Third-party liability for plant and machinery
- Compulsory on public roads
- Also during work
- Cables and pipes separately
A pallet truck on the plant and machinery insurance
In a warehouse, equipment moves between employees and between stock that usually does not belong to you.
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- 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.
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- 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
Warehouse equipment stands out to insurers for a reason that has nothing to do with the machines: the goods. Anyone who stores, distributes or repacks for third parties constantly has customers' property in their care. If a pallet truck or order picker damages a pallet of someone else's merchandise, that is not own damage but the classic care, custody and control exclusion. Without a separate extension your most expensive risk is therefore uninsured.
The second point is the declaration itself. Hand pallet trucks, electric pallet trucks, pedestrian stackers and order pickers are rarely seen as plant and machinery because they are small and stay indoors. As a result they are not on the policy. If damage is caused by a machine that has not been declared anywhere, it falls outside the cover. So include your entire internal transport fleet, not just the trucks with a registration number or a type plate.
Third, there is the racking. A collision with an upright looks like a dent, but a damaged racking structure can collapse later, taking all the stock in that aisle with it. That makes a duty to report every collision and periodic racking inspection relevant to your plant and machinery insurance and to the fire policy for the building.
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Pallet trucks and warehouse equipment: what is covered?
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?
- Size of the internal transport fleet. The number of pallet trucks, stackers and order pickers declared forms the basis of the premium.
- Value of third-party goods. If you store for customers, the care, custody and control limit you want determines a large part of the liability premium.
- Racking height and layout. High warehouse racking increases the consequential loss of a collision or collapse.
- Activity levels and shift work. More movements per hour and working at night increase the chance of collisions involving people.
- Loading and unloading facilities. Docks with locking systems and dock levellers are assessed differently from unloading on open ground.
- Hiring in during peak periods. Temporarily hired equipment has to be declared separately to fall within the cover.
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.
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.
Customers' goods fall under care, custody and control
Everything you move, stack or store for someone else is in your care, and that is excluded as standard. A pallet that is hit, a stack that topples or packaging that is punctured is then not paid for. Storage and distribution businesses therefore need a care, custody and control extension or goods cover that matches the actual value in the building, not the value of your machines.
Small electric equipment often appears nowhere
An electric pallet truck, pedestrian stacker or order picker is plant and machinery with its own liability and own-damage risk, even without a registration number. Because they are small and never leave the building, they are forgotten in the declaration. Declare all mobile equipment with its type and value, including the machines you hire in occasionally during peak periods. What has not been declared does not count in a claim.
Racking that has been hit is not just a dent
An upright that has been struck loses load-bearing capacity and can still collapse weeks later, taking the stock of a whole aisle with it. So make it a rule that every collision is reported immediately and have racking inspected periodically. Without that regime the consequential loss of a collapse is hard to recover and the fire and stock insurer will also ask to see your maintenance records.
The loading dock is the most dangerous square metre
During loading and unloading, a lorry pulling away, an unsecured tail lift and a difference in level all come together. A pallet truck tipping off the dock or an employee being crushed produces injury to which the duty of care in Article 7:658 of the Dutch Civil Code applies. That liability is separate from this policy and belongs on employer's liability cover that dovetails with it.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Are customers' goods in my warehouse insured as well?
Not under own-damage cover. Property you store or move for someone else is in your care and therefore falls under the care, custody and control exclusion. Only with a care, custody and control extension or separate goods cover does that loss qualify. Set the limit to match the value that is in the building on an average day, because that figure is often higher than the value of your own equipment.
Do I have to declare an electric pallet truck as well?
Yes. Even without a registration number it is plant and machinery that can cause damage to people, to the building and to stock. Because these machines are small and stay indoors, they are consistently forgotten at the application stage. If damage is caused by a machine that has not been declared, it falls outside the cover. Go through your fleet each year and report additions and hired-in items.
What if I hit some racking and nothing happens?
Report it anyway. An upright that has been struck can lose load-bearing capacity without that being visible, and collapse at a later moment under a full load. If that happens, the stock of a whole aisle goes with it and both your insurer and the insurer of the building will ask whether the collision was reported and whether the racking was released after inspection.
Does injury at the loading dock fall under this insurance?
If it concerns your own employee, no. That claim runs through the duty of care in Article 7:658 of the Dutch Civil Code and belongs on employer's liability cover. If a haulier's driver is injured, that is a third party and the liability section comes into play. Make sure both covers dovetail, because at a dock both groups work side by side.
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Read more
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. Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.