Charity and voluntary workers
There are over one million volunteering opportunities covering wide areas of interest, such as working with animals and families and disaster relief. It can include single and group volunteering and residential positions within the UK or overseas. So it is important that organisations take suitable steps to ensure the safety of volunteers. Mubin Chowdhury of the Health, Safety and Environmental Helpline Team, looks at the training of volunteers.
Relevant legislation
From the enforcement point of view, the Health
and Safety Executive (HSE) provides guidance on
specific categories of workersii. Volunteers may not be
considered employees. Thus, specific health and safety
law referring to employees may not be applicable. For
example, s.2(2) (c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc.
Act 1974 (HSWA) places a duty on employers to provide
information, instruction, training and supervision to
ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, the health and
safety of employees and may not apply to volunteers.