Do you have any insurance, like for liability?
[Yes,] I think the [liability] coverage that I got is about $600 a year. It goes up to a million dollars and it stipulates two stories of work. So if I’m doing six stories I would probably have to get extra insurance for that.I just keep that coverage all the time and then if I do a big project, I’ll just add it to my current coverage and pay more. They usually let me do that because it’s a one-time thing.
And then usually when I go to New York the company I work for is insured already, so I don’t have to pay for that stuff.
They also put me through safety classes . . .that you can take through probably OSHA or through the city. I think there’s a 12-hour safety scaffolding class you can take and it costs 300 or 400 bucks I think, but you get a card and it lasts for I think 5 years.
Luckily through the billboard industry I know not to break through certain parts of sidewalks like some people do and it helps a lot. One artist I know went over a part of the sidewalk that was hollow underneath the lift and she had to go to class. Now she has the card that I got.
Definitely [recommend getting the card]. If you’re on lifts for sure, especially boom lifts. Boom lifts are pretty dangerous if you don’t know what the hell you’re doing.
I have the business insurance for the liability side of the art stuff.