Employee wanting to borrow machinery

Highland Mule

Member
Livestock Farmer
Definitely speak to your insurance even if you go to do the job your self, check your covered for putting up sheds, I’m sure as soon a you use a telehandler for erecting buildings it becomes a mobile crane and has to be insured as such.

It’s all fine until that split second something goes wrong, just ask yourself could your business stand a massive hse fine if the sh!t hits the fan!

Worth pointing out that insurance doesn't normally cover HSE fines.
 

Fendt

Member
Under no circumstances would I be covered on my farm insurance to let an employee borrow any machine for their own gain. It would make no difference if I charged him for the use. I wouldn’t even be covered if I went and did the job for him as our insurance policy only covers me/the business for use in connection with the nature of the business, eg farming.

He could take out his own insurance on the machine for the day, but this apparently is also a very grey area. It is likely that it would cover him for accidental damage to our machine or to a third party’s property but they said that I would still be responsible for the condition of the machine as the owner and were something to happen that would cause this to be questioned or an accident happened with an injury to somebody where the potential claims can be huge, then our own insurance company would not be in any position to honour a claim as the machine is not being used in connection with our own business.
 

Highland Mule

Member
Livestock Farmer
Under no circumstances would I be covered on my farm insurance to let an employee borrow any machine for their own gain. It would make no difference if I charged him for the use. I wouldn’t even be covered if I went and did the job for him as our insurance policy only covers me/the business for use in connection with the nature of the business, eg farming.

He could take out his own insurance on the machine for the day, but this apparently is also a very grey area. It is likely that it would cover him for accidental damage to our machine or to a third party’s property but they said that I would still be responsible for the condition of the machine as the owner and were something to happen that would cause this to be questioned or an accident happened with an injury to somebody where the potential claims can be huge, then our own insurance company would not be in any position to honour a claim as the machine is not being used in connection with our own business.

In that case, I think you did the right thing by not giving it to him.
 

Werzle

Member
Location
Midlands
Under no circumstances would I be covered on my farm insurance to let an employee borrow any machine for their own gain. It would make no difference if I charged him for the use. I wouldn’t even be covered if I went and did the job for him as our insurance policy only covers me/the business for use in connection with the nature of the business, eg farming.

He could take out his own insurance on the machine for the day, but this apparently is also a very grey area. It is likely that it would cover him for accidental damage to our machine or to a third party’s property but they said that I would still be responsible for the condition of the machine as the owner and were something to happen that would cause this to be questioned or an accident happened with an injury to somebody where the potential claims can be huge, then our own insurance company would not be in any position to honour a claim as the machine is not being used in connection with our own business.
Worlds gone mad, when did everybody get so frightened.
 

Gordy1

Member
Our farm employee wants to borrow our JCB to help his Dad put some roof trusses up on a new shed he's building at home.
Don't want to be miserable and say he can't use it, not bothered about the fuel or the hours of use etc. I just really want to make sure we're right with insurance. Massive liability to us if something were to go wrong while he was doing something outside of the business use. Any thoughts?
What if the boys dad asked you to do for him then you could send the boy along as your driver ...... would that do the trick
 

puppet

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
sw scotland
We hire diggers in and use them for draining, land levelling or building works. We tell NFU the time on hire and value of the machine. The hire company does not insure it once here.
Same with a local farmer who hires out tractors. We get the cover arranged for each hire. He does not specify what we use it for.
Our farm policy allows us to contract ourselves out to other farmers but limited to 10% of its use. That covers helping neighbours.

The next issue for your telehandler is apart from insurance should it be on white diesel for building someone else's shed?
 

Fendt516profi

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Yorkshire
We hire diggers in and use them for draining, land levelling or building works. We tell NFU the time on hire and value of the machine. The hire company does not insure it once here.
Same with a local farmer who hires out tractors. We get the cover arranged for each hire. He does not specify what we use it for.
Our farm policy allows us to contract ourselves out to other farmers but limited to 10% of its use. That covers helping neighbours.

The next issue for your telehandler is apart from insurance should it be on white diesel for building someone else's shed?
I have the same on our policy neighbourly contracting. No the machine went to muck a shed out and load a spreader or trailer so fine on red
 

David.

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
J11 M40
You have read what OP has said above, having contacted his insurers.
This is the reason for the "Snowflake" in me saying what I said originally. It was proposed that OP sent his machine off farm, with an employee driving it, to do a job that is much more potentially dangerous than most straightforward farm handling tasks, which is what a telehandler is designed for.
Just ask anyone who uses his own properly specced telescopic machine on steel erecting what is involved in keeping HSE happy:eek:.
 

Hfd Cattle

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Hereford
Just had a 140 x 45 cattle shed put up. They used my Teleporter when putting it up . Wonder what would have happened if something had gone wrong ? The local cricket club borrowed a tractor and trailer off me to move some stuff . They asked I just said yes .. the nature in me is to help where ever I can but perhaps that has to change...in case something goes wrong !
We are being driven by rules and regulations and it's very sad !!!
 

David.

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
J11 M40
It isn't us being willing to help that is the problem, it is the proliferation of arsehole, ambulance chasing law firms, willing to take on claims, no matter how spurious, for a big percentage on a no win, no fee basis, that are leading to the downfall of the society we enjoyed.
You'd think the Government would do something about it...but perhaps not. Job creation in a service economy, since Blair's everyone should go to uni and be a lawyer ethos.
 
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Goweresque

Member
Location
North Wilts
It isn't us being willing to help that is the problem, it is the proliferation of arsehole, ambulance chasing law firms, willing to take on claims, no matter how spurious, for a big percentage on a no win, no fee basis, that are leading to the downfall of the society we enjoyed.
You'd think the Government would do something about it...but perhaps not. Job creation in a service economy, since Blair's everyone should go to uni and be a lawyer ethos.

There's a reason that one of the best known quotes from Shakespeare is from Henry VI (Part 2): 'The first we do, lets kill all the lawyers'.................
 

Fendt

Member
Just on a side point...
One of our potato buyers mentioned the other day that a farm had received notice from their insurers of a claim being put through by a casual worker on their grader. They had caught their hand in a roller, no broken bones, just minor skin grazing and bruising. The insurance company had made the point that the total cost of that claim was going to be in excess of £120,000. So you can see why they get very fidgety.
 

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