Health and safety guidelines for community and voluntary organisations

The obligations, duties and rights contained in the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA) make it clear that everyone has a role to play in ensuring health and safety at work especially the Executives and Managers of community and voluntary organisations.

This fact sheet explains how HSWA applies to volunteers. Thousands of Community, Voluntary and Tangata Whenua organisations across New Zealand are run entirely by volunteers, with no paid staff. Many other organisations have only a handful of paid staff, and many volunteers. Other organisations have a large number of paid staff, and only involve volunteers from time to time in their work activities or in a governance role. As a community or voluntary organisation, providing a safe and healthy workplace is a key part of protecting the community you serve.

No organisation wants to have its good work undone by a serious accident that injures an employee or voluntary worker. And no-one wants to see precious resources diverted in order to deal with the consequences of a preventable accident. All voluntary and community organisations also have obligations to provide for the safety of their volunteers and any paid workers under the Health and Safety in Employment Amendment Act 2002 (the Act)."


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Working Safely for your Community
Information for Volunteers