Warehouse plant drives indoors, between racking and people: the loss lies in the racking upright that has been hit, in the load on the pallet and in the colleague who gets trapped.
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In brief
Hand pallet trucks, electric pallet trucks, stackers and order pickers are internal transport equipment. They rarely go onto the public road, so the insurance obligation under the WAM usually plays no part and the emphasis lies entirely on liability inside the building and on own-damage cover against fire and damage.
Two things make this category distinctive. First the inspection requirement: lifting and hoisting equipment has to be inspected periodically under the Dutch Working Conditions Decree, and where there is injury an expired inspection certificate is immediately a reproach directed at you. Second the load: what sits on the forks is property in your care.
Injury to an employee who is struck or trapped runs through Article 7:658 of the Dutch Civil Code. If your employee hits a third party, Article 6:170 of the Dutch Civil Code comes into play. The equipment itself belongs on the plant and machinery insurance.
Pallet trucks and warehouse equipment: what is covered?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
For third parties
Liability
Damage you cause to others with the machine.
Cables and pipes
Damage to crops or buildings
Injury to bystanders
The machine itself
Own-damage cover
Damage, theft and usually inherent defect as well.
Theft and vandalism
Fire and storm
Inherent defect and operating error
Around the work
Extensions
What matters besides the machine itself.
Attached parts
Transport to the site
Downtime and hired plant
What is covered
Situation
Liability
Own-damage cover
Damage to crops, buildings or pipes and cables
Yes
No
Theft of the machine
No
Sometimes
Fire or storm damage
No
Yes
Inherent defect or operating error
No
Sometimes
Blades, teeth and tyres worn out
No
No
Deferred maintenance
No
No
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.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
A racking upright that has been hit is not a small loss
Pallet racking is designed for vertical loading. A deformed upright loses a large part of its load-bearing capacity. After an impact the bay has to be emptied and assessed, and that means downtime in that aisle. The repair falls under liability if the building or the racking belongs to someone else. If you conceal an impact and the racking collapses later, Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code comes into play for the building owner as well.
The load on the forks is care, custody and control
If a pallet of a customer's goods tips over, that is damage to property in your care, custody and control and that section is excluded or restricted on most liability policies. If you work as a logistics service provider, that risk is carried by goods or carrier's liability cover, not by the plant policy. Arrange this in advance, because the size of one toppled pallet of electronics comfortably exceeds the value of the truck.
Inspection and instruction are not paperwork
The Working Conditions Decree requires periodic inspection of lifting and hoisting equipment, with an inspection record for each machine. Every operator must also have demonstrably been instructed. If either is missing when an accident occurs, your defence under Article 7:658 of the Dutch Civil Code has virtually no chance of succeeding and the insurer can refuse the own-damage claim for breach of the operating instructions. Agency workers and holiday staff are the most common gap here.
The battery charger is the fire point
Electric warehouse equipment is charged overnight, often in a corner of the hall next to packaging material. Charging fires with lead and lithium batteries are a well-known cause of a whole warehouse burning down. Insurers therefore set requirements for a separate charging area, ventilation and the use of the original charger. Battery degradation itself, that is a battery losing its capacity, is never insured: that is wear.
Theft and security
For higher values, insurers require a tracker and agreements on where the machine is kept outside working hours.
Wearing parts remain excluded everywhere
Blades, teeth, cutting edges, tracks and tyres are wearing parts and are not insured anywhere; only sudden damage is covered. Deferred maintenance is also a ground for exclusion. A demonstrable maintenance regime with a logbook is therefore not only good management but also strengthens your position in a claim.
Number and type of units. Hand trucks, electric pallet trucks, stackers and order pickers each have their own risk profile and value.
Nature of the goods stored. Valuable or flammable stock increases both the care, custody and control component and the fire component of the risk.
Layout of the hall. Aisle width, impact protection on racking legs and separation of walking and driving routes count at acceptance.
Charging facilities for batteries. A separate, ventilated charging area reduces the fire risk; charging among the stock increases it sharply.
Inspection regime and operator instruction. Up-to-date inspection reports and recorded instruction limit argument after an accident and affect acceptance.
Working at your own site or at customers'. Equipment taken along and used at customers' premises brings a transport risk and cover at changing locations with it.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, your risk and your 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.
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.
Does an electric pallet truck have to be inspected every year?
Lifting and hoisting equipment falls under the inspection obligation in the Working Conditions Decree. The frequency depends on use, but annually is common practice. The inspection record should stay with the machine. After an accident that is the first document the Labour Authority and the insurer ask for. An expired inspection certificate makes your position under Article 7:658 of the Dutch Civil Code considerably weaker.
Is the stock I move insured as well?
Not on the plant policy. Goods you handle with the forks are property in your care and that section is excluded as standard or insured up to a limited amount. For customers' stock, goods or logistics liability cover is the right place. For your own stock that is the commercial business contents and goods policy, not the cover on the handling equipment.
What if an agency worker hits a colleague?
As the hirer you are responsible for a safe workplace and for instruction, including for temporary staff. Injury to the employee who was struck runs through Article 7:658 of the Dutch Civil Code against the employer and often against the hirer as well. The driver's own mistake is attributed to you under Article 6:170 of the Dutch Civil Code. So always record instruction given to agency workers in writing.
Is theft of warehouse equipment covered?
Yes, provided the equipment appears on the policy schedule and the location has been declared. Hand pallet trucks are often forgotten because they represent little value, but electric stackers and order pickers are certainly a target. Insurers look at the security of the building and at whether the keys or battery keys are stored separately after working hours.
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.
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