Third-party liability for plant and machinery
- Compulsory on public roads
- Also during work
- Cables and pipes separately
Insuring a scissor lift
On a scissor lift there is a person at height, and that moves the centre of gravity of the policy from physical damage to employer's liability and the inspection requirement.
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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
A scissor lift is lifting equipment used to work at height. Its own-damage value is limited in relation to what can go wrong: a platform that overturns, a sprinkler pipe that is struck or a fall from the working platform. The policy therefore consists of own-damage cover, liability and, where the machine is hired, cover for the hire company's equipment.
Two legal threads run through everything. Injury to the operator falls under Article 7:658 of the Dutch Civil Code: as the employer you have to show that you gave instruction, chose the right machine and required fall protection in the platform. Also, the inspection obligation for lifting and hoisting equipment under the Working Conditions Decree applies, with an inspection record kept with the machine.
If you hire the platform in, the hire agreement often transfers the risk to you in full. Your own policy then has to insure that hired plant expressly, otherwise you stand liable for the full replacement value. The structure of the cover is set out on the plant and machinery insurance.
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Scissor lift: 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?
- Working height and type of machine. Electric indoor machines and rough-terrain versions with diesel propulsion have different risk profiles.
- Working environment. Building site, industrial hall with installations or shop interior. The value of what you can hit differs considerably.
- Owned or hired. Hired plant calls for a separate section, with attention to the excess in the hire agreement.
- Inspection regime. Up-to-date inspection reports and a maintained inspection record are an acceptance condition for this equipment.
- Training of the operators. Demonstrable instruction or certification of everyone who operates the machine limits both the risk and the argument afterwards.
- Transport and storage between projects. Carriage on a trailer and overnight storage on the building site determine the theft and transport risk.
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.
Overturning is caused by the ground, not by the machine
Scissor lifts overturn on a slope, over an unfilled trench, on a manhole cover or on a floor that will not take the point loading of the wheels. If it is established that the tilt indicator had been bypassed, or that the machine was driven with the platform extended where that is not allowed, that counts as deliberately departing from the operating instructions and the own-damage claim is excluded. Assess and document the ground before setting up.
What hangs above you
Indoor work produces the most expensive third-party damage: a sprinkler pipe that is struck floods a whole hall, a cable tray that is driven into brings a production line to a standstill. The water damage is damage to property and is covered, but the business interruption losses of the client that follows from it is often restricted or excluded. Work in spaces with sprinklers and installations only with a work plan agreed in advance and a marked height limit.
Inspection and fall protection determine your position
The Working Conditions Decree requires periodic inspection of lifting and hoisting equipment. If the inspection is missing when an accident occurs, your defence under Article 7:658 of the Dutch Civil Code is practically hopeless and the insurer can refuse the physical damage claim as well. The same applies to failing to require or wear a harness where one is prescribed. Keep the inspection report, proof of instruction and toolbox talk records together for each machine.
Wind, hire and the things that are never covered
Every machine has a maximum wind speed in the instruction manual; continuing to work above it is an independent ground for exclusion. Also excluded are wear of tyres, hydraulic hoses and batteries, damage caused by overloading the platform, and damage arising because the machine has been used as a crane to lift loads. With hired plant the excess in the hire agreement also applies, which can differ from the one on your policy.
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.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Who is liable if someone falls out of the platform?
As the employer you are first in line. Under Article 7:658 of the Dutch Civil Code you have to show that you chose the right machine, gave instruction and required and enforced fall protection. If you cannot, you are liable, including where the employee was careless themselves; only intent or wilful recklessness on the part of the victim breaks that. This runs through your employer's liability, not through the own-damage cover.
Is a hired scissor lift covered on my policy?
Only if you have insured the hired plant section. The hire agreement places the risk of damage, theft and often loss of hire income with the hirer. Without that section you bear the replacement value yourself. Note the excess the hire company applies as well: that is separate from the excess on your own policy and can be considerably higher.
What happens if the inspection has expired?
You are then in breach of the Working Conditions Decree and you seriously weaken your position. Where there is injury, the missing inspection is held against you immediately under Article 7:658 of the Dutch Civil Code, and insurers use it as a ground to refuse the physical damage claim too, for breach of the operating instructions. The inspection record should stay with the machine, including when it is moved between projects.
May I lift a load with the platform?
No. A scissor lift is people-lifting equipment and not a crane. Hanging material on the railing, lifting a load outside the platform or having someone haul something up from the platform is use contrary to its intended purpose. If damage or injury results, the cover is excluded and you remain liable yourself for the consequences to third parties and to your own staff.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
- Compare plant and machinery insuranceThe main page
- Insuring an aerial work platformWorking at height, inspection, overturning
- Insuring an excavatorExcavation damage, KLIC notification, theft
- Insuring a telehandlerLifting and hoisting, attachments, inspection
- Insuring a forklift truckInternal transport, inspection, collisions
- Insuring a mobile craneLifting liability, lift plan, certification
- An aerial work platform on plant and machinery insuranceInspection, operator, ground conditions
- A scissor lift on plant and machinery insuranceIndoor work, floor loading, inspection
- Insuring a wheel loader and shovel loaderSite work, loading damage, tyre damage
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.