Equipment hire operators: insurance and scheme requirements
Dry and wet hire of tools, plant and access equipment to trades and the public.
Data as at
Cover commonly held
Ordered by how central each cover is to this occupation. This is what businesses in the trade commonly hold and what contracts commonly ask for — it is not a statement that any of it is legally required, and it is not a recommendation.
- Public liability insurance — Cover for legal liability to third parties for personal injury or property damage arising from business activities.
- Workers compensation insurance — Statutory cover for injury to workers, arranged through each state or territory scheme rather than on the open market.
- Plant and equipment insurance — Cover for mobile plant, machinery and equipment against damage and theft, on site and in transit.
- Tools of trade insurance — Cover for hand and power tools against theft and damage, commonly the most-claimed class for trades.
- Commercial motor insurance — Cover for vehicles used for business, including utilities, vans and trucks, and liability for damage they cause.
- Products liability insurance — Cover for legal liability arising from goods a business sells, supplies or installs, usually written alongside public liability.
- Business pack insurance — A packaged policy combining property, liability and interruption sections for small business.
- Personal accident and sickness insurance — Cover paying a benefit when an owner or contractor cannot work through injury or illness, where no workers compensation applies.
Statutory schemes that can apply
- Workers compensation (NSW) · NSW — The New South Wales workers compensation scheme, with the nominal insurer and specialised insurers underwriting employer policies.
- Workers compensation (Queensland) · QLD — The Queensland workers compensation scheme, underwritten by the state insurer with self-insurance available to large employers.
- WorkCover (Victoria) · VIC — The Victorian workers compensation scheme, administered by the state regulator through appointed agents.
- Workers compensation (Western Australia) · WA — The Western Australian workers compensation scheme, where cover is placed with approved private insurers under a regulated framework.
- Return to Work (South Australia) · SA — The South Australian work injury scheme, funded by employer levies and administered by the state corporation.
- Workers compensation (Tasmania) · TAS — The Tasmanian workers compensation scheme, where employers hold a policy with a licensed insurer.
- Workers compensation (ACT) · ACT — The Australian Capital Territory private-underwriter workers compensation scheme.
- Workers compensation (Northern Territory) · NT — The Northern Territory workers compensation scheme, placed with approved insurers.
Checking what you hold
The document a principal, a landlord or a licensing team will ask for is a certificate of currency. The checker reads one and lists what it does and does not show.