Written by · Reviewed by Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver — licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931) · Last updated 2026-10-20

Life insurance for forestry and logging workers in NZ

Forestry workers can apply for life cover in New Zealand, but the job shapes the terms. WorkSafe says forestry's fatality rate is about 15 times the all-industry average, so an underwriter will ask what you actually do. Momentum's Quick Life asks no job question, but its wording excludes deaths in a "dangerous job or risky pastime" at claim time.

In short

What the job looks like to an insurer

Forestry and logging is a small part of the workforce with a heavy record of serious harm. WorkSafe says fewer than 10,000 people work in the sector, that there have been 4 to 5 deaths a year over the past 15 years, and that the fatality rate is about 15 times the average across all industries. It adds that being hit by a tree or log is the most common cause of fatal incidents, and that its focus includes safe tree felling and "reasonable consideration of mechanisation" (WorkSafe: Forestry, retrieved 20 October 2026).

That is why a life insurer wants more than a job title. In its pre-assessment service, Fidelity Life offers to look at "medical, occupational, financial or hazardous pursuits risks" before you apply, and says a pre-assessment is not an offer of cover but "an indication of possible terms only" (Fidelity Life underwriting guide). In the occupation section of its guide, Chubb Life says that when someone has more than one occupation, the rating will usually be based on the more hazardous one (Chubb Life Essential Underwriting Guide, May 2025). That section is headed by income, disablement, trauma-with-TPD and mortgage repayment cover, not life cover, but it shows insurers look past your main job title, so tell an adviser about part-time bush work too.

What is published, and what is not

Question What we could source What we could not
Is forestry high risk? WorkSafe: about 15 times the all-industry fatality rate Any insurer's rating for a named forestry role
Do insurers publish job classes? Chubb publishes classes for income, disablement, trauma-with-TPD and mortgage repayment cover; Fidelity gives income protection and TPD classes A life cover occupation loading table
Is there a standard loading for fallers? No Any per mille or percentage figure
Does Quick Life name forestry? No: it lists explosives or weapons, working 40 m underwater, speeds over 130 km/h, professional sport and active armed-services duty as examples How Momentum would treat a forestry death

The occupation classes in the Chubb and Fidelity guides sit under income and disability style covers rather than life cover. Chubb's guide puts skilled and semi-skilled manual workers who "are not exposed to high risk accidents or health hazards" in its Class 4, without naming forestry or any other job. We found no per mille or percentage loading for a forestry role, so none is printed here. For how classes work in general, see insurance occupation classes in NZ.

Manual felling or machine work

WorkSafe's figures point at tree felling as the main source of serious injury, with mechanisation under consideration. We found no insurer that publishes a different rating for a machine operator and a faller. What you can do is describe the work exactly and let the underwriter judge it:

A licensed adviser can ask an insurer for a pre-assessment before you apply. Under fully underwritten cover the insurer may offer standard terms, add a loading, or exclude something. Asteron describes that toolbox for existing health conditions: a stand-down period, a higher premium, or a permanent or time-limited exclusion (Asteron Life). Whether any of it applies to your job is the insurer's decision.

Quick Life and the dangerous-job clause

Quick Life is Momentum's guaranteed acceptance life cover, issued by Momentum Life Limited, for ages 18 to 65 and $50,000 to $300,000. There are no health questions and no occupation question at application. Two things apply to forestry workers.

First, for the first 2 years, death from a pre-existing condition or suicide is excluded. Second, at any time, Momentum will not pay if death is due to criminal activity or "being involved in a dangerous job or risky pastime". The wording defines that as "any high-risk job or activity, such as" the list above, and adds "These activities can impact your ability to claim" (Momentum Life: Quick Life Insurance Policy Wording, November 2025).

"Such as" means the list is examples. Forestry is not on it, and we cannot say how Momentum would treat a death at work. Because the list is open-ended, do not assume a work-related death would be paid. The buttons on this page open Momentum's online quote; read the exclusions first. Our Quick Life guide sets out the full rules, and what guaranteed acceptance is explains why the first 2 years are limited.

ACC and life cover are different things

ACC helps when someone dies from an injury it covers, and life cover can pay for death from other causes as well. ACC's published figures, read on 20 October 2026, show the scale (ACC: Financial support after a fatal injury):

ACC support Amount on the page
Funeral grant up to $8,236.40 (set by date of death)
Survivor's grant $8,830.47 to a partner, $4,415.25 to each child under 18 or dependant
Childcare, weekly $187.78 for one child, $112.67 each for two, $262.88 in total for three or more
Loss of income up to 80% of the deceased's earnings

A worked example using ACC's own figures: a partner and two children would receive survivor's grants of $8,830.47 + $4,415.25 + $4,415.25 = $17,660.97, plus weekly childcare of $112.67 each, $225.34 a week for two. The childcare payments run for up to five years or until the child is 14. ACC sets the funeral grant by the date of death, so check its page for the current figure.

ACC's page covers deaths from covered injury only, and lists no lump sum for debts such as a mortgage. Life cover can fill those gaps. How much you need is a separate sum; see how much life insurance you need.

If you want a funeral-only option

Momentum's Funeral Insurance accepts New Zealanders aged 40 to 75, pays a fixed benefit of $3,000 to $30,000 towards costs, and asks no health questions. In the first 24 months it pays only for accidental death (death within 90 days of the accident); for any other death in that window no benefit is paid and all premiums are refunded. Accidental death pays three times the benefit, at any time. The wording we read lists no occupation exclusion. Total premiums can end up larger than the benefit, and the benefit may not cover the whole funeral. See Funeral Insurance. It is not a substitute for family income cover.

Income protection and disability cover

For forestry workers the job usually bites hardest on cover that replaces income if you cannot work. Income protection for tradies and TPD insurance explain those covers; they are priced and defined differently from life cover.

Steps to take

  1. Write down your tasks and weekly split between felling, machine work and other duties.
  2. Ask a licensed adviser for a pre-assessment with one or two insurers before applying.
  3. Answer every question on a fully underwritten application completely. Today the law puts a duty on the insured to disclose all material information (IFSO); the Contracts of Insurance Act 2024 changes that to a duty of reasonable care from 15 November 2027 (not yet in force).
  4. If you choose Quick Life, read the exclusions and the definitions in the wording, and keep the first-2-years rule in mind.
  5. Revisit your cover if you change roles, and tell your adviser about any second job.

Frequently asked questions

Can a logger get life insurance in NZ?

Yes, you can apply. We found no published insurer rule that bars forestry work, and fully underwritten applications are assessed individually, so terms depend on the insurer and your duties.

Does Quick Life exclude forestry?

The wording excludes a "dangerous job or risky pastime" and gives examples that do not include forestry. How Momentum applies it at claim time is its decision.

Does ACC replace life insurance?

No. ACC pays specific amounts when death is from a covered injury. It does not pay for death from illness, and it does not clear debts.

Is the loading the same for every insurer?

We found no published forestry loading for any insurer, so we cannot compare them. Ask a licensed adviser to get insurer-specific indications.

About this page

Advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner, and Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission if you buy through our link; see how we are paid and our disclosure. Momentum Life Limited has an A.M. Best financial strength rating of B (Fair), affirmed 11 February 2026 (Momentum's financial strength page). This page is general information, not advice, and collects no personal information. Compare other insurers through the guaranteed acceptance hub or ask a licensed adviser.

References

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