Insurance for Mining Contractors

Working on a mine site means working to somebody else's rules. The site owner or principal contractor sets what you must hold before you can go through the gate, the liability limits are higher than most businesses ever see, and the plant you bring with you is worth more than the contract that brought it there.

We arrange insurance for contractors and service businesses working on and around mine sites, including earthmoving and civil contractors, maintenance and shutdown crews, fabrication and workshop businesses, and equipment and labour hire operators. We read the site requirements with you so the certificates you hand over say what the site asked for.

Key covers to consider

• Public and Products Liability: injury or property damage on site, at the limits your principal contractor or site owner requires
• Commercial Motor, Plant and Equipment: mobile plant, light vehicles, floats and specialised equipment, owned or hired in
• Contract Works / Construction: the works while they are under way, including materials and temporary structures on site
• Marine Transit: plant, parts and materials while they are being moved between sites
• Professional Indemnity: where you also advise, design, supervise or certify
• Business Pack: workshop, yard, office, contents and stock
• Workers Compensation: compulsory cover for businesses with employees and apprentices
• Management Liability: employment disputes, OH&S, and claims against the business and its owners and managers for alleged mismanagement
• Cyber Liability: scheduling, maintenance and invoicing systems, and the data they hold

Common questions

A site has asked for a higher liability limit than we hold. Can you arrange it?

Usually yes. Higher limits are ordinary on mine sites, and they can be arranged either within the policy or as an additional layer sitting above it. Send us the contract or the site requirement and we will work to the limit it actually asks for, rather than guessing at it.

Do we need cover for plant we hire in?

Often, yes. Hire agreements commonly make you responsible for the plant while it is in your possession, for damage and for the hire charges that keep running while it is off the job. Tell us what you hire and how often, and we will make sure it is accounted for.

Do I need Home Warranty / Home Building Compensation cover?

This applies to residential work you contract directly with the owner above your state's threshold, such as extensions, garages, fences or retaining walls. It must be in place before work starts. It is compulsory for any residential building or renovation work valued over $20,000 (including GST) in New South Wales.

Does a policy cover defective work?

As with any trade, the cost of redoing your own defective work usually isn't covered. Only the resulting damage or injury is. This exclusion is commonly known as Faulty Workmanship.

Do I have to use Dial Before You Dig?

Almost all policies include an exclusion for the damage to pipes and cables when you do not seek appropriate evidence or check that there are pipes or cables below. You should always check before you dig.

How Much Public & Products Liability Cover Do I Need?

It depends on the work you do and who you do it for. Many head contractors, councils, property managers and commercial sites set a minimum amount in their contracts before you can start. If you lease your premises, your lease will usually set a minimum level of public liability you must hold as a tenant, and often asks for the landlord to be noted on your policy. So check your contracts, your lease and any tender or site requirements first. Also think about the worst injury or property damage your work could realistically cause.

Cover level	When it's usually needed
$5 million	Small or hobby-sized businesses with lower-risk work, few or no visitors to their premises, and no lease or contract asking for more.
$10 million	Suits most trades and businesses working on client premises or dealing with the public. Often the minimum set by commercial leases, markets and event organisers, and many subcontract agreements.
$20 million	Suits higher-risk work such as specialist trades, construction, mining, transport operators, or working at heights. Often required by head contractors, government bodies, councils, shopping centres, mine sites and larger commercial clients.

We'll look at your contracts, your lease and your work, and help you choose a limit that fits.

Talk to a broker who knows mine site work

Tell us about your business and we'll do the comparing, the paperwork and the advocating.

Request a quote for your contracting business