Page 16 - Louisiana 811 Magazine 2021 Issue 4

Avoiding Workers Comp Pitfalls
Whenever one of the major utilities opens a job, countless contractors apply. One of the bigger requirements is insurance –
including Workers Comp.
Time and again a contractor
will say “I don’t have to have it.
I don’t have enough employees”.
Well, they find out quick
enough that if they want a shot
at that contract, they DO have
to have it! That law doesn’t say
“You are exempt from liability because you don’t have enough employees”. It simply says you
won’t violate the law if you don’t
have it. You are still liable if an employee gets hurt working for
you – whether you have 1 or 101 employees. That contract wants to see Workers Comp regardless of if it’s you and only you!
Why??
Because the General Contractor will have to pay for your Workers Comp if
By Virginia Reames The Policy Center
place during the period you worked for him! Simple economics – never mind the Big Deal if someone gets hurt and sues. The GC will have to pay to cover
every sub even if no one gets hurt.
Let’s say you get that Workers Comp; you get the contract and you hire a few workers. Then you have to sub out a section of the job to someone else. Did you get a certificate from the sub saying he has Workers Comp coverage in place? Then you are going to have to pay for his Workers Comp when your policy is audited at the end of the policy year!
Each year, every Workers Comp carrier in the country conducts an audit.
Know what’s below. Call before you dig.
XTO Con1tr4ac•torLPoruinitsiAadn2a081171.ind2d0211, Issue 4
10/13/17
9:36 AM
Before you dig, dig this.
Pipeline safety starts from the ground up.
Always call 811 before you dig. It’s the law.
Get more pipeline safety information at xtoenergy.com.
UTILITY & PIPELINE LOCATOR TRAINING
FULL OSHA CONSTRUCTION LIBRARY
888-882-8777 info@utasearch.com www.utasearch.com
EXCAVATION SAFETY TRAINING
UTA DISTANCE LEARNING CENTER
WORK SMARTER !
you can’t provide him with a certificate showing you have Workers Comp in