Hi, we have a staff member who has volunteered to complete a high risk adventurous activity in aid of charity fundraising.  The 'charity week' is week is where our students select a charity and select various activities (5-a-side football, cake sale, tuck shop etc) for fundraising.  My question - is a risk assessment required for one of our teachers that has volunteered to carry out a high risk adventurous activity in aid of raising funds for the said charity?  From the school's perspective, this specific activity has not been requested. 

I feel it's a little grey - they are a staff member completing on a voluntary basis to raise funds for a charity approved by the school, but they alone have solely made the decision to carry out the activity in their own time.   I'm inclined to think we have the responsibiltiy to raise a risk assessment as they are a staff member carrying out an activity to raise funds for a school approved charity.....?  

Anyone have any wisdom for this one please?

Hi LD

I think this comes down to whether the school has any active involvement whatsoever, including, in particular, making available school facilities and/or providing equipment. 

If the answer is YES, then possibly the provisions of the Occupier's Liability Act(s) are as important as any duties under occupational health and safety legislation.

However in terms of HSWA, what you need to consider is whether anything associated with these not "at work" activities fall within the "conduct" of the school's "undertaking" such that Section 3(1) becomes relevant.

+ whether anyone at all might be "at work", in which case Section 4(2) might also be relevant.