Legal Responsibilities of Voluntary Organisations in New Zealand

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This information also appears as Brochure 3. Download a PDF copy (160kb).

Managing health and safety

Health and safety includes physical hazards as well as workplace stress. Legislation requires that you give all employees the opportunity to join in improving workplace health and safety, and good practice requires that you also give volunteers the same opportunity.

This involves, among other things, managing hazards, training staff, and preparing for emergencies. Many of the legal responsibilities relating to health and safety apply also to volunteers working outside an organisational structure.

Answer the following questions to find out if your organisation meets or could meet the requirements for a trust or charitable trust board. If you answer any of the questions with “No” or “Unsure”, make it a priority to find out the relevant information as soon as possible.

Yes Unsure
/No
Do you do everything you reasonably can to ensure the health and safety of people who may be affected by your work (including customers and bystanders)?

Learn more: Health and safety
Do you have an employee (and volunteer) participation system for health and safety, and do you discuss health and safety with your staff?

Learn more: Health and safety
Do you and your staff manage hazards – that is, identify and record the hazards, decide which are significant, and take action to deal with them?

Learn more: Health and safety
Do you regularly check that you have dealt with hazards effectively?

Learn more: Health and safety
Do you and your staff check for hazards from new or changed equipment or procedures?

Learn more: Health and safety
Do you tell contractors about hazards and find out what hazards they bring into your workplace?

Learn more: Health and safety
Do you provide staff with adequate health and safety information and training, and supervise staff until they can work safely?

Learn more: Health and safety
Do you have emergency procedures and equipment in place?

Learn more: Health and safety
Do you provide information about evacuation procedures to authorised visitors (and contractors) and warn them of any hazards they may come across?

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Do staff report incidents and injuries, and do you investigate and keep records of them?

Learn more: Health and safety

Remember to print this checklist out once you’ve completed it.