"Janet Tweedy" wrote in message
...
Someone I know has a part time gardener who 'says' he can pruned her
wisteria and rambling roses.

As it's high up, she asked if he was insured, which he said he was.
However in the event of an accident (he'll be using her ladder and tools)
would he be able to claim on her insurance or indeed how do you make sure
he is insured (just in case)


It's not just about insurance.

In simple terms if he injures himself he will be spending a lot of time
watching the ads on day time telly saying "We can claim for you! It could be
someone else's fault!" he may or may not feel he wants to make a claim
against you, a company may or may not take up his claim and it may or may
not come to court depending on a lot of factors, things like was he working
to your instructions, was he on your ladder, was he being paid by the hour
or by a price, did you even talk about safety or just tell him to get on
with it... I can't know all the details and possibilities.

In reality it might be sufficient just to have a conversation with him about
safety and risks and make sure you both understand that it will be his
responsibility and you aren't asking him to do anything he isn't comfortable
with. If you are really paranoid you can put it in writing. It isn't always
easy to demand to see insurance documents from tradesmen.

IANAL

Tim W