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
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
The weight of a scissor lift rests on four small, hard wheels. That creates a point load which an upper floor, a parking deck or a basement deck cannot necessarily take. Sagging or cracking means damage to your client's building and therefore liability, not own damage. Asking the building manager for the load capacity and recording that in writing is therefore not a formality but your defence.
The second risk is above the machine. A platform moving upwards enters the zone of sprinkler heads, cable trays, air ducts and lighting. A sprinkler head that is struck floods a building, and that water damage to contents and stock runs higher than any damage to machinery. Look before you go up and limit the final height if there are services in the way.
Third: a machine built for indoor use is soon operating well beyond the limits of its specification outdoors. Small wheels on gravel or an uneven building site, and wind on an extended platform, are the usual causes of tipping. We test that use when applying for your plant and machinery insurance.
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Liability
Third-party liability for plant and machinery
Damage you cause to others with the machine.
Compulsory on public roads
Also during work
Cables and pipes separately
The machine itself
Own-damage cover
Damage to the machine, the body and the attachments.
Fire and storm
Theft from the site
Overturning and collision
Extensions
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.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
The floor has to be able to take the weight
On an upper floor, parking deck or basement deck the question is whether the structure can take the point load of four wheels plus the platform and the people on it. Ask the building manager for the permitted floor loading and record in writing that you did so. Use load-spreading platesif necessary. If the floor sags, that is damage to someone else's building and the load figure you obtained becomes the heart of the file.
Everything hanging above you is vulnerable
Sprinkler heads, cable trays, air ducts, lighting and ceiling grilles sit at exactly the height at which you are working. A sprinkler head that is struck causes water damage to contents and stock throughout the building. That is liability towards the owner and the tenants. Establish what is above the platform before you go up and limit the lifting height if services are in the way.
Built for indoors, used outdoors
Most scissor lifts have small wheels, a limited permitted gradient and a low wind class. On a building site with gravel, ruts or an unmade surface such a machine tips over at the smallest unevenness. If you work outdoors, choose a version intended for that; use outside the specification is not an unforeseen event but a ground for exclusion in the policy.
Platform, people and the inspection
Overloading the platform, stepping out of the basket at height or material shifting on the guard rail are familiar causes of falls and tipping incidents. If your own employee is injured in the process, the duty of care in Article 7:658 of the Dutch Civil Code applies and employer's liability cover comes into play. An expired periodic inspection can in itself also be a reason to refuse payment.
What does your premium depend on?
Platform height and own weight. Heavier and taller versions put more strain on floors and increase the consequences of tipping.
Indoor or outdoor version. A machine with rough-terrain wheels and a higher wind class is assessed differently from an indoor model.
Type of locations. Work in shops, warehouses and car parks with services overhead weighs heavily.
Inspection status. An up-to-date inspection log is a condition of acceptance for these machines and not a recommendation.
Hiring out or use by third parties. Operation by people who are not employed by you has to be expressly insured.
Claims history and excess. Earlier damage to buildings or services helps determine the premium and the excess chosen.
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.
Who pays for a parking deck floor that has given way?
That is damage to someone else's building and falls under liability, not under own-damage cover. The assessment turns on whether you asked for the permitted floor loading and whether you used load-spreading plates. If you can show that the building manager stated the loading in writing and that you stayed within it, your position in the discussion is considerably stronger.
Am I insured if I hit a sprinkler head?
The water damage that follows is damage to third-party property and belongs in the liability section. The amount can run up considerably because the contents and stock of several tenants may go with it. So set your sum insured to match the buildings in which you work. Check what is hanging above the platform before you go up and limit the lifting height.
May I use a scissor lift outdoors?
Only if the machine is built for it. Standard versions have small wheels, a low permitted gradient and a limited wind class. If the machine tips over outside that specification, that is not an unforeseen event but use contrary to the usage limits, and that is an exclusion. For outdoor work choose a rough-terrain version and check the stated wind class.
What if the machine's inspection has expired?
The insurer can then refuse to pay, even where the cause of the loss has nothing to do with the inspection. A valid periodic inspection is included as a policy condition. That affects both damage to the machine and third-party claims. Keep the inspection log with the machine and put the expiry date in the same diary as your other inspection obligations.
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.
