Whilst the
Volunteers Protection Act 2001 gives legal protection from personal liability to volunteers doing voluntary work for an incorporated community organisation or government organisation, it does not cover additional matters such as personal injury.
To ensure protection for the organisation and volunteers in relation to personal injury, organisations may need to consider obtaining specific insurance cover. This additional cover can provide benefits to volunteers following injury, disability or even death while carrying out duties for their organisation. A volunteer is not protected under the act if they:
- act illegally
- are affected by alcohol or illicit drugs
- defame someone
- act outside or contrary to activities authorised by the community organisation.
The Act, in effect, transfers personal liability from the individual to the organisation.
Steps your organisation can take to protect itself against liability, include having a
risk management strategy. This will include policies and procedures and ensuring that the organisations have adequate insurance.
Organisations can seek professional advice to make sure they are adequately protected by contacting their current insurance provider or a provider that specialises in volunteer or community organisation insurance. Individual policy rules and costs will vary between insurance companies.
More information
On this site
Volunteer management
Other websites
The Law Handbook - Legal Services Commission of South
Legislation
Volunteers Protection Act 2001
Volunteers Protection Regulations 2004
Downloads
Volunteers Protection Act 2001 fact sheet (PDF 3.0MB)