Under 16 - Mobile DJ Insurance.

[Blaize110]

I do mobile discos myself and am a member on http://www.mobiledjonline.org.uk/.

 

Im sure if you posed your question on there, there would be a few people who would certainly be able to help you out and offer some good advice, especially as Pete ('pwes') runs http://www.djpli.com/.

[Mat]

Your 16. Your doing something as a hobby. Here and there on an evening I would presume. Being that your "working" illegally, it seems that it would be hard for you to even get insurance. Because your doing this as a hobby is there really any need to pay so much for insurance and not get that much return on what your doing. Also, I am sure that if someone is wanting paperwork here and there, walk away from them as I presume you won't know how to fill it out and your "employer" won't want or know how to either.

 

Stay as you are.

[TonyMitchell]

 

As an aside... if you're only being paid expenses (or equivalent) it doesn't count as "working" does it ?

 

From an insurance POV, does that make any difference? If your truss collapses and injures someone, whether the person responsible is doing a job, a hobby, or otherwise, will have no bearing on the fact that there will be a claim looming. Unless your contract with a hirer explicitly states that PLI cover is to be provided by themselves/another body, and you have exercised due diligence in ensuring this to be in place (i.e. you have a copy of the insurance certificate and a watertight policy document that covers you doing what you do), then you are on very sticky ground.

 

In a worst case scenario (as in the OP's case), in the absence of an insurance policy, I imagine a good prosecution brief could cite parental responsibility, on the basis the parent is responsible for protecting and maintaining the child and is responsible for the child's property. In other words, even though the OP may be of little or no means, judgment may be made against the parents.

[kerry davies]

Hmmmm? (Ynot tm) A £10 million public and product liability insurance policy with no age restrictions, dry hire cover and legal protection for only £29.99?

 

Sounds too good to be true?

 

Ooh look! An exclusion meaning that all UK law must be adhered to. Ooh, and a para stating that it is a policy for those whose occupation is as a DJ and... and.. 12 more pages of exclusions.

 

Thus far the best advice has been Paulears, if they ask for PLI, RA's etc then walk away. They aren't set up to have an adequate duty of care to young people. I work with youngsters all the time and the thought of making them responsible for their own safety and insurance doesn't even cross my mind. That is my responsibility.

 

It is good to see someone so young being concerned to do the right thing and the OP must be commended for that.

[ramdram]

Light, charming though it may seem to be "working" as a DJ would I be correct is presuming if you are not yet sixteen then you may have fairly important exams just ahead of you?

 

You may find that you would be better off putting the DJ thing on hold and concentrating on school work.

 

I appreciate this approach is slightly off topic bit the general consensus is that the insurance cover is going to be fairly difficult to obtain.

 

Kerry's post ref the PLI for a ludicrously small sum highlighted the catch-all about "you" being compliant with appropriate Laws. Insurance companies are not daft.

 

With the best will in the world you are too young. However that is something time will solve.

 

Perhaps you could put the project on hold until you are in college? You could promote yourself then.

[Dave SA]

Yes concentrate on getting those qualifications everyone else has that mean absolutely nothing now. ;)

 

I for one commend you for being so forward thinking. If you continue to be this conscientious then you shan't have a problem come your 18th birthday. Until then however, you're stuck between a rock and a hardstyle. *Harr*

[paulears]

We have no problems with posting links to other forums where they give really helpful and down to earth advice and will help you with what you are after. As many of our members have pretty in depth and reliable information on events in general - perhaps a forum where they will give helpful (but perhaps incorrect) advice is great for comparison.

 

DJ forums have a very different perspective on many areas that always worry us. Copyright, safety and general business hard info gets overshadowed by the fact everyone really is keen on the main concept - DJ activities.

 

The OPs desire to get protection in form of insurance is commendable, but our perception of many of the DJs we see in the course of our activities tends to make us think that many do not seem to understand that regulation and responsibility come hand in hand with business. I'm not saying we all do it properly - clearly, many post on our forum show we do it wrong - but the fact that the OP has unknowingly worked illegally, and nobody ever mentioned it. Venues frequently work on the principle of what they don't know, doesn't involve them. They have to be aware of the age of the people they contract, but as it's all verbal, if things go wrong, they'll take a step backwards and leave you standing there. Remember the old way licensed premises tackled under age drinking? If they didn't ask how old somebody was, there was no doubt in their mind they were over 18, so it was fine. If they asked their age, then they had a suspicion they were under age. This was frequently a defence in court that worked. Now it's rather different. I suspect that if anything went wrong with the disco - they'd maintain they had no idea he was under 16, and cite the equipment and performance as proving to them that he must have been over 18.