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Volunteering: Guidance for employers

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When to report incidents affecting volunteers

Unpaid injury. If someone’s injured whilst working in a voluntary capacity, you may be uncertain whether to report the incident to the HSE under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) . Fortunately, the HSE has issued some clarification (see The next step ). The guidance states that fatalities involving volunteers are always reportable. Other accidents are only reportable if linked to a work-related activity and the injured party was taken directly from the scene of the incident to hospital for treatment.

Tip. The employer responsible for the work activity must submit the report.

Note. Reportable accidents such as “over-seven day” lost time injuries or “specified injuries” do not apply to volunteers because these categories only cover employees.

For a link to the HSE’s guidance, visit https://www.tips-and-advice.co.uk , Download Zone , year 20, issue 04.