Are volunteers covered by health and safety rules?

Question

Accepted Answer

If you volunteer somewhere that doesn’t employ staff, this means it’s a ‘volunteer organisation’ which has no duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act, although the Privacy Act and others still cover you. If you are a volunteer, you’re owed a duty of care under common law (law made by courts) and your safety should be paramount. As a volunteer or employee, you’re owed duties by an organisation. If you’re a regular volunteer (‘volunteer worker’) you should be treated like an employee, while if you’re a casual volunteer then you’re owed a lesser duty like a customer or visitor.

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