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swampwarrior  
#1 Posted : 12 March 2015 14:09:05(UTC)
Rank: New forum user
swampwarrior

Hi All,
I have just been asked to take on the health and safety role for a charity that organises humanitarian aid convoys to eastern Europe and I just wanted to ask if anyone has had any experience of managing the health and safety of volunteers, as I want to put together in the form of a booklet some guidance for the convoy drivers and something on duty of care owed by the trustees of the charity.
bob youel  
#2 Posted : 13 March 2015 07:47:57(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
bob youel


Among other things U need to determine if the volunteers can be seen as true stand alone volunteers [people] doing their own thing and using U as the vehicle to do it e.g. a parent going into a school under their own steam to paint a classroom over a holiday break who is not part of a formal charity or part of the formal set up where they could be deemed to be employees so/or are seen as part of the charity as the latter needs looking at in dept and the former should relieve U of most if not all problems noting that there is nothing in the HSE guidance for the former situation and in theory S:3 can apply but once U get into a foreign country U must abide by that countries laws etc. as the primary duty

Read as much H&S case law, news reports and similar as U can on the subject and get your insurers involved as I believe that there is employment and tax case law that takes the stance that volunteers under certain situations, as the latter above indicates, can be seen as employees. Also get in touch with your legal specialists as this is a very complicated area and contact other charities who are doing the same thing to c what they are doing
A Kurdziel  
#3 Posted : 13 March 2015 09:27:18(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
A Kurdziel

Insurance and Foreign Office guidance.
Once you are abroad Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the associated regs no longer apply but there is a common law duty of care.
You will need insurance to get the people back if it all goes wrong, so you need to take advice from your insurer. I suggest you talk to the Foreign Office, better still try to get through the British Consulate the country concerned. They should be able to supply you with advice on what is going on in that country.
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