Insuring The Industry

Whether or not the pest control industry pays a premium, literally, because of the public’s perception of the dangers of working with hazardous chemicals is open to debate.

Most of the people interviewed for this story said it makes no difference what industry is involved - the problem of high health insurance costs is a universal one.

But others did see some bias against the pest control industry. For example, the insurance companies had to take notice when the EPA’s Science Advisory Board noted occupational exposure to toxic chemicals as one of the top four leading risks to human health, while in another part of the report it noted pesticides in general as riskier than groundwater pollution and oil spills.

"Pest control is a service industry, not like manufacturing or distributing where they work with chemicals in bulk," says William Savich, president of William Savich & Associates, an insurance company based in Atlanta, Ga. "But some carriers will classify them so."

In her search for health care coverage, Valera Jessee, executive director of the Georgia Pest Control Association, also found that PCOs are considered by some to be high risks.

Industry insurer Dan Reardon, Wyomissing Indemnity Co., agrees: "The pesticide issue makes it tough. Some carriers don’t understand the real risk of pesticide exposure. It’s the same thing that comes into play with worker’s comp or general liability insurance.

Bob Roth, a personal benefits specialist for insurer B.&D.A. Weisburger, also says that some companies will not write a pest control account. "But it’s not just us being picked on," he says. "Some insurers think that graphic artists are in a risky profession, too. I don’t know why."