Honest Oppinion

[OLD CHIPMONK]

Commercial & Residential Tree Care Professionals , for insurance purposes, should be separated from logging operations, having watched " AXE MEN ". Your oppinions ?

 

[capetrees]

Where would the limitations or differences be? Trees to a certain height? Climbing ability or not? I don't think these guys have insurance individually, company paid for probably. My guess would be that if the premiums are different, there would ahve to be limitations to what a company could do and still be covered. If you're on the ground and cutting only as opposed to climbing or even a bucket, I would think there is less chance of personal injury. But then, if you are climbing to take a tree down or bucketing, there would be a less chance of property damage in that you are meticulously removing the tree or branches so maybe they offest each other. Hmm, tough one.

 

[ropensaddle]

I agree, many unsafe work practices were used on the show.
Years experiance no claims should greatly reduce insurance.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Commercial & Residential Tree Care Professionals , for insurance purposes, should be separated from logging operations

Ask your insurer, there may not be any difference in premium is you mostly do tree care. A lot of companies around here do lot clearing and sell a few loads of logs a quarter, but they have "tree trimmer" policies because that is where most of their work is.

 

[pdqdl]

Insurance companies have special mathemeticians call actuaries who evaluate local, regional, and nationwide statistics, along with your company information to figure out how much money they need in order to gouge you as deeply as they can without getting beat by their competition or loosing money on the policy.

 

[kkottemann]

Insurance is a funny thing. Around here not much hand felling goes on in the woods except in really large bottomland hardwood/swamp timber. Many of the loggers I know have fallers cutting the timber, however they all own fellerbunchers because they get better insurance rates based on the idea that the machiene is doing the felling. I have a great contract to remove hazzard trees along roads for a local timber company, but had to halt the work because my insurance company did an audit and did not want to cover that work. This june I will renew with a different company, at double my premium, and continue the ROW work. I guess you can never have enough coverage.

 

[cjnspecial]

For General Liability and Workers Comp there are different classifications for different types of work. Here are a few common "classes" for tree related work:
- Logging using mechanized harvesting equipment only equipment miust be
ROPS and FOPS certified.
- Logging using non-mechanized equipment(Think Chainsaws and skidders)
- Tree pruning, spraying ore repairing.(This is the class that most businesses
on this site fit into...it includes arborist, ROW work, removal of trees on
developed lots)
- Arial Logging

Obviously, there is less inherant risk of getting hurt using mechanized equipment so the rates are about 50-75% less than manual logging operations.

For illustrative purposes, here are the the qualifications for the mechanized logging class here in LA:

1. The felling and loading of trees must be with the use of mechanized equipment in which the operator does not normally leave the cab of the machine in the performance of his duties.

2. Removal of felled trees must be by skidder, and at least 50% of the employer's skidders used by the employer, whether owned, rented or leased, must be the grapple type.

3. All mechanized equipment must meet OSHA guidelines for Roll Over Protection Standards (ROPS) and Falling Object Protection Standards (FOPS).

4. Limb removal (trimming) must be performed by a mechanical delimber or with the use of a delimbing gate.

5. Chain saw operators may be used only for occasional trimming or, on a limited and infrequent basis, tree felling. The payroll of all chain saw operators may not constitute more than 25% of total logging payroll. Operators must wear appropriate safety equipment including chaps, hearing protectors and hard hats.

 

[ropensaddle]

Ask them what Ceos workers comp costs it will tick ya off!