What do you know about volunteering?

You’re a volunteer if you aren’t paid for your work, even if you receive free meals and travel expenses.

No. Any organisation that has at least one paid employee is regarded as an employer under health and safety regulations. If you’re a volunteer, your employer must still assess any risks to your health and safety and take steps to reduce them. The risks you face as a volunteer may be different from those of other employees.

Make sure you know how to get to and from the place where you’re volunteering. Make sure you wait for your bus or train in a well-lit area near other people. On the bus it’s best to sit near the driver. When you walk home, take the busiest route because the more people who are around, the safer you are. Don’t talk on your phone in the street or listen to music – this makes you less aware of your surroundings. If you’re threatened or need assistance, rather than just calling “Help!”, give a specific instruction like “Call the police!” Let a friend or partner know where you’re going and when you expect to be back. For more details, see the Suzy Lamplugh Trust’s website at www.suzylamplugh.org.

A volunteer agreement is a statement of what the organisation expects its volunteers to do and what the volunteer can expect from the organisation. The agreement should cover:

• your role
• the name of a contact at the organisation who will mentor you
• any expenses you can claim
• dress standards
• what to do if you have a problem or complaint
• what training you will receive
• details of insurance, health and safety and safeguarding issues.

If you’re working with young people or vulnerable adults, you’ll need to have a Criminal Records Bureau check. The organisation will arrange this and pay for it. Get more information from www.crb.homeoffice.gov.uk.

If you’re preparing food for the public to eat, it’s best to get a food hygiene certificate. See www.cieh.org/training.html for more details.

If things go wrong, try and sort it out with the organisation first of all. Volunteering England provides a useful information sheet on this topic.

The HSE recommends that organisations treat volunteers in the same way as their employees. Use the IOSH Risk Assessment Routefinder to help you carry out a risk assessment, and use the questionnaire to help you consider relevant issues.

Make sure your volunteers have defined tasks and responsibilities. Agree their working arrangements in writing. Find out whether any of your volunteers have special needs – for example a disability or medical problem – so that you can make adjustments to their role if necessary. Tell them about any training they’ll need and give them health and safety information such as the outcomes of risk assessments. Remember to treat volunteers as ordinary employees for health and safety purposes.

All volunteers should take part in some induction training. This should cover:

• their duties and responsibilities
• emergency procedures
• how to report accidents
• who to report accidents to
• prohibitions or restrictions
• significant hazards and risks and what precautions are needed
• introduction to key staff
• a tour of the premises
• the names of their mentor and a deputy.