BASC insurance and chainsaws

[955i]

Can anyone tell me whether BASC insurance would cover you for doing some tree felling on a voluntary basis?

 

Website states:

 

As a BASC member you automatically receive the following Insurance package:

• £10 million Legal Liability Cover ( for all shooting categories )
  
• £10 million Employer Liability Cover ( for all shooting categories )
  
• £10 million Product Liability cover ( for all shooting categories )
  

The policies provide cover for The British Association for Shooting and Conservation Limited and each member thereof. The Policies cover recreational activities of wildfowling, rabbit, pigeon, game, deer, vermin and target shooting, air-gunning, conservation, hawking, archery, angling and ferreting.

 

However, there is no further definition that I can find of conservation, nor whether voluntary would constitute recreational.

 

Any advice gratefully received

[aris]

It may be best if you emailed them and asked.

[figgy]

Pm David BASC off this forum.

 

Figgy

[ColinF]

I asked this question a few months ago and chainsaw work is covered by BASC members insurance. My mate is covered by one of the cheaper shooting insurance packages, and they suggested contacting a tree surgeon....

 

As mentioned above, you should still contact BASC and get the answer from them for your own peace of mind

[955i]

Cheers guys, will drop David a line

[mick miller]

Please let us know the outcome.

[David BASC]

Yes you are, many of our members will be using chainsaws, strimmers, hedge cutters etc over the coming months to clear out pens, rides, flushing points etc.

 

However, if you are cutting down trees on the shoot firstly make sure you have the landowners permission AND check you dont need a felling licence

 

Best wishes

 

 

David

Edited February 20, 2013 by David BASC

[gamekeeper1960]

Do you also have to have an upto date chainsaw certificate though ?

[David BASC]

No you dont, its not a condition or warrant of the policy

 

David

[955i]

Thanks David

[scotslad]

Spot on, but do u need to have the correct PPE on?

 

Cheers

[955i]

Spot on, but do u need to have the correct PPE on?

 

Cheers

 

Hopefully David will look in on this again to confirm, but I don't think it would matter from a cover point of view as Public Liability covers you against injury to third parties and damage to their property, not self-inflicted injury.

 

That said, like with a motorbike, wouldn't do it without wearing at least basic PPE, seen people hit themselves in the leg with chainsaws a few times and guarantee they were glad they had the proper kit on!!

Edited February 20, 2013 by 955i

[David BASC]

Morning all,

 

No PPE is not a warrant or condition of the policy, so if you manage to chop down a tree to clear a ride on the shoot say, in your underpants, and it falls on someone’s car you are still covered.

 

Interestingly though, the PPE issue is more important if YOU are organising a shoot work party for example, then its arguably YOUR responsibility, as in effect the employer, to make sure people using power tools are suitably protected.

 

Of course, BASC members are insured for employer liability too…

 

David

[al4x]

so you can't drop a pheasant on a shoot members car but you can drop a tree on one and be covered well I never

[David BASC]

As I have said before, we had a ridiculous number of members parking cars behind where they were shooting and then claiming for the (inevitable) damage that the pheasants they had just shot caused when they fell out of the air (who would believe it) and hit their cars! It was logical that after warning that this practice was unacceptable, and with no decrease in claims, we introduced the excess on this specific claim.

 

Guess what, the penny dropped and the number of claims made fell. Members started parking their cars away from where they were shooting and outside the expected fall out zone – common sense finally prevailed

 

Remember, negligence is a failure to exercise the care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in like circumstances – parking a car in the area where you know full well shot game will fall is frankly beyond careless!

 

 

 

David