stupid right now. 

I called the insurance company in the add and asked about the insurance and told them I wanted a quote. 

"Mr. ALlen, you should have recieved your statement but if you didnt we can send out another one."

Turns out they are my insurance provider, but they DO NOT OFFER liability. I have not found ANY CARRIER that will offer liability.

[dewwood]

I had an insurance agent call on me that specializes in sawmill and woodworking insurance.  I do not use him but will post the info for anyone that may be interested:

Gastineau Insurance Services
14937 M-89
Augusta, MI 49012

Tel: 269-731-4026

Agent name:Steve Emerling

I told him I would post this if anyone inquired about insurance so mention that you found out about him on The Forestry Forum.

[Gilman]

Duncan,
Do you want to call him, or should I?  :D

[MrMoo]

I looked into this last summer. I ended up talking to my insurance agent and also B. C. Palmer. Kirk is correct Palmer does not carry liability. My insurance agent gave me a quote of about $2500 for liability! My response was ya right.
For the time being I am pretty much sawing for myself. I was told by B. C. Palmer that if you are not getting paid your home owners will cover it but she did tell me to up the coverage. What I have done when sawing for someone else, which is usually someone I know, is too exchange labor for sawing. I saw for them & they do work for me. Works out well for me so far.
I also have safety rules. If someone works with me I go over them with him. No big deal but I state the obvious like stay away from the machine when the blade is running etc. So far everyone listens although I have had to talk to a buddy of mine a couple of times about going in front of the blade to adjust something.
Ooops I gotten long winded here.
Mike

[Captain]

We moved all of our insurance to Farm Family in order to get liability coverage of  the sawmill.  We have been very happy.  Now I just found out last week that they do not insure morotcycles, so my new used Harley Davidson has to be insured elsewhere.... :(

Captain

[rebocardo]

You know I tried to get insurance and everyone I called would not believe I worked by myself and some flat out called me a liar and all I wanted basically was property damage and not workers comp.

"How do you take a tree down all by yourself !"  The same way a beaver does it, though I do it quicker with a chain saw since my teeth aren't as strong.

One asked me why nooone worked with me (as a challenge) and I told him the only one I wanted to worry about getting killed or hurt was me and I was too cheap to pay anyone.

Instead of liability insurance, I would look at an umbrella policy for $1,000,000 and keep people away from me.

[Frank_Pender]

The underwriter for my agent is Red Shield Insurance Company.  The agent is in Portland, Oregon, at the following number: 1-800-344-5581. 

   I cost me a little of $600 a year for $28,000 property damage to the mill with a $1,000 deductable.  There is additonal Liability 300k in boddily andproperty, personal and advertising, general aggregate, products completed operations aggregate, 100k in fire damage, with 5k in medical expenseslimit. :'(

[Gilman]

Thanks Frank

[Arthur]

If you want liability cover including workers comp we use Lloyds of London directly.

Its NOT cheap and requires that the mill operator has a full certificate for mill operations and anyone working on site holds safety and other related certificates for the work they are doing, ie chainsaw, skidsteer, etc.

Covers ALL liability except tree felling.

arthur

[Brucer]

In Canada the A. P. Reid Insurance Stores offers their Woodchuck Insurance Program " ... designed
exclusively for the Portable Sawmill Industry."  My insurance agent just got a quote from them this
week (prices in Canadian dollars - multiply by 0.8 to get US equivalent).
- $2,000,000 liability ($1000 deductable)
- $20,000 fire/theft/damage for a WM sawmill ($500 deductable)
- $50,000 firefighting coverage (in case I start a forest fire with my mill  ;) )
The premium is $1075 per year and it covers milling at the customer's site and injury to
customers who are picking up lumber at my site.

It doesn't look like they serve US customers, but you might want to cruise their website and
possibly point your insurance agent/broker at it -- perhaps an American insurance company will
see an opportunity.

http://www.woodchuck.ca/

[Timo]

Brucer,

What? you didn't call ICBC??!! :D :D :D :D

Just kidding, I'm still bitter about what I get charged for my Motorcycle.......

Good tip, I was just about to look into that. Thanks!

[Brucer]

Well, yeah, I did call ICBC ... a lot of things. Most of them not repeatable on this forum  :D

Unfortunately, you still have to insure the mill for liability as a vehicle and the Woodchuck
program doesn't cover that. So ICBC does manage to get its piece of the action.

[Duncan]

Thanks for all of the helpful replies.

Currently I have insurance with BG balmer but it seems that there is better coverage available with same to lower prices.

Thanks for all the good information.

[Ga_Boy]

I tried to get insurance through:

Gasineau Insurance Service

They represent Pa. Lumbermans insrance.

The short version is this company does not insure protable sawmills.


Mark

[J_T]

Pull the wheels off it when you get where you going then :D :D

[AtLast]

I use United Underwriters in Troy Michigan... Ill get the number...I have $500,000.00 liability for $720.00 a year....if you want particulars let me know.

[Ga_Boy]

Atlast,

Send it.


A Peterson really does not have wheels, I dont count the rolllers and tires on the carrige.  I tried to talk my way around this, but these floks just were not interested in writing me a policy. ???





Mark

[woodmills1]

I am with Captain, go with Farm Family if they are near you and you can get in.

[Brucer]

Earlier in this topic I mentioned the "Woodchuck" insurance program which is designed specifically for portable
sawmills. When I posted my note, I was under the impression that they only did business in Canada. The
literature I just received from them indicates they insure mills in both Canada and the U.S. They designed
their program to be available through your local insurance agent (at no extra charge), so alll you need to do
is get your favourite agent in touch with them.

One warning -- their standard rates apply to "recognized" portable sawmills, meaning manufacturer's they've
recognized for their program. I'd guess this would cover most of the big names in portable milling. I doubt it
applies to home built mills. They'll insure non-recognized mills and stationary mills, but I expect the price will
be higher.

[Ga_Boy]

At last,

Sent you a e-mail and PM about your insurance.


Bruce,

Called about the Woodchuck program.  It is not sold across the border.



Mark

[stumpy]

AtLast... do you have a contact name and number for united underwriters?

[Gilman]

Just bringing this thread back to the top, seems pertinant to the other Insurance thread.

[gary]

this company was at sawlex and they will cover portable sawmills.  Hummel insurance agency.
www.hummelagency.com        They said  1 million liablity and twenty thousand property would cost me about one thousand a year.

[bull]

I joined Farm Bureau and switched everything over to Farm Family.  Saved more than half of what I had previously paid.... 
Home owners,on&off site Liability,outbuildings,Buisness equipment loss, Rider for portable mill etc.

[mometal77]

rebocardo
I have a pic somewhere where a log fell on a beavers head killing him.  I am sure he wished he had insurance for the kids.  And a will so the state wouldnt take everything from the family.
bob  :D

[Jeff]

If you look, that photo is on the forum. In about 20 places. :D  Right along with the V-8 chainsaw, and the over loaded car at a home-depot. 

[caryr]

Jeff,

I know of at least two V-8 chainsaws here in the NW and as I remember there is another in process. The one that wins a majority of the time has stopped by my place before. It is a very interesting beast to look at up close. Earlier in the day it had pinched the chain in a cut and ripped the harvester chain to shreds. It threw a small chunk of chain over the trees at the end of the event grounds. It was probably 300' out and 75' up and still climbing.

I don't have a mill yet so this thread has been interesting to read. I need to talk to a few friends and see what they do about insurance. I guess I should also see what I need to do about the kiln. It arrived yesterday.

Cary

[Gilman]

Hey thanks Jeff,
I'd never heard of th V8 chainsaw before.  Did a quick search on the new and greatly improved search engine and got this great video.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=9639.0