[TheForge] Teaching blacksmithing and insurance

[Reynolds]

Local smithing organizations approach this differently. Some pay through the nose to get insurance, others get students to sign a broad hold-harmless agreement excluding the organization or its members from any liability.

Include in your disclaimer something to the effect of "Blacksmithing is an inherently hazardous activity with frequent occurrences of participants and spectators being burned, cut, crushed, bruised or impaled by flying hot steel, hot sparks, shards, falling tools or falling materials. Any and all participants or spectators should expect to have life and limb threatened, even if all persons involved use reasonable care and caution in attempting to make the work and spectator envirnoment safe. No liability for injury will be assumed by the organization, its officers, members or affilitated organizations even if said injury is caused by negligence. Care will be used in the planning and conduct of the event, but under no circumstances will any harm or injury be the fault of the organization, nor will the organization, its officers or members be held liable for any such injury, should it occur."    

Pay a personal injury attorney on the front end to draft a release so you can avoid meeting him on the other end. It'll be a cheap investment.

Just remember, 99 % these personal injury cases are taken on contingency, and if the attorney sees no assets to attach, he'll decline the case. So just see to it the organization has no assets or money, which is usually easy to accomplish as they never had any to begin with!
Reynolds



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