Insurance, Damage and Keeping Equipment Safe
Explaining our damage waiver, how and when to get your own insurance and best practice tips for keeping equipment safe.
Grace Harman
01 Jun 2026
·
5 min read
If your hire involves equipment with a total replacement value over $10,000, our damage waiver will be added automatically to the job. The damage waiver helps reduce your risk on simple shoots should damage occur, but it is not a full insurance. We recommend getting your own multi-risk production insurance for comprehensive cover — and it's essential if your shoot contains stunts, water, beach, aerial work or is located outside of Australia and New Zealand.
The damage waiver caps your liability to $2,500 for accidental damage that our insurance covers. If you damage equipment and have taken the damage waiver:
- If the damage costs less than $2,500 to rectify, you pay that lesser amount.
- If the damage costs $2,500 or more to rectify, you pay $2,500. Like insurance, the damage waiver helps minimise your exposure to certain risks. It is not refundable if the equipment is returned undamaged.
The damage waiver does not cover:
- Theft of any kind
- Misplacing the equipment
- Beach — sand or dust damage
- Water — damage from filming on or around water
- Stunt work — two examples are car rigging and firearms
- Aerial work — including drones
- Locations outside Australia and New Zealand
In these scenarios, you must provide your own insurance as our damage waiver will not apply, even if selected.
In all cases where loss or damage is not covered by insurance, you are responsible for the full repair or replacement cost. In addition, where our insurer does cover loss or damage but it has resulted from what our insurer considers gross negligence, costs may be recovered from you by our insurer.
If you are unsure whether your shoot is covered or how to arrange your own insurance, please contact us for advice.
When should I arrange my own production insurance?
You need to arrange your own production insurance if your shoot involves water, aerial/drone work, beach environments, stunt work, or locations outside Australia and New Zealand.
We also recommend production insurance for:
- Shoots longer than a couple of days
- Public events or hectic environments
- Shoots involving travel If you shoot regularly, we recommend getting your own annual insurance cover that includes cover for hired equipment.
Filming outside Australia or New Zealand?
If you leave Australia or New Zealand with our equipment, you are required to provide your own insurance. We recommend arranging cover no later than one week before your booking. You will need to provide us with a Certificate of Currency at least 48 hours before collecting your equipment.
You can find the value of the equipment being hired on your quote, along with an itemised breakdown for each product.
How do I arrange my own production insurance?
Your insurance must be Multi-Risk Production insurance, with Offshoot Rentals listed as an interested party for the value of the equipment being hired.
You will need to provide us with a Certificate of Currency at least 48 hours before the gear is collected. Once we receive this, we can remove the damage waiver from your booking.
If you need to arrange cover, we recommend contacting the following providers:
Dubois
(03) 9819 9122
Lindsey Bilton — lbilton@hwint.com.au
Sura
Midland Insurance
Galvaniize
Our Tips for Keeping Equipment Safe
- Keep equipment secured and supervised on location, with specific crew members nominated to be responsible for its safety.
- Use crew with an appropriate level of experience for the job, and ensure the schedule is not overly rushed.
- Never leave equipment unattended in a vehicle, locked or otherwise.
- Avoid exposing equipment to water, sand, or dust. If your shoot includes these environments, get insurance and use clear filters and protective wraps to limit the chance of damage — and ensure you're covered should damage occur.
- Do not mount equipment on vehicles or use it for aerial/drone work unless you have appropriate insurance cover.
- Be especially careful with equipment security at public events or in busy, hectic environments.
- Only clean lenses with a rocket blower.
- Request a clear filter if you are filming in a windy, dusty, or messy environment.
What happens if equipment is damaged during the hire?
If you have taken the damage waiver and the damage is covered (accidental damage where sufficient care was taken), your liability for repair or replacement costs is capped at $2,500. For example, if you damage a battery, the cost will likely be less than $2,500 and you will pay for that. If you damage a camera and the repair cost is $6,000, you would only need to pay $2,500.
If the damage is not covered by the damage waiver or our insurance (see the exclusions above), you are responsible for the full repair or replacement cost.
Make sure you contact us straight away by email, SMS or phone message when the damage occurs or as soon as you notice it.
Do not continue using damaged equipment, as it may make it worse!
You can reduce your liability further by taking out your own production insurance policy and providing us with a copy.
If you have any questions about insurance or need assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us.