Work accidents and volunteers
Unpaid volunteers have the same rights to work in a safe workplace as their paid counterparts, and bosses in Scotland are being reminded to take care of the 1.2 million volunteers working in Scotland's 45,000 voluntary organisations.
Volunteers are protected by exactly the same health and safety laws as paid workers and as such are perfectly within their rights to launch an accident at work claim should they become injured on the job.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives (STUC), have teamed up to hold a series of seminars across Scotland in order to emphasise the importance of volunteer safety.
HSE Principal Inspector John Blackburn commented: "Having proper procedures in place is important to prevent accidents and make sure workers and volunteers can work in a safe environment.”
“Organisations have a moral as well as legal duty to be aware of health and safety, and it also makes financial sense. Employees and volunteers too, should ensure they take reasonable care of themselves and others, and to co-operate with their employer.”
Robert Atkinson, Occupational Health and Safety Development Manager for the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives added: "Healthy Working Lives Advisers can provide free and confidential advice in your workplace.”
“Our Advisers work with many voluntary organisations, indeed they are our single largest client group, meaning that all our Advisers have knowledge of the sector and experience of the health and safety issues and appropriate solutions.”
“All the services provided by Healthy Working Lives are free and the voluntary sector can also access a number of free online and face to face training courses to help build staff competence.”
Updated on 9/5/2008