NIP Programs

Services To Be Considered When Insuring Arborists

Posted on May 16, 2013 by John Thompson Posted in LandProTreePro Leave a comment

Arborists offer many services to their customers that all come with their own unique risks. When choosing a business insurance policy for a tree services client, it is very important to note all of the activities that they partake in. Doing so will enable an insurance agent to find a policy that grants total protection to their clients and lowers the arborists’ risk of getting caught in a coverage gap.

With 20 years of service in the industry, the team at LandProTreePro, the largest national insurance program for landscapers and tree services, has been able to build a scope of the types of services typically offered by a tree services operation:

Pruning / Trimming
Pruning or trimming a tree is a standard maintenance practice for keeping trees healthy and looking presentable. It’s the act of removing branches to improve the shape and growth of the tree. The branches removed are usually unhealthy / dead branches or limbs that are rubbing together.

Tree Removal
Tree removal can be done for a myriad of reasons from a home owner just being tired of looking at it to ordered removal from a town inspector because it has become a danger and will likely fall soon. No matter the reason for removing a tree, it is a dangerous operation that is best left to the pros. The arborists need to ensure the tree comes down where they want it to in order to avoid any damage to the home owner’s property. There are many inherent risks with tree removal, and coverage for any damages due to a tree removal gone wrong is a must for any tree service venture.

Tree Repair / Cabling
Tree cabling essentially involves the installation of cables and hardware to lower the risk of limbs falling off of a tree. The cables are there to help support the weight of a branch and as a safety precaution for snowfall. The added weight of snow can snap limbs off of trees, the cabling is there to reduce the chance of that damage occurring.

Stump Grinding
Stump grinding is the follow-up procedure to tree removal in order to grind down the stump that is left behind after a tree is cut down. It is done with the use of a rather large machine that slowly grinds down a stump with large saw blades.

Spraying of Pesticide or Herbicide
It is one of the less common practices for tree service professionals, but it is an exposure that most certainly exists in tree service operations. Pesticides keep insects away that damage trees and herbicides are used to prevent or get rid of invasive species like weeds and poison ivy.

Other Exposures That Can Be Found In Arborist Services

Firewood or mulch sales
Green waste recycling (lawn clippings, leaves, weeds, branches)
Snow removal

As any can see, tree service businesses offer an array of services outside of tree maintenance and removal. It is important to note the exposures that arborists are involved with in order to build them an insurance policy that offers effective risk management. Due to this wide range of services, arborists need a program that is tailored to their industry to ensure the best protection their business can get.

For more information on arborist insurance and risk management , visit LandProTreePro.

Risks of Hiring Temporary Workers

Posted on May 15, 2013 by John Thompson Posted in HVACPro, PlumbingPro, PowerPro Leave a comment

Summer is right around the corner. Colleges and high schools are wrapping up their semesters and letting loose many students who will be looking for summer jobs.

Many local businesses will take on these students as summer help to get an extra set of hands on the job site. This is a great way to help out neighborhood kids who need to make some money and to keep your jobs on schedule, but there are risks involved with hiring summer help; most of which stem from their inexperience with the job.

Every type of artisan project has plenty of elements of danger for a seasoned pro, but throw an inexperienced worker in the mix and the risks are exacerbated.

However, if you keep in mind that they are inexperienced and give them guidance, the risks can be significantly lessened. Take the time to teach your summer help about these safety tips:

Dress Appropriately for the Task At Hand
While working, one should always wear clothing that is bright and of a highly-visible color. There are preventative fashion measures that can be taken: long pants, closed-toed shoes, gloves, and ear and eye protection are essential to preventing flying debris or tools from causing injury. It’s also important to avoid wearing any jewelry or loose clothing that could get caught in any tools they may be using.

Respect the Power of Power Tools
The tools used to perform projects (saws, drills, nail guns, etc.) can result in serious personal injury if operated incorrectly. Before using a power tool for the first time, it’s important to read the safety manual first. Doing so will tell a user not only how to effectively operate the equipment, but what to do if it malfunctions as well.

Use Caution While Making Repairs
Jams in a power tool can happen sometimes, and that’s fine. Prior to fixing such problems, always make sure that the power supply is turned off and that every blade is motionless. All too often, contractors undergo impromptu amputations resulting from contact with spinning blades in their tools.

Educating your summer help on the appropriate use of tools and the safest clothing to wear is a simple way to reduce the risk exposure of your staff and will certainly lower the chances of a claim being made.

However, artisan contractor business owners should not take any chances. Accidents happen; and in the event that they occur, any owner should be sure they have the coverage they need to protect their business.

For more information on artisan contractor insurance and risk management, visit:

HVACPro
PlumbingPro
PowerPro

Excavation: Uninsured Subcontractors

Posted on May 14, 2013 by John Thompson Posted in SitePro Leave a comment

There are many risks that are faced in the site improvement and excavation line of business. Many of them are unable to be completely mitigated due to factors that are just out of a manager’s control.

However, there is one risk that excavation contractors have complete control over, and that risk is hiring an uninsured subcontractor.

In short, uninsured contractors are a huge red flag and should never ever be considered when looking to contract a third party for work. When an excavation contractor hires a subcontractor to do work for them, they really must carry at least general liability insurance.

The reason why the team at SitePro, an insurance program designed specifically for the needs of site improvement and excavation contractors, is so adamant about our insureds not hiring a subcontractor who has no general liability, is because after policy expiration it is common practice that an audit is performed on the annual policy term. If the insured cannot provide a certificate of insurance for the subcontractor, the client’s general liability will pick up the exposure. This means the payroll will be added to the audit and they will end up paying the general liability premium for the contractor who chose not to buy the insurance.

Contractors NEED to be aware they could be responsible for the payroll associated with an uninsured subcontractor’s work, and their estimated annual premium could rise. Make certain that a client’s subcontractors have their own general liability insurance, and only work with those who have it. It will protect their interests and their business.

For more information excavation and land improvement insurance and risk management, visit SitePro.

The Benefits of Customizable Coverage

Posted on May 9, 2013 by John Thompson Posted in LandProTreePro Leave a comment

If there is one thing that the whole of the insurance and risk management industry can agree on, it’s that no two businesses are the same. Even businesses that fall under the same class codes can vary widely in their day to day operations; this is especially true in two of the prominent business classes in the green industry: Landscaping and Tree Services.

This being the case, it doesn’t make much sense for a business to rely on a standard landscaping or tree service policy for coverage. With the variations in the way these classes can operate, coverage gaps can become a major issue.

LandProTreePro, an insurance program built from the ground up to service the unique needs of landscapers and arborists, recognizes that the variations in how business is conducted require customization in order to ensure the highest standard of protection. Customizable coverage provides our insureds the coverage they need while omitting the coverage they don’t; so their premiums are always kept reasonable.

The lines of business in which LandProTreePro offers customizable, specialized coverages include:

Commercial Auto
Contractor Coverage
Commercial Property
Inland Marine
Crime
Business Income

Changes in market conditions have made it easier than ever before to utilize the services of the LandProTreePro program. With the influx of businesses into this class with varying daily operations, we know it’s imperative to be able to build a program that fits the needs of each individual insured.

For more information landscaping and tree services insurance and risk management, visit LandProTreePro.

Physician Assistants: Considerations to Make Before Moonlighting

Posted on May 7, 2013 by John Thompson Posted in MedEdge Leave a comment

Moonlighting is no longer an activity solely practiced by residents to earn a little extra cash during their residency to make ends meet. The allure of moonlighting has attracted a larger crowd of doctors due to the extra experience, networking opportunities, and of course, the extra income.

More and more, physicians and physician assistants alike are actively seeking and taking on moonlighting opportunities. However, there are many precautions that need to be taken to ensure that moonlighting doesn’t land a medical professional in some kind of legal bind.

Some steps to being able to moonlight include:

Make sure the moonlighting organization provides the flexibility to allow you to take time off from the moonlighting job if the primary position requires your presence.
Avoid competitive situations. If the moonlighting job is merely serving on a speaker’s panel, there is usually no problem. But your employment contract at your primary job might prevent you from practicing medicine in competing groups. Even if it doesn’t, working for competitors can have a negative effect on your relationship with co-workers.
Check your primary job’s employment contract for disincentives to moonlighting. For instance, some contracts might state, “While employed by employer, any remuneration generated by employee belongs to employer.”
Residents moonlighting within their own organization are limited to a total of 80 hours of work each week. There is no such limit for doctors who moonlight outside their programs. But check with your program director to ensure that the hospital in which you plan to moonlight does not have a relationship with your primary placement, in which case the 80-hour limit might apply.
Some employment contracts include specific language about what constitutes moonlighting — clinical and nonclinical — and the approval process necessary before the employee engages in any moonlighting. Make sure you read and follow any such policies exactly.

http://www.amednews.com/

These are all solid guidelines to moonlighting as a physician assistant. However, the most important step to moonlighting is to be certain that insurance coverage is intact in a secondary office. Portable medical malpractice coverage is the answer for moonlighting PAs.

Portable coverage will follow a physician assistant wherever their moonlighting work takes them. Unlike employer provided coverage which will only help them in their primary job, portable coverage will protect them no matter where they are practicing.

For more information on portable medical malpractice coverage, visit www.MedEdge.com.