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Logging Insurance Policy Information

Logging Insurance. Logging is a well-established, time-honored profession; in fact, logging plays a vital role in the economy of the United States.

From the lumber that is used to construct commercial, industrial, and residential properties to the furniture that is used to fill these buildings, businesses and the general public rely on the logging industry for so many of the products they require.

Logging operations cut down trees, strip off leaves and branches, and transport the trunk and larger limbs to a sawmill. Smaller limbs may be transported to a pulp processing plant. Logging includes building access roads to get into the forested area and, in some cases, reforesting the harvested land.

Logging may be done to obtain lumber for construction, manufacturing, or fuel, to clear land for development, or to thin a forest for healthier growth and fire prevention. Logging may occur on owned land, private land or public land.

If on public or private land, permission must be gained prior to beginning operations. Governmental land logging, especially in old growth forests, has met with considerable protests lately.

The possibility of sabotage must be taken into consideration due to potential injury to workers and damage to equipment.

Owning and operating a logging operation requires a team of highly skilled professionals, the proper machinery, and good old elbow grease (among numerous other things). Just like any other labor-related industry, there are numerous risks associated with owning and operating a logging business.

In order to protect yourself from these risks, investing in a well-designed logging insurance policy that provides high-quality coverage that is specifically designed to protect your operation - and the investment in your operation - is essential to your success.

What is insurance so important for loggers? What type of coverage do loggers need? Read on to find the answers to these questions and more.

Logging insurance protects forestry professionals and loggers from lawsuits with rates as low as $77/mo. Get a fast quote and your certificate of insurance now.

Below are some answers to commonly asked loggers insurance questions:

• What Is Logging Insurance?
• How Much Does Logging Insurance Cost?
• Why Do Loggers Need Insurance?
• >What Type Of Insurance Do Logging Operations Need?
• What Does Logging Insurance Cover & Pay For?

Why Do Loggers Need Insurance?

The very nature of the logging industry is intense, and as such, the labor and the equipment that is needed to keep your business running are exposed to a variety of risks. A piece of equipment could malfunction and injure an employee, or a high-priced tool could stop working and require a costly repair, or it may need to be completely replaced, for example.

Issues could occur during the shipment of your products, or your warehouse or the office you run your operation out of could become damaged in an act of nature. These are just a few of the examples of the issues that you could face as a logger.

As the owner and operator of a logging operation, you are liable for any of issues that may occur, and as you can imagine, the costs that are associated with those issues can be exorbitant. For instance, if one of your employees suffers a work-related injury and requires medical care, if a piece of equipment breaks down and has to be repaired or replaced, or if someone files a lawsuit against your logging business, you could be looking at a serious financial issues.

As long as you have the right type of insurance coverage, however, if something goes wrong, instead of paying the related expenses out of your own pocket, your carrier will cover them for you. In other words, insurance can help you avoid serious financial losses.

Moreover, having the right type of logging insurance coverage is required by law. If a logger fails to have the insurance coverage they are required to carry, they could end up facing serious ramifications.

Loggers' Risks & Exposures

Premises liability exposure is limited at the office as there are few visitors, but high at clearing and cutting sites. While bodily injury exposure is light due to the lack of public access to remote areas, warnings and markings should be posted to prevent inadvertent trespassing on the job site.

Environmental trespassers may seek altercations at logging sites. Employees should be trained to avoid such personal injury allegations as assault, battery, and wrongful detention.

From a property damage standpoint, fire is a major concern since a forest fire can imperil the rest of the forest, nearby houses, and businesses. Equipment and wood held for transport present attractive nuisance hazards. The premises should be secured and equipment rendered inoperable when the workers leave the site.

Products liability exposure is very low since the cut timber is sold to others to be processed into consumer goods.

Environmental impairment exposure is moderate due to the use and storage of fuels, chemicals, and explosives. Improper use or spillage could result in erosion or contamination of nearby land, air, or water.

Spills must be controlled and equipment monitored at all times. If the logging company owns the harvested land, there should be a well-planned reclamation program to reforest the area and prevent erosion.

Aircraft exposure is high if the logging firm uses helicopters to carry logs from the harvest site to loading areas. Helicopter liability and physical damage are covered by special aircraft policies. Hull coverage covers physical damage to the owned helicopter while aviation liability covers damages to the property of others.

Important considerations include the ownership interests in the helicopter, qualifications of pilots and crew, the radius of operations, the frequency of flights, quality of repair, and maintenance. Additionally, whether the helicopter is rented or subcontracted to others is a consideration.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) (Drones) may be used in operations as well. They are used to measure stockpiles of logs, cut wood, wood chips and sawdust.

Workers compensation exposure is very high, both in frequency and in severity. As operations are often conducted in remote areas, it may be difficult to transport an injured worker to a medical facility to receive prompt treatment.

Falling trees, slips and falls on rugged terrain, cuts, insects, snakes, animals, exposure to weather conditions, and the operation of saws, loggers, heavy equipment, and loading, unloading, and transport of cut timber can result in severe injury or death.

Back injuries, hearing impairment from noise, and foreign objects in the eye are common.

Environmental activists may sabotage trees and logging efforts. There must be a commitment to safety, training, and upkeep of equipment. Adequate protective equipment must be required for employees during clearing and cutting operations.

Contracts and agreements should be carefully reviewed before independent contractors are used and before an accident happens that could result in workers compensation liability for the insured logging firm.

Property exposure consists of an office, area for cut timber prior to transportation, and the yard operations where the logging equipment is kept and repaired. The major fire concern is from refueling and repair operations due to the storage and use of flammable gasoline and other fuels. Any welding or painting must be done away from any flammable liquids.

Poor housekeeping may be a serious fire hazard. Unless disposed of properly, oily rags used to clean machinery can cause a fire without a separate ignition source. Adequate firefighting equipment should be readily available. Explosives kept on premises for use in clearing access roads must be stored separately from combustible materials. These have both a high explosion potential and strong attraction for theft.

If the areas are remote, adequate fire fighting equipment should be readily available. Standing timber is valuable, and attractive to thieves. Fire and wind are the major concerns. There is also the potential for vandalism, especially from conservation activists. Appropriate security measures must be in place including lighting and physical barriers to prevent unauthorized access.

Crime exposure is due to employee dishonesty. Background checks should be conducted prior to hiring any employee. Certain types of wood have a very high value and may be stolen by employees. There should be an inventory of the stand and records kept of cuts.

The job duties of ordering, billing, and disbursements should be kept separate. Annual outside audits should be conducted.

Inland marine exposure is from accounts receivable if the logger offers credit, computers, contractors' equipment, goods in transit, and valuable papers and records for customers' and regulatory information.

Equipment includes logging sledges, skidders, delimbers, and whole tree harvesters used during clearing and cutting. Equipment must be appropriately maintained to prevent overheating, especially during dry conditions. Fire extinguishing equipment should be taken on any job in order to stop a small fire from turning into a major forest fire.

Equipment left at the job site should be secured and rendered inoperable to prevent theft and vandalism. Transporting vehicles may spill or overturn.

Commercial auto exposure is very high due to large, heavy vehicles carrying full loads of logs, which are difficult to tie down and have a tendency to shift under transport. The tie-down procedure is vital.

All employees must be well versed in chaining and securing the load. Collision and overturn may occur, spilling logs onto a public road and preventing access until clean up is completed.

Careful review must be made of overpasses to verify that the load doesn't exceed height limitations. All drivers must have commercial driver's licenses (DGLs) with acceptable MVRs and be experienced in the handling of heavy vehicles. Vehicles must be maintained and the records kept in a central location.

What Does Logging Insurance Cover & Pay For?

Loggers can be sued for various reasons, including property damage, personal injury, environmental damage, and breach of contract. Insurance can help protect them from the financial consequences of these lawsuits. Here are some examples of how insurance can help pay for the lawsuit:

Property Damage: Loggers may be sued for damaging neighboring properties while conducting logging operations. For example, a felled tree might accidentally fall on a neighboring property, causing damage to a house or other structures. In this case, a Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance policy can help cover the costs of the lawsuit, including legal defense fees, settlements, and judgments.

Personal Injury: Loggers can be sued for injuries that occur to third parties on the logging site, such as accidents involving falling trees, heavy equipment, or other hazards. A CGL policy can help cover the costs associated with these lawsuits, including medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering, in addition to legal defense fees.

Environmental Damage: Loggers may be sued for causing damage to the environment, such as improper disposal of waste, pollution of water bodies, or habitat destruction. In this case, a Pollution Liability Insurance policy can help cover the costs of the lawsuit, including cleanup expenses, legal defense fees, and any fines or penalties that may be imposed.

Breach of Contract: Loggers can be sued for not fulfilling their contractual obligations, such as not completing the work on time or not following the agreed-upon logging practices. In this case, a Professional Liability (Errors & Omissions) Insurance policy can help cover the costs of the lawsuit, including legal defense fees, settlements, and judgments.

Workers' Compensation Claims: Loggers may be sued by their employees for workplace injuries or illnesses. A Workers' Compensation Insurance policy can help cover the costs associated with these claims, including medical expenses, rehabilitation, lost wages, and death benefits for the employee's family. Additionally, it can cover legal defense fees if the employer is sued for negligence in connection with the workplace injury or illness.

By carrying adequate insurance coverage tailored to the specific risks faced by the logging industry, loggers can protect themselves from the financial consequences of lawsuits and focus on their core business operations.

Commercial Insurance And Business Industry Classification

• SIC CODE: 2411 Logging
• NAICS CODE: 113310 Logging
• Suggested Workers Compensation Code(s): 2702 Logging or Tree Removal - Nonmechanized Operations

Description for 2411: Logging

Division D: Manufacturing | Major Group 24: Lumber And Wood Products, Except Furniture | Industry Group 241: Logging

2411 Logging: Establishments primarily engaged in cutting timber and in producing rough, round, hewn, or riven primary forest or wood raw materials, or in producing wood chips in the field. Independent contractors engaged in estimating or trucking timber, but who perform no cutting operations, are classified in nonmanufacturing industries. Establishments primarily engaged in the collection of bark, sap, gum, and other forest products are classified in Forestry, Major Group 08.

• Bolts, wood: e.g., handle, heading, shingle, stave
• Burls, wood
• Driving timber
• Fuel wood harvesting
• Last blocks, wood: hewn or riven
• Logging contractors
• Logs
• Mine timbers, hewn
• Peeler logs
• Pickets and paling: round or split
• Piling, wood: untreated
• Pole cutting contractors
• Poles, wood: untreated
• Posts, wood: hewn, round, or split
• Pulpwood camps
• Pulpwood contractors engaged in cutting
• Rails fence: round or split
• Saw logs
• Skidding logs
• Stumping for turpentine or powder manufacturing
• Stumps
• Timber (product of logging camps)
• Veneer logs
• Wood chips, produced in the field

Logging Insurance - The Bottom Line

To find out what kind of logging insurance coverage you'll need to fully protect your operation, speak with an experienced broker who specializes in commercial insurance for loggers.

Additional Resources For Miscellaneous Insurance

Find informative articles on miscellaneous businesses including the types of commercial insurance they need, costs and other considerations.

• Adult Daycare
• Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting
• Bail Agent
• Camp
• Cemetery
• Control of Well
• Electric Utilities
• Employment / Staffing Agency
• Enameling
• Engraving Business
• Facility Support Services
• Logging
• Mail Order
• Oil And Gas Lease
• Personal Concierge
• Photofinishing Lab
• Pollution
• Portable Sanitation
• Private Water Districts
• Process Server
• Refinery
• RV Parks & Campgrounds
• Security Guard
• Surety Bonds
• Taxidermy
• Waste Disposal Landfill
• Wedding Planner
• Specialty Accident And Sickness / AD&D
• Specialty Amusement Parks And Rides
• Specialty Auctions And Farmers Markets
• Specialty Business Risks
• Specialty Communication
• Specialty Design
• Specialty Drugs And Alcohol
• Specialty Employee Protection
• Specialty Energy
• Specialty Environmental Risks
• Specialty Firearm And Shooting
• Specialty Hazardous Materials
• Specialty Health Risks
• Specialty Machinery And Tools
• Specialty Merchandise
• Specialty Mobile And Modular Homes
• Specialty Motorcycle Risks
• Specialty Natural Disasters
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• Specialty Substandard Risks
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• Specialty Weather Related

Businesses need insurance for several reasons. Firstly, insurance protects businesses from potential financial losses that may result from unexpected events, such as accidents, natural disasters, or lawsuits. This financial protection can help businesses recover from unexpected events and continue to operate.

Secondly, business insurance can provide businesses with liability protection. This means that if a business is sued for damages or injuries that occurred on their property or as a result of their products or services, the insurance company will cover the legal costs and damages. Without insurance, businesses may have to pay these costs out of pocket, which can be financially devastating.

Thirdly, commercial insurance can also provide businesses with peace of mind. When businesses have insurance, they can focus on running and growing their business without constantly worrying about potential financial losses or legal issues.

Finally, business insurance can also be a requirement for certain businesses. For example, many businesses that work with the government or large corporations may be required to have certain types of insurance in order to do business with them.

In conclusion, businesses need insurance for financial protection, liability protection, peace of mind, and to meet certain requirements. It is an important aspect of running a successful business and can help ensure the long-term stability and growth of the company.