Third-party liability for plant and machinery
- Compulsory on public roads
- Also during work
- Cables and pipes separately
Machinery breakdown insurance
Machinery breakdown insurance covers precisely what a fire or contents policy excludes: damage that arises from within, without anything having happened from outside.
- several insurers compared objectively
- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
- AFM licence 12016589
- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
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The calculator and the quote form below are in Dutch. Prefer to do this in English? Email info@finassverzekert.nl or call 072 - 509 24 56 and we will take it from there.
Work out for yourself what it would cost.
Enter your details; you will receive a proposal within one working day.
- We compare the offerings of several insurers
- An adviser checks whether the cover suits your activities
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
- Independent advice
- Several insurers
- Switching arranged
- Help with claims
In brief
An ordinary business contents or business interruption insurance works with perils that strike the machine from outside: fire, lightning, storm, burglary, water. If something breaks inside the machine itself — a gearwheel that fractures, a bearing that seizes, a control board that burns out, an employee who starts the wrong programme. There is no external peril to point to and that policy does not pay. Machinery breakdown insurance fills exactly that gap: sudden and unforeseen physical damage to the machine itself, including where the cause lies within the item.
The causes covered generally include inherent defect, faults in material, construction and casting, short circuit and overvoltage, overheating, parts working loose, centrifugal force and operating errors by your own staff. That last point is precisely the difference from a warranty: a supplier makes good his own mistake, but not that of your operator.
The bill often lies not in the component but in the downtime. The business interruption after machinery breakdown extension pays for the loss of gross profit during the indemnity period. On a line with one critical machine that extension is the actual product. The repair of the machine is then the smallest item. If equipment is on site, also look at Construction all risks (CAR) insurance, which has its own regime during installation and testing.
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What does machinery breakdown insurance cover?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Own-damage cover
Damage to the machine, the body and the attachments.
- Fire and storm
- Theft from the site
- Overturning and collision
Extensions
What you add separately.
- Inherent defect and machinery breakdown
- Transport to the site
- Hired plant
What is covered
| Situation | Third-party liability for plant and machinery | Own-damage cover |
|---|---|---|
| Damage to a building or a parked car next to the site | Yes | No |
| Theft of the machine from the building site | No | Provided that |
| Fire and storm damage | No | Yes |
| Inherent defect in the hydraulics or the engine | No | Provided that |
| Damage to the item you are working on with the machine | No | No |
| Wear and deferred maintenance | No | No |
Mobile plant is a motor vehicle within the meaning of the WAM and needs third-party liability insurance on public roads; non-mobile plant does not. Damage to cables and pipes is generally only covered if the excavation notification has been made and the trial trenches have been dug. The item you work on with the machine falls under the care, custody and control exclusion.
This overview is general in nature and is not personal advice. What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) of the insurer; you receive both before you take out cover. Taking out cover without advice? Then read what execution only means for you.
What does your premium depend on?
- Replacement value as new and type of machine. The replacement value of each insured item is the basis. A CNC machining centre, a compressed air installation and a refrigeration compressor each have their own pattern of losses.
- Age and reconditioning history. The older a machine is, the higher the chance of an inherent defect and the lower the availability of parts, and both feed through into the premium.
- Intensity of use and shift work. A machine running three shifts clocks up in one year the operating hours of several years of single-shift use and is under greater strain.
- Maintenance regime and records. Preventive maintenance following the manufacturer's schedule, with recorded vibration or oil analysis, reduces both the risk and the scope for argument after a loss.
- Indemnity period for business interruption. The period chosen has to match the delivery time of critical parts. The longer the period, the higher the premium for the downtime section.
- Redundancy in the production line. If there is a second machine or an alternative route, the downtime loss is limited and that weighs in acceptance.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
- You request a quoteWe take stock of your activities, turnover and wishes.
- We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
- You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
- We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.
Why arrange it through Finass Verzekert?
We look at the terms as well as the premium, and stay your point of contact when there is a claim.
Independent
We are not tied to one insurer and compare on the basis of an objective analysis of several companies.
One fixed adviser
You call or email someone who knows your file. No menu options, no changing call centres.
Switching without hassle
We cancel your old policy and align the start date, so you are never a day without cover.
Help with claims
We report the claim and monitor how it is handled. In urgent cases you can reach us on the emergency line.
9.5New policy
9.8Claims handling
Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
Wear is the dividing line, not the defect
Every machinery breakdown policy excludes gradual deterioration: wear, corrosion, attack, drying out, limescale and ageing. The insurer pays for the sudden consequence, not for the worn part that was the cause. If a bearing seizes because the lubrication had been inadequate for months, you bear the bearing yourself and the policy pays for the consequential damage to the shaft and the housing. Your maintenance records decide which side of that line your case falls.
Consumable parts and tooling are outside the cover as standard
Parts which by their nature are replaced regularly are not included: cutting tools, dies, rolls, screens, filters, belts, hoses, refractory linings, oil, coolant and batteries. Also, damage arising solely to those parts themselves is excluded. If the damage extends to the base part of the machine, that consequential damage is usually insured. Have the boundary between replaceable part and machine part recorded when you apply.
Base the indemnity period on the delivery time
With specialist or bespoke machines the decisive factor is not the repair but the wait for a part. An indemnity period of 52 weeks looks generous, but is too short for a single production line with a long delivery time. Establish for each machine who the supplier is, whether parts are still available and whether a reconditioning alternative exists, and set the period accordingly.
Warranty, maintenance contract and policy each cover something different
A supplier who puts right a construction fault under warranty does so on the basis of the contract. If the fault stems from your own operation or the warranty period has expired, there is no party to recover from. Insurers exclude damage which a third party must pay under contract or by law: if that obligation no longer exists, the policy comes into play. Keep terms of delivery and maintenance reports; they determine who is first in line.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
What is the difference from my contents or fire insurance?
A contents policy covers perils that strike the machine from outside, such as fire, storm, water and burglary. Machinery breakdown covers damage arising within the machine itself: inherent defect, fracture, short circuit, overheating and operating errors. So the two barely overlap. In the event of fire the loss falls under the fire policy, even if the fire started in the machine.
Is damage caused by an operating error by my employee covered?
Yes, that is one of the core causes of this cover: the wrong programme, an incorrect setting or improper use by your own staff falls within it. The exception is damage caused intentionally or through wilful recklessness. If the employee had demonstrably not been instructed for the machine, the insurer can call the payment into question.
Does the policy pay for my lost turnover during the repair?
Only with the business interruption after machinery breakdown extension. The basic cover pays for the repair or replacement of the machine and nothing more. The extension pays for the loss of gross profit within an agreed indemnity period, which you have to base on the delivery time of parts and not on the repair time itself.
Why does the insurer point to wear in my claim?
Because gradual deterioration (wear, corrosion, attack) is excluded in every policy. The loss adjuster looks for the moment at which the damage occurred suddenly. The worn part that was the cause is at your expense. The consequential damage to the rest of the machine usually is not. Complete maintenance records are your strongest argument in that discussion.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
- Compare plant and machinery insuranceThe main page
- A mower on the plant and machinery insuranceThrown debris, third parties, terrain
- Insuring harvesting machinerySeasonal peak, fire, downtime
- An excavator on plant and machinery insuranceCable damage, theft, tracks
- Insuring a ride-on mowerLow value, liability, objects thrown out
- Insuring plant and machinery for self-employed professionalsYour own machines, care, custody and control, hired equipment
- Machinery breakdown insurance through AllianzInherent defect, downtime, compared
- A pallet truck on the plant and machinery insuranceIndoors, injury, goods
- Which plant and machinery policies are there?Third-party liability under the WAM, own-damage, the boundary with the AVB
Read more
Within Werkmaterieelverzekering
Ready to compare?
Request a quote without obligation. We will look at which insurer best matches your activities and your risk.
Prefer to call? 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 09:00–17:00.
Claim on the road? Emergency line 06 - 55 20 40 72.
About our service
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
You will find our licence, KvK and Kifid details and our complaints procedure at the foot of every page.
This page was compiled by Finass Verzekert (LinkedIn). Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.