Volunteer WHS Policy and Procedure

Suits events, clubs, community groups, charities, farms and rural support groups that use volunteers. It sets out two paths: an organisation that is a PCBU and owes the s 19 duty, and a true volunteer association that is not a PCBU, with a plain two-question check.

What Is Included In Our Volunteer WHS Policy and Procedure?

• Policy and procedure with an approval sign-off
• Two paths: PCBU under WHS Act s 19, or volunteer association under s 5(7) and (8)
• A two-question check of which path fits, with a prompt to ask the regulator
• Role descriptions, fit-for-task checks and inductions
• Training, licences and tickets that still apply to volunteers
• Young volunteers, supervision and sign-in
• Hazard management, PPE, first aid and facilities
• Consulting volunteers and the right to stop unsafe work
• Incident reporting and notifiable incidents on each path
• Records, training and review, with insurance left to your insurer

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld): s 5 (meaning of person conducting a business or undertaking, including s 5(7) and (8), volunteer association), s 7(1)(h) (volunteers as workers), s 8 (workplace), s 19 (primary duty of care), s 26A (approved codes of practice), s 28 (duties of workers), s 29 (duties of other persons), ss 35 to 39 (notifiable incidents), s 46 (other duty holders), ss 47 to 49 (consultation)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld): s 7(3) (incorporated associations), ss 32 to 38 (risk management), s 39 (information, training and instruction), ss 41 to 46 (facilities, first aid, emergency plans, personal protective equipment), s 81 and Schedule 3 (high risk work licences)
• Electrical Safety Act 2002 (Qld): s 55 (electrical work needs a licence)
• How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice 2021 (Qld), an approved code of practice: its glossary notes that a volunteer association is not a PCBU. Under s 26A of the WHS Act a business must follow an approved code or manage the risk in a way that gives an equivalent or higher standard
• Children and Young Workers Code of Practice 2006 (Qld), an approved code of practice: duties owed to young workers, including volunteers, and their induction and supervision
• Workers’ compensation cover for volunteers, other insurance, child safety and screening laws, association law, and the law on employees and volunteers are not covered by this document and no sections are cited. Check with your insurer and get advice
• This document is general information for Queensland workplaces and is not legal advice

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (6 pages), A4 portrait
• Business details and document control typed once and filled in on every page, plus a space for your logo
• Purpose, scope and a policy statement with an approval sign-off
• Definitions, and responsibilities for each role
• A step-by-step procedure that says who does what
• Records, training, monitoring and review, related documents and a revision history

Review it and adjust it to suit your business, your sites and the way your team works, and talk it through with your workers. If you have any trouble downloading this template, you can contact us at any time. Please make sure you read our Disclaimer before downloading.