running the risk? - volunteering australia · pdf filehas produced running the risk? ... see...

running the risk?risk management tool for

volunteer involving organisations

funded by the commonwealth department

of family and community services

Published in 2003 byVolunteering Australia Inc.Suite 2, Level 311 Queens RoadMelbourne 3004t 03 9820 4100f 03 9820 1206w www.volunteeringaustralia.orgarbn 062 806 464

© Commonwealth of Australia 2003This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce this materialin unaltered form only (retaining this notice) for your personal, non-commercial useor use within your organisation. Apart from any use as permitted under the CopyrightAct 1968, all other rights are reserved. Requests for further authorisation should bedirected to the Commonwealth Copyright Administration, Intellectual PropertyBranch, Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts,GPO Box 2154, Canberra ACT 2601, or by email to the following address:[email protected]

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry

Running the risk ? : a risk management tool for volunteer-involving organisations.

ISBN 0 95788556 3

1. Voluntarism – Australia – Management. 2. Riskmanagement – Australia. I. Volunteering Australia.

361.37

AcknowledgmentsVolunteering Australia would like to acknowledge and thank the Department ofFamily and Community Services for the funding which made this publication possible.

We would also like to convey our grateful thanks to the members of the project’ssteering committee for their time and advice throughout the publication’s development.Specifically, our thanks go to Carol Burnett (Volunteering Victoria Inc.), Gavin Deadman(AON Risk Services Australia Ltd.), Tim Edwards (Department of Family and CommunityServices), Anita Hinton (Eastern Volunteer Resource Centre), Cecelia Irvine (MooresLegal) and Myles McGregor-Lowndes (Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies,Queensland University of Technology). We have enjoyed working with you all.

Finally we would like to thank those volunteer organisations who have assisted us byproviding relevant case studies of the ways that they have managed some of their risks.

Designed by Umlaut DesignCover Image by Shannon PawseyEdited by Jennifer LordPrinted by Mercedes Waratah Press

DisclaimerThis risk management booklet is intended to provide general and useful information.However, it is not proposed to be comprehensive legal advice. Readers are advisedthat before acting on any matters arising in this risk management booklet, theyshould seek specific legal advice about their situation.

The impact of the recent worldwide ‘crisis’ in insurance on the manyvolunteer involving organisations that work within our communitieshas not gone unnoticed. Over the past two years organisations havebeen reporting significant and, in some instances, devastating increasesin the cost of insurance premiums. Perhaps of more concern are thereports of a failure to acquire insurance coverage at all. It is in the areaof public liability insurance that the effect has been most felt.

While governments and the community have sought to find solutionsto the current situation and various responses have been proposed andimplemented in the different jurisdictions, one common feature has beenthe heightened interest in organisations’ risk management practices.

Organisations have been challenged to think about whether they areappropriately managing the daily risks that they face. Is the workplacesafe? Are clients protected from physical and other harm? Are volunteersprotected? Has everything that can reasonably be done to prevent injuryor other negative consequences been done?

When considered as a whole, risk management can seem intimidating.It is a process that must be carefully worked through and the particularneeds of each organisation taken into account. However, with the righttools the process of developing effective risk management strategieswill be a lot less daunting.

This publication is intended to be one such tool. Volunteering Australiahas produced Running the Risk? specifically to help volunteer involvingorganisations identify the range of risks that might affect them and theirvolunteer staff alike and implement strategies to deal with these risks.

We hope that you find this a useful tool and welcome your feedbackeither on the enclosed feedback form or via e-mail:[email protected]

Ignoring the risks that arise from both your core and your special activitiesis a dangerous strategy. Managing those risks properly will protect yourorganisation and will give managers, staff and volunteers the confidence topursue the organisation’s mission without the fear of legal action or harm.

Volunteering Australia

1

Foreword

How to Use This BookletThe step-by-stepoutline of the riskmanagementplanning processand the tools givenin this publicationare intended asguides that you canadapt to suit yourorganisation’s needs.The publication isdivided into anumber of sectionswhich can be used in different ways.

Why Manage Risk?Explains what risk management is, how it differs from legalcompliance, and how it fits in with the National Standards forInvolving Volunteers in Not-for-Profit Organisations.

Frequently Asked QuestionsMore legal and policy reasons why you need to manage risk.

Arriving at a Risk Management ProgramThis ‘how-to’ section will help the working group or project teamresponsible for producing your risk management program. Itcontains project planning guidelines and a clear and simple 4-step guide to identifying and treating risks.

Risk Identification ToolkitThe checklists and practice audit in this section can be used in trainingsessions to get staff and volunteers thinking about risk, or as actualchecklists to give your team when you start to prepare your plan.

Case StudiesDifferent organisations manage risk in different ways. The casestudies show how several not-for-profit organisations have app-roached risk management and how it can benefit your organisation.No 1 illustrates the court’s attitude to the duty of care owed bynot-for-profit organisations to their volunteers. No 2 (the NationalSafety Council, Victoria Division) illustrates some of the pitfalls thatofficers face in governing not-for-profit organisations. Nos 3, 4and 5 include examples of risk management documentation andillustrate how Surf Life Saving Queensland, a Meals on Wheelsunit, and a centre for hearing-impaired children are planning tomanage some of the risks they face in providing their services.

FormsA sample blank Risk Register, Risk Treatment Schedule and RiskAction Plan. Photocopy or adapt these to meet the needs of yourorganisation. Or download in PDF from www.volunteeringaustralia.org

GlossaryA guide to key terms in risk management.

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18

28

46

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risk management tool for volunteer involving organisations

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Every manager of a not-for-profit organisation knows that there can besurprises for the organisation at any time, both good and bad. A volunteerboard member may suggest a new funding source or service opportunitythat could help the organisation toward achieving its mission. Equally, astaff member or volunteer may provide an inappropriate service that endsin a legal dispute, or may carelessly or accidentally do something resultingin harm to themselves or others.

These events can have a serious impact on the not-for-profit organisation’seffectiveness, as well as on the physical or financial welfare of volunteers,staff or other stakeholders. These impacts may be:• legal actions which deplete the organisation’s finances,• legal actions personally against the board, senior employees or volunteers,• distraction of management in dealing with crisis situations, and• adverse publicity affecting the organisation’s reputation.

Some events have such devastating consequences for an organisationthat the risk of them happening cannot be left to chance. Many of theseimpacts can be avoided or dealt with systematically through a processknown as risk management.

What is risk management?Risk management is the process of managing your organisation’s exposureto potential liabilities. It does this by identifying risks in order to preventthem or reduce them, and by providing for funds to meet any liability ifit occurs.

Liabilities do not justarise from physicalrisks – they also arisefrom not meetingregulatoryrequirements, andfrom financial, moralor ethical issues.Why board members need to bevigilant about risk management – see Case Study 2.

3

Why Manage Risk?

Risk management• increases your chances of succeeding in an activity or preventing a loss,• minimises the effect of a loss that could not be prevented,• gives managers, staff and volunteers the confidence to pursue their

mission without the fear of legal action or harm,• approaches risk in a structured and calculated manner, rather than

being haphazard.

Risk management is not• about getting as much comprehensive insurance coverage as possible,• about just avoiding legal action,• a tool of ‘control freak’ managers to stifle innovation and creativity,• about preventing the organisation from ever taking a calculated risk,• about creating excessive bureaucracy and excluding volunteers from

participating in the organisation,• an expensive consultant’s plan sitting in a glossy folder on your

library shelf.

Risk is a part of living in our society. The challenge is to treat the risks inan appropriate and cost-effective manner so as to protect the organisationand its stakeholders. This must be done without dampening out theinspiration of volunteers or the social entrepreneurial spirit of employeeswith inflexible bureaucratic rules and procedures. It requires in essencea cultural shift.

What is the difference between risk management and legal compliance?In working out what risks it faces, your organisation will probablyidentify the risk of incurring a penalty for breaking a law (for example, afine for not filing its annual audited financial report with a governmentagency). This type of risk should be dealt with by a legal compliance planrather than a risk management plan. This is because the law requires usto comply actively with (obey) legislative provisions, regardless of cost. Riskmanagement – making a plan about how your organisation will managethe risk of failing to comply and being discovered in non-compliance, and/or how you will fund the fine – isn’t an option.

This publication is a tool for preparinggeneral risk management strategies,rather than plans dealing specificallywith legal compliance issues. Note thatStandards Australia has produced aspecific standard for legal complianceplans (AS 3806: 1998) which can help youto formulate a legal compliance plan.


4

Where does risk management fit into Volunteering Australia’s National Standards?The National Standards for Involving Volunteers in Not-for-ProfitOrganisations represent best practice in the management of volunteers.They are a generic set of guidelines produced by Volunteering Australiafollowing extensive consultation with the volunteer sector. Riskmanagement is part of that best practice.

According to the Management Responsibility standard (clause 2.5), anorganisation should ‘apply systematic risk management processes andpractices to the tasks of identifying, analysing, assessing and monitoringrisk for such matters as:a volunteer/customer dissatisfaction;b unfavourable publicity;c mismanagement;d threat to physical safety of volunteers/customers;e failure of equipment or computer systems;f a breach of legal or contractual responsibility;g fraud;h deficiencies in financial controls and reporting.’

The standard asks ‘Are effective methods established to treat, avoid, orminimise any emerging or potential risks?’ (clause 2.6). The standardhighlights volunteer recruitment, selection, orientation and workplacehealth and safety as key areas for risk management (clauses 3 and 4).

Each organisation should have a policy and procedural framework thatgoverns the way its volunteers are managed. A risk management programis part of that framework.

Standards Australia also has a standard on risk management whichprovides a generic guide for establishing and implementing riskmanagement, and can be applied to community enterprise. It performsa similar function to the National Standards of Volunteering Australia,but is specific to risk management. The material in this publicationrelies on this standard and readers are encouraged to consult it(AS/NZS 4360:1999, available from http://www.standards.com.au ).

How do you find out about changes to laws?There is no single easy way to do this.You can find out about changes to laws and standards relevant to yourorganisations’s activities by:• using the knowledge of your board

members and voluntary professionaladvisors,

• supporting continuing professionaleducation for your paid staff,

• monitoring information from peakindustry and service associations,

• subscribing to information services,journals and other publicationsfrom government departments,commercial legal publishers andprofessional organisations,

• monitoring reliable legal andgovernment websites.

Looking up legislationYou can look up all state and federallegislation (Acts and Regulations) aswell as many court decisions on theAustralian Legal Information Institute’ssite at http://www.austlii.edu.au andthe federal Attorney-General’sDepartment’s database athttp://SCALEplus.law.gov.au Most stategovernments also have a websitecontaining the legislation that appliesin that state, as well as Bills (proposedlegislation) being considered by thestate Parliament.

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We are fully insured, why do we need risk management?Insurance is only one way to manage the risks facing an organisation.It may not be the best way of managing a risk because:• it may cost much more than other ways of controlling risk,• it does not achieve the preferred outcome (preventing harm), it only

compensates after the event/injury,• it may not cover all risks and may be capped to a ceiling, and• it depends on the insurance company being solvent and able to pay

the compensation at the time of the claim.

Do we still need a risk management plan if volunteers in our state are protected by volunteer protection legislation?The Commonwealth and some states in Australia are following theAmerican example of passing laws to protect certain volunteers frombeing personally sued under certain conditions. The volunteer’s liabilityis transferred to the community organisation, which may then be ableto be sued for the actions of its volunteer. Your risk management plantherefore needs to take into account the provisions of any volunteerprotection legislation in your state.

Note that this type of legislation does not give all volunteers a blanketimmunity in all circumstances. (It may not apply, for example, if thevolunteer was involved in a motor vehicle accident, was affected by alcoholor certain other drugs, or was acting outside the scope of the activitiesauthorised by the community organisation or contrary to its instructions.)

Why do volunteers need to be part of our risk management plan?A not-for-profit organisation is responsible for the actions of its volunteersand paid staff. Inappropriate volunteer behaviour can seriously harm andprevent a not-for-profit organisation from achieving its mission. Volunteers,like employees, are a valuable resource to your organisation and shouldbe part of any risk management system. Including volunteers in your riskmanagement system will help protect both your organisation and yourvolunteers. The various volunteer protection Acts do not lessen the needfor appropriate risk management strategies.

To find out whether your state haspassed volunteer protection laws,contact the Volunteering Centre inyour state or territory. See the backcover for contact details.

For an example of an organisation’s dutyof care to volunteers, see Case Study 1.


6

Frequently Asked Questions

Will imposing risk management plans and expectations on volunteers make it harder to recruit and train volunteers?Volunteers want to enhance the resources of a not-for-profit organisation,not deplete them. They want to help it to achieve its mission, not hinderit. Most volunteers want to be part of a well-managed organisation thatconsiders their needs and rights, and gives them proper training thatenables them to maximise their contribution. Appropriate riskmanagement plans which are clearly communicated will reassurevolunteers and give them confidence about working for the organisation.

What are some common mistakes in risk management plans?• They are formally prepared, but never implemented or regularly revised.• They cover the risks that are easy to treat and leave the difficult

risks untreated.• They rely too heavily on insurance as a strategy.• They assume the organisation’s insurance covers risks that it does not.• The risk management plan is not amended when insurance policies

alter or new activities begin.

Wouldn’t it be easier just to copy another organisation’s risk management plan?Not-for-profit organisations are diverse, even within the same sector. Arisk management plan will be quite different even for similar organisationsbecause of variables such as size, organisational culture, propertyownership and leadership. You are far more likely to identify all of the risksrelating to your organisation by working through the process of planningyour own risk management strategy, than by just blindly copying anotherorganisation’s work. An understanding of what risk management meansand an ownership of the strategy to protect and enhance the missionof your organisation are essential.

7

Like many management processes, the process for establishing andmaintaining a risk management program is continual and cyclical. Ifyour organisation has already adopted a strategic planning process, riskmanagement planning can be complementary to it.

How you approach risk management planning will depend on the size,activities, internal environment and management structure of yourorganisation. Some boards, because of their organisation’s size andcomplexity, will delegate the task to the Chief Executive Officer, whomay seek external professional assistance; other boards with few or nopaid employees will do it themselves or form a volunteer task group toassist them.

Another common variation is the scope of the risk management plan.Large organisations may need comprehensive risk management planningbut in smaller organisations specific areas of activity can be chosen forrisk management. All organisations, whatever their size, need at leastto have a risk management plan for workplace health and safety andrecruitment of volunteers.

How to get thereThere is no point in producing a risk management plan that is too hardto implement, that does not have organisational support, or that no oneunderstands or knows about. Before considering what risks need to bemanaged, put a process in place that will support the development ofan appropriate program and help it to be effective. The planning pathway,on the left, which is consistent with the step-by-step guide toimplementing volunteer policies suggested in the ImplementationGuide for the National Standards for Involving Volunteers in Not for ProfitOrganisations, should help.


8

Arriving at a RiskManagement Program

planning pathway

identify the benefits and

challenges of implementing

risk management

gain the support and

commitment of senior

management

establish a team to manage

and co-ordinate

risk management

develop a plan to

guide the project

promote and communicate

the plan to your

key stakeholders

investigate the issues and

options and design the risk

management program

establish the

program

infrastructure

prepare the

program

documentation

implement, monitor and

review the risk

management program

Remember• Follow the policy development process

suggested by the National Standards– it becomes easier the more you do it.

• Risk management strategies can bedeveloped area by area, rather thanall at once.

• Communication with all stakeholdersis vital.

9

Pay particular attention to how you are going to obtain board supportfor the plan and communicate the plan throughout the organisation.Choosing the right team to lead the process is also very important indeveloping a comprehensive and appropriate risk management plan. Theindividual or team must be able to communicate well with the relevantstakeholders, and needs to have an excellent knowledge of the activities,dynamics and history of the organisation; an awareness of the law; and aknowledge of insurance. Where a volunteer task group is required, lawyers,insurance brokers or agents, auditors or accountants, and former chairsmay all be suitable. Former office-bearers are often useful because oftheir long experience with the organisation. The choice of who will chairthe working party is crucial – they must have the drive to see the projectthrough the first cycle, which can be a demanding task.

Not-for-profit organisations with links to state and federal bodies maybe able to seek help from those organisations. Peak bodies of churches,service clubs, sporting codes and other interest groups can often alsoprovide member organisations with information on common issuesthat will help them formulate a risk management strategy.

What to include in your planOnce the decision to prepare a risk management plan has been made andcommunicated across your organisation, you can move on to work on theplan itself. Its content will be determined by the four steps outlined inthe chart below, which deal specifically with identifying, assessing andmanaging risk. They are discussed in more detail in the following pages.

implement,

monitor

and review

communicate

and consult

evaluate risks

identify risks

design a

management

program

identify

treatment options

- risk avoidance

- risk control

- risk financing

- risk transfer

Identifying risks involves making a systematic assessment of all the hazardsthat could arise from your organisation’s activities. This will require aknowledge of your organisation, its social and legal context, its missionand its activities.

Establishing the organisational context accurately will help you toidentify key issues:• How much financial risk can the organisation absorb? Are its assets

sufficient to meet potential liabilities?• How would a claim against your organisation, one of its employees

or volunteers affect its reputation and ability to achieve its mission?

For example, a not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to defendhealth professionals from malpractice claims would view the risk ofbeing sued as normal, whereas a not-for-profit organisation whosemission was to promote safe working conditions for volunteers wouldsuffer serious consequences if it was sued or prosecuted for failing toprovide safe working conditions for its own volunteers.

Understanding your organisation’s legal context is also crucial toidentifying the possible liability issues:• Is the organisation a corporation, an incorporated association or

something else? This will affect the legal obligations it has and theextent and nature of its liabilities.

• Where does it operate? In addition to federal law, will the laws ofonly one state or of several states apply? Will overseas jurisdictionsbe involved?

If your organisation is large or has diverse activities, other risk identificationstrategies may need to be employed. You may want to send a riskidentification survey form to key people in the organisation to helpcompile an inventory of risks.

The process of identifying risks needs to be as complete as possible forthe plan to be effective. While it can be time-consuming, the identificationprocess will become simpler with each plan you devise.

For help with identifying risks, turn tothe Toolkit on page 18.

Step 1:Identify the Risks


10 What are thepossible liabilities orhazards that faceyour organisationand its stakeholders– its officers,members, clientsand volunteers?

Not all the risks you identify will be significant, but some may have a goodchance of developing into a liability. Your organisation probably won’thave the resources to deal equally with all potential liabilities, so the nextstep is to rank them. For example, you may have identified both a potentialrisk of defamation in your volunteer-produced newsletter and the potentialfor physical injury to your volunteers or clients through negligence. Formost not-for-profit organisations, the injury through negligence is probablymore likely to happen than the defamation. In this example, treatingphysical injury risks first makes more sense than being concerned initiallywith the risk of defamation. This understanding can then be applied whenyou come to allocating scarce resources in the most effective way forcontrolling potential risks.

Ranking your risks statistically (ie. on the frequency with which they haveoccurred in the past) may be nearly impossible. Instead, a simple qualitativerisk classification may be enough. You can assign values to likelihoodand to consequences or impact as follows:

The likelihood of an event can be classified as:a (almost certain) The event is expected to occur in most circumstances.b (likely) The event will probably occur in most circumstances.c (moderate) The event should occur at some time.d (unlikely) The event could occur at some time.e (rare) The event may occur only in exceptional circumstances.

The consequence or impact of the event occurring can be defined as:1 (trivial) No action is required and/or low financial loss.2 (minor) No further action is needed at present, but

monitoring will be necessary to ensure thatcontrols are maintained.

3 (moderate) Efforts need to be made to reduce the risk, but thecosts of doing so need to be carefully considered.

4 (substantial) The activity should be halted until the risk has been reduced or sufficient control measures are in place.

5 (intolerable) The activity that gives rise to the risk should be prohibited – this may indicate that it needs to be part of a legal compliance plan.

How likely is a loss?How severe will itbe? How soon andhow often is it likelyto happen? Whatkind of danger doesit represent to yourorganisation? Who is exposed?

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Step 2:Evaluate the Risks

The two measures of likelihood and consequences can now be broughttogether in a ‘level of risk’ matrix.

level of risk

likelihood consequences or impact

1 2 3 4 5trivial minor moderate substantial intolerable

a (almost certain) s s h h h

b (likely) m s s h h

c (moderate) l m s h h

d (unlikely) l l m s h

e (rare) l l m s s

l – low risk: manage by routine procedures

m – moderate risk: management responsibility must be specified

s – significant risk: senior management attention needed

h – high risk:detailed research & management planning required at senior levels

While this is not as precise as a statistical ranking, it lets you prioritisethe risks facing the organisation, from those that threaten its existenceto those that are trivial. The main problem will arise when there are risksthat have very severe consequences but occur infrequently (eg. a seriouscyclone or earthquake). These high severity/low frequency risks are themost unpredictable and embody the greatest threat to the existence ofthe not-for-profit organisation.

You can use a Risk Register to record all the risks you have identified, theirlikelihood, their probable consequences and the risk priority. Rememberto revise the risk register periodically – the likelihood and consequencesof risks alter over time as circumstances change (see Step 4 on page 17).

See page 46 for a Risk Register proforma.Examples of completed risk registersare contained in the Case Studies.


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Once you have systematically identified and prioritised the risks facingyour organisation, you can start thinking about how to manage them.The resulting risk management program should be in the form of awritten policy document, approved at board level and adopted acrossthe organisation.

Risk management strategiesThe following strategies are commonly used to minimise risks:• risk avoidance• risk control• risk financing• risk transfer

These strategies are not mutually exclusive. Often there will not be a single‘best’ option, and the best way for you to manage a specific risk mightbe by using a combination of strategies, for example, controlling the riskand transferring it via insurance. Arriving at the best strategy involvesbalancing the cost of implementing it with the benefits derived fromlessening the risk, or with the opportunities afforded by taking the risk.

What are the mosteffective and cost-efficient controls youcan use to prevent orreduce the probabilityof an event occurringand to minimise thecost of a loss?

What will be thebenefit? Is thebenefit worth thecost of control?

Case Studies 3, 4 & 5 show how three not-for-profit organisations have producedAction Plans to manage risks effectively.

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Step 3:Decide on the Strategies

Risk avoidanceAn organisation decides to avoid the risk altogether by not entering intothe activity or providing the service.

Risk avoidance is both the most overlooked and the most misusedstrategy. Sometimes organisations whose core activities pose minimaland manageable risks, undertake very risky fundraising activities (suchas, for example, rodeos, car rallies and air shows). Some activities are sorisky that the organisation has to say ‘no’ and mean it. On the otherhand, some organisations have closed down merely because insurancehas become too expensive or they have been denied coverage altogether,without looking at some of the options described below for adequatelymanaging or reducing the risks to acceptable levels.

Avoidance may not be an option for activities that form the core of anot-for-profit organisation’s existence. In addition, the strategy of completeavoidance may further marginalise and be detrimental to certain groups,such as people with disabilities, and in such circumstances must becarefully considered by some organisations.

Risk controlAn organisation decides to continue the activity which creates the risk,but to manage it so that it will be less likely to occur, or will be lessdamaging when it does occur.

If your organisation can’t avoid certain activities, then you must decidewhat you can do at an economic cost to reduce the risk or to soften theimpact of the event if it does happen. Often a combination of the two ispossible. This is probably the most used risk management strategy.

Such controls are merely good practice. They include the training that theorganisation gives its volunteers and staff, setting minimum qualificationsfor volunteers and staff, and making policies designed to minimiseliabilities arising from the organisation’s activities. These managementpolicies must then be recorded, communicated and understood by thosewho can act to prevent or minimise the liability.

The quality of the board of the volunteer involving organisation canalso be important in effective risk control. Having a board of committed,capable and qualified people who offer complementary knowledge andskills in areas such as accounting, law, management and professionalexpertise appropriate to the organisation’s activities is a good riskcontrol measure.

The rate of injury from the use oftrampolines in a youth sporting centre,despite upgraded supervision andtraining, may lead the organisation todrop the activity from its program. Or,an organisation sponsoring a ‘fun run’decides to cancel the event unless theappropriate standard of first aid care isavailable before the run starts.

A school council has a policy on safeplay equipment. The council may havedeveloped a procedure to ensure thatonly safe equipment is purchased andthat existing equipment is inspectedand maintained. To manage the riskeffectively, this procedure needs to beimplemented and clearly understoodby all those concerned.


14

Risk financingAn organisation decides to provide resources to meet the liabilitiescaused by risks when they eventuate.

This entails estimating the cost of a risk over a period of time and buildingfinancial reserves to cover the cost of the eventual liability. It is like a self-insurance scheme. In more complex arrangements, it may involve not-for-profit organisations banding together to finance combined risks in‘insurance pools’. An example of sophisticated not-for-profit risk financingcan be seen in some large Australian religious organisations, particularlyfor their health-related activities.

Risk transferAn organisation decides to have a third party perform the risky activity,or to transfer the consequences of the risk to another person/organisation.

Most people immediately think about transferring the risk to an insurer.Insurance is available for risks of all kinds, but it is important to insure theright risk at the right price. Insurance brokers and agents can provide veryhelpful information and advice. Be aware, though, that some see theirjob as only to sell insurance. If you have any concerns about their advice,have it independently verified.

The kinds of insurance available to volunteer involving organisations aspart of their risk management strategies include:• Volunteer personal accident• Directors’ and Officers’ liability• Professional indemnity• Public liability• Motor vehicle insurance• Building and contents

There are other ways of transferring risk. These include indemnity orexemption from liability clauses, and sub-contracting the activity to anindependent contractor.

An indemnity is a promise to reimburse another for a loss suffered. In thisway, the person receiving the indemnity will not be responsible for a losswhich someone might suffer as a result of an act done at the request ofthe person giving the indemnity. For example, a not-for-profit organisationhires out toys to play groups. A play group may be required to indemnifythe not-for-profit organisations for any claims that a ‘user’ of the toy mayhave against them. For example, a user may be injured due to a defect inthe toy and be able to sue the not-for-profit organisation as well as theplay group. If the play group has provided an indemnity they would berequired to pay any claims against the not-for-profit organisation inrespect of the toy.

An exemption from liability clause is a term in a contract which limits orexcludes one party’s liability. They are common in standard form contractssuch as those used when you hire goods or leave your car in a parkingstation. For example, a car parking contract usually exempts the car parkowner from liability arising out of an accident in the car park.

Often a chain of church-operatedhospitals will agree to cover the first $1million of any claim from their reserves,any further amount of the claim beingpaid by an insurer. This assumption ofrisk for the first $1 million helps themto obtain insurance and can also reducepremiums. Such arrangements requireprofessional assistance because of theircomplex financial and legal nature.

A childcare centre obtains parentalconsent for a nearby medical practitionerto administer medication to children.The risk is transferred to the professionalmedical practitioner. There is less chanceof injury given the professional trainingof the practitioner and, if negligencedoes cause any injury, it will usually bethe burden of the doctor, not theorganisation.

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In recent years exemption and indemnity clauses have not been legallyvery effective, but they still have a role to play in discouraging smallclaims. Often an exemption clause is used in tandem with an accidentinsurance policy which can be purchased by a member, parent, participantor client. Such a policy has set entitlements on the happening of aspecified event – for example, up to $2,000 compensation for a broken legduring a football match. While the injured person may be entitled to suefor a greater amount, they accept the accident insurance payout and takethe matter no further.

Note that parents cannot readily sign away their child’s rights, contraryto the wording that appears on some indemnity forms. Conversely, in thevast majority of circumstances, a child (a person under 18 years) cannotenter into a legally enforceable agreement.

Risk may be transferred by contracting out the particular activity to anindependent contractor. The sub-contractor takes on the risk and liabilityfor the particular activity.

There are two issues to remember about risk transfer:1 Although the risk might be transferred by insurance, it does not

diminish the overall level of risk. For most not-for-profit organisations,the preferred option would be to prevent the harmful event fromoccurring. Insurance on its own may not be the most appropriate formof risk management.

2 Where risks are transferred to another party, a new risk arises that therisk may not be effectively transferred. An example is an insurancepolicy that is not honoured by an insurance company because of somelegal technicality or insolvency of the insurer. The same may occurwith an indemnity.

Does cost of the strategy outweigh the benefit?For all categories of risk, remember that the risk management processinvolves a cost/benefit approach to the treatment of risks (if the cost ofcontrolling the risk exceeds the benefits from control – reduce control).To give an extreme example, a volunteer working at your organisation’spremises could in theory be hit by a meteor. You could eliminate the riskby erecting a protective cage over the building, but only at huge expense.In this case, the risk is very low and the cost of risk management faroutweighs the benefit. Other ways of managing the risk could beconsidered or the risk could be left untreated.

A more typical example is when an organisation buys expensive insuranceto cover events that are unlikely to occur or could be more economicallydealt with through an alternative strategy or combination of strategies.For example, insuring an organisation for injury to its volunteers whenworking in a war zone could often be better handled by not havingvolunteers working in a war zone. Taking out an insurance policy designedfor a small for-profit business which includes events that would not affecta not-for-profit organisation, for example, spoiling of food in refrigeratorswhere the not-for-profit does not have a refrigerator, is another commonexample of cost outweighing any benefit.

Useful tools for documenting your programThe Risk Treatment Schedule at page 47allows you to list possible and preferredtreatment options, their cost-benefits,and the effect they will have on therisk. You can use the Risk Action Planat page 48 to work out how you willimplement the organisation’s preferredtreatment options.


16

Once you or your working group have developed a risk managementprogram, and it has been approved by the board or managementcommittee, the next critical step is to identify who in the organisationwill be responsible for implementing it. At the same time, the board ormanagement committee needs to set up a process for periodicallymonitoring the plan’s implementation and its effectiveness.

In addition, your organisation needs to ensure that the program is reviewedat least once a year, but also whenever there are any changes in the lawor the organisation’s activities. The likelihood and consequences of a riskmay also change over time.

An example of a risk management action plan follows. These will differwith the organisational structure of the not-for-profit organisation. Otherexamples can be found in Case Studies 3, 4 and 5.

risk action plan

risk: playground equipment.

recommended response: transfer risk by insurance, and manage the risk by

playground safety inspections, supervision of play and complete removal of

dangerous equipment.

proposed action: secretary to seek insurance cover for accidents in playground;

secretary to engage health and safety expert to assess playground safety;

volunteer parents to supervise play at all times; parent working bee to remove

old swings immediately (and until removed, swings to be made inoperative, and

warning signs posted).

resource requirements: secretary to be given discretion to engage professional

assistance of up to $500 to acquire a safety inspection and $1,000 for the insurance.

responsibilities: secretary of association.

timing: safety inspection report to be delivered within two weeks, insurance

cover note within 24 hours, immediate removal of old swings and immediate

supervision of the playground.

reporting and monitoring required: matter to be put in general business on

committee meeting agenda until resolved. once resolved, an annual self-assessment

of playground will be undertaken.

person responsible: secretary, ms jane smith date: 1/1/03reviewer: management committee

date: early jan. 2004

Is the programworking and whatchanges are needed?

Risk management programs aresuccessful when they are built into theculture of the organisation. Everyoneconnected with the organisation isexpected to play a part in controllingand minimising risks – it moves beyondbeing just a board function. Newvolunteers, board members andemployees need to be made aware ofrisk management as part of theirinduction, and employees and volunteersshould be encouraged to reportpotentially dangerous equipment,facilities or situations. Education,consultation and communication areessential elements in anyimplementation and monitoring of arisk management plan.

17

Step 4:Implement, Monitor and Review the Program

Look at all the ways your organisation could suffer a direct loss or becomeliable for someone else’s loss due to:

real property (real estate) lossloss of chattel or contents ( eg. through theft or vandalism)motor vehicles (owned or used by staff or volunteers)glass and signsinterruption of business or servicesloss of the organisation’s recordsloss or corruption of computer records or datafraud and theftproduct liabilitypublic liabilityprofessional negligencenegligence in delivery of servicescontractual liabilities(failure of) compliance with government grant conditionscausing a public nuisance, such as excessive noise and activity

The range of risks tobe managed by avolunteer involvingorganisation willdepend on its context,activities and specificprograms.

ChecklistTypical risk areas

Risk Identification Toolkitrisk management tool for volunteer involving organisations

18

Conduct an annual safety auditHire an independent auditor to inspect the organisation’s workplace(s)to evaluate the effectiveness of the occupational health and safetysystem. This would result in a written report to management.

Make regular workplace inspectionsManagers and supervisors use spot-checks to observe what hazardsexist. The inspection would involve consultation with supervisors,employees and volunteers, with a report being prepared formanagement.

Look at accident investigation reportsDevelop a set of procedures for investigating and reporting onaccidents to identify the hazards that contributed to an accident.

Look at illness and injury recordsKeep records of illnesses and injuries: these may reveal underlyingoccupational health problems over time. Many workplaces also provideagencies responsible for workers compensation with reports andstatistics based on claims.

Look at worker and customer complaintsMany workplace hazards are brought to the attention of managementthrough a complaint by an employee, volunteer or client.

Use the checklistsand examples in thissection to help youwith Step 1: Identifythe Risks.

19

Some ways to identifysafety risks in the workplace

Voluntary workers personal accident claimsMost common: trip/slip and fall injuriesPrevention strategy: Reduce or eliminate the risks posed by slipperypolished floors, loose floor covering, curbs and stairs.Common: lifting strains.Prevention strategy: Manage the risk in lifting wheelchairs and boxes outof car boots, assisting clients who have mobility impairment and shiftingheavy objects such as furniture or work materials. Options: volunteereducation, manual handling policies and eliminating the risk.

Property claimsMost common: burglary and malicious damage (vandalism) to premises,often during school holidaysPrevention strategy: Improve security via lighting, fencing, locks, alarmsand neighbourhood watch activities.

Motor vehicle comprehensive claimsMost common: damage to a car when reversing it out of a confined spacePrevention strategy: Educate drivers to this issue and design carparks toallow forward exit. Some organisations with large fleets encourage theirdrivers to reverse into a parking bay and to depart by moving forward.This appears to reduce the incidence of reversing claims.Common: damage from vandalism while parked or damage by anunknown vehicle/driverPrevention strategy: Store/garage vehicles in a secure location when notin use (this often means away from your premises).

Committee and board membersCommon: unfair dismissal of employeesPrevention strategy: Obtain proper professional advice before terminatinga contract of employment.

Professional indemnityMost common: claims for defamationPrevention strategy: Risk manage your organisation’s newsletters,magazines, internal discipline procedures and media interviews to avoiddefamatory statements. Be aware of the law of defamation, adoptpublishing and media guidelines for the organisation, and seek professionalassistance as appropriate before publishing or speaking to the media.


20 Think about howsusceptible yourorganisation is toany of thesecommon claims.*From the claims records of Aon Risk Services Australia Ltd

ChecklistCommon insurance claimsmade by Volunteers andVolunteer InvolvingOrganisations*

Human perils – actions of anindividual or small group. Is yourorganisation at risk from any ofthese actions? How can youminimise the damage?

ArsonChemical leakageConfiscationDiscriminationElectrical overloadEmbezzlementExplosion of human originFire and smoke of human originHarm caused by employeesHarm caused by volunteersIndustrial contaminationMolten materialsPollutionPower outageRiotSabotageShrinkageSonic boomTerrorismTheft, forgery, fraudUnfair dismissalVandalismVibrationWater leakageWorker strikes

Economic perils – large numbersof people respond to particularconditions. What can your organ-isation do to minimise the impactof each of these future changes?

Changes in consumer tastesCurrency fluctuationsDepression/recessionImpact of strikesInflationObsolescencePolitical circumstancesStock market declinesTechnological advancesWar

Natural perils – forces of naturewith no human intervention. Youcan take steps before and after anatural disaster to reduce itsdestructive effects. How likely iseach of these events? What canyou do to minimise or provide forany damage?

Cave-inCollapseDroughtEarthquakeErosionEvaporationFire of natural originFloodHailHumidity extremesIceLandslideLightningMeteorMildewMouldPerils of the air (eg. wind sheer and

clear air turbulence)Perils of the sea (eg. sandbars and

reefs)RotRustTemperature extremesTidesTidal wavesUncontrollable vegetationVerminVolcanic eruptionWaterWeedsWind

21

ChecklistExternal causes of loss

This exercise is designed to give you some practice in thinking about, andidentifying, potential risks. Imagine the premises of a small communitycentre that you may have recently visited. You are asked to be part of aworking group that has the task of developing a risk management planfor the physical risks associated with these premises.

Either individually or by brainstorming in a group, identify and groupindividual risks, and appropriate treatments, under the categories below.Try using the Risk Register provided on page 46 and apply Steps 2-4 ofthe risk management planning process (see pages 11-17).• Equipment purchases• Equipment supervision• Outside grounds condition• Site security• Dangerous goods and hazardous substances• Buildings – housekeeping• Furniture• Electrical equipment• Fire safety• Emergency egress• Money and valuables• Maintenance

If there are any other risk headings that you feel should be considered,then include these as well. The following example for ‘electrical equipment’is given as guidance.


22

Practice self-auditCommunity centre

Electrical Equipment1 Portable equipment and leads tested and tagged2 No broken plugs, sockets or switches3 Safety plugs for unused power points to prevent access by children4 No double adapters or piggy back adapters5 No frayed or damaged leads6 No temporary leads on floor7 No strained leads8 An approved earth leakage circuit breaker/safety switch installed and

tested by a qualified electrical contractor9 An adequate electricity surge protector10 Lightening protection11 Electrical switchboards enclosed in non combustible construction

and kept free of combustible storage material12 No portable electric heaters in use, should all be fixed clear of

combustible material13 External power line access secure and free from obstructions (eg. trees)

An example of one group’s work follows. You will probably identify manydifferent concerns and this merely reflects the diversity of activities andcontexts of not-for-profit organisations. A community centre that constantlyhas young children or elderly people on the premises, or that providesfacilities for minor medical procedures to be performed may have quitedifferent risks and issues which can be identified.

23

1 What to look for in Equipment1.1 Equipment Purchase, Installation and Maintenance• Does it comply with Australian Standards?• Is it covered by warranties?• Does it have adequate installation standards?• Has it been installed correctly?• Does playground equipment have trapping points for a child’s body,

arms, head, clothing etc.?• Have playgrounds and swimming pools been fenced to Australian

Safety Standards?• Has playground equipment been installed correctly, and over surfaces

which are:a) suitable (ie. bark, sand etc.)b) free of sharp objects (ie. glass, stone, wood fragments, metal etc.)?

• Have staff and volunteers been correctly trained in use of equipment?• Does equipment present slip/fall hazards?• Is equipment free of damage eg. splinters, loose parts etc.?• Does it have specific maintenance requirements?

Suggestions• Retain warranties in a safe place for future reference.• Carry out maintenance in the specified areas and manner and at

the specified frequency.• Appoint a ‘Principal Responsible Person’ (PRP) for all maintenance

activities.• Keep a register of maintenance, particularly when carried out by

outside personnel.

1.2 Equipment Supervision• Has training been provided and rules for use of equipment been

explained?• Have all supervisors been trained in ‘first aid’ procedures?

Suggestions• Appoint a ‘Principal Responsible Person’ for supervision/securing

away of equipment.


24

Sample self-auditCommunity centre

2 What to look for Outside2.1 Outside Grounds Condition• Are the grounds free of sharp objects (eg. broken glass, metal,

splinters etc.)?• Do they present any trip or ‘fall in’ hazards (eg. no open drains etc.)?• Are they kept free of objects (general equipment etc.)?• Are areas such as stairs and ramps maintained as ‘anti-slip’?• Are they adequately lit and clearly visible at all times?• Is the car park:

a) free of slipping/tripping hazards, andb) suitable for vehicle use (ie. no potholes, rocks etc.)?

2.2 Site Security• Are prevention systems (locks, bolts, gates etc.) maintained on all

access points?• Are installed alarm systems utilised and maintained?• Is the alarm system connected ‘back to base’ and being monitored

by a reputable security company?• Does the carpark have:

a) speed restrictions – clearly marked?b) adequate lighting?c) parking restrictions (zones etc.) -clearly identified?

Suggestions• Explain access rules, including those covering the carpark, to any

potential visitors (eg. contractors) to the site before granting access.

2.3 Dangerous Goods/Hazardous Substances• Are all hazardous substances stored in an appropriate, securely

locked cabinet?• Is dangerous goods storage segregated according to dangerous

goods class?• Are material safety data sheets (MSDS) kept in a readily accessible place?• Have staff received adequate instruction and training in the use of

hazardous substances and in appropriate safety procedures?

25

3 What to look for Inside3.1 Buildings – Housekeeping• Are there procedures to ensure that accidental spills or leakages are

immediately cleaned up?• Are premises free of sharp objects (eg. broken glass, metal, splinters, etc.)?• Are they free of tripping hazards (eg. torn carpets, cabinets in

thoroughfares, etc.)?• Are aisles and hallways clear and unobstructed?• Do stairs have ‘anti-slip’features where required and are they maintained?• Is food preparation/serving area clean? Does it have ‘anti-slip’ features?• Is it free of electrical cords of any kind?• Is there a facility hire agreement in place for when the building is

hired out for functions (eg. children’s parties)?

Suggestion• Appoint a ‘Principal Responsible Person’ to monitor, or arrange for

the monitoring of, the conditions of use of all electrical equipmentin the organisation.

3.2 Furniture• Is it stable to use and free of sharp edges?• Can any items present a danger through falling over?• Can any items be moved to a less safe position without authorisation?• Is furniture made from materials which will not burn easily?• Is it painted/covered in materials which are non-toxic and which

will not chip/flake or tear, presenting a risk of being swallowed?

Suggestion• Secure all heavy/moveable furniture (including tables/trolleys etc.)

to a suitable wall point .• Do not store heavy items on moveable furniture. Alternatively,

secure them to that furniture to prevent displacement.

3.3 Electrical Equipment• Are items in use governed by an approved Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker/

life safety cut-out switch, installed by a qualified electrical contractor?• Are all electrical switchboards enclosed in non-combustible

materials and kept out of combustible storage spaces?• Are switchboards regularly tested/checked by an approved electrical

contractor?• Is electric comfort heating fixed (preferred) or are there portable

units in use (not preferred)?

Suggestion• Have all electrical equipment, particularly any involved in food

preparation, tested/checked by an approved electrical contractor on a regular basis.


26

3.4 Fire Safety• Is the emergency number for fire prominently displayed near each phone?• Are fire extinguishers:

a) secured in place?b) easily accessible and in designated areas?c) in a condition suitable for immediate use?d) of a type appropriate to the conditions and exposures?

Suggestions• Have the centre’s fire prevention measures regularly inspected by a

qualified person.• Have a qualified person establish the location, number and type of

fire extinguishers.• Have all centre personnel trained in the use of fire extinguishers, etc.

3.5 Emergency Egress• Are evacuation procedures in place and known to all staff and volunteers?• Are emergency evacuation and fire drills regularly practised?• Are exit points unobstructed, are stairs free and clear of tripping

hazards, and are handrails secure?• Can all exit doors be opened from the inside with one hand and

without a key?• Is emergency lighting working, and tested regularly (AS 2293.2 Part 2)?

3.6 Money & Valuables• Are valuable items (cash, computers, VCRs etc.) kept in a locked/secure

area when not in use?• Is there a register of who holds keys and/or has access to the safe,

the cash box, secure areas, and other parts of the building?

Suggestions• Keep no money on the premises overnight if possible unless in

securely locked safe or strong room.• Ensure cheques are stamped ‘Not Negotiable’ to prevent fraud.• Keep petty cash in a lockable container with duplicate receipt book.

3.7 Maintenance• Do qualified personnel carry out the cleaning and maintenance of:

a) heating systems?b) air-conditioning systems?c) electrical systems, including fuses etc.?d) cooking equipment, including hoods, ducts, etc.?e) computer systems?

Suggestions• Record the dates and results of all system checks, the activities

subsequently undertaken and the name/organisation of thepersonnel completing the checks.

• Appoint a ‘Principal Responsible Person’ as the liaison for all such checks.

27

A not-for-profit touring theatre company was engaged by an arts promoterto perform Emma Celebrazione, a musical play, in over 22 regional venues.The theatre company was paid a flat fee for its performances and thearts promoter kept any profits.

In each regional centre, volunteers were recruited locally to act as extrasand as a chorus. Mary was a member of an association which performedand preserved traditional Italian dance. She was invited to be a chorusmember by an employee of a regional theatre (not the touring theatre).She came under the direction of the stage manager of the touringtheatre company.

After being in existence for many years, the touring company had becomean incorporated association in 1996. It staged professional productionsand, as a rule, involved no volunteers in any onstage or backstage capacity.Volunteers usually sold tickets or worked as ushers and did not performor work on set construction.

The cast pressed their costumes using an iron and ironing board ownedby the local theatre. They used their own spray-on ironing aid. The ironingboard was set up on a highly polished lino floor and some of the spray-on ironing aid had fallen on the floor during ironing. As Mary approachedthe ironing board, she slipped and fell backwards and sideways. She puther right hand out to break her fall and injured her right wrist.

Mary sued both the regional theatre and the touring theatre company.The arts promoter was not sued.

The judge found that Mary had slipped on residue from the spray whichhad reached the floor, and that it was matter of ‘commonsense andexperience’ that some spray was likely to fall on the floor and that itwould make the floor slippery.

The judge found that the fact that Mary was a volunteer made nodifference to the company’s duty of care.


28

Case Study: 1The Volunteer Performerand the Ironing Board

Case Study: 1The VolunteerPerformer and theIroning Board

Case Study: 2The Sleeping BoardMembers

Case Study: 3The VolunteerLifesaver and theDangerous RubberDuckie

Case Study: 4Volunteer FoodDelivery

Case Study: 5The AnnualChristmas Party

The judge found that the theatre company had a duty to keep theworkplace safe, that it had failed to do so, and that there were severalthings it could easily have done to prevent the accident and the damage.The judge found that the regional theatre management should also haveforeseen that there was a risk of the accident happening.

Both the regional theatre and the touring theatre company were orderedto pay damages to compensate Mary for her injury. [Queensland DistrictCourt, Case No. 113 of 1999]

The touring theatre company’s management was taken by surprise bythe judgment for several reasons:a) The company did not engage the volunteer, had no opportunity to screen

her nor to screen any pre-disposition she may have had to injury.b) The venue was provided by the regional Council and the company’s only

opportunity to inspect the venue was briefly before the accident occurred.c) The company had no contractual relationship with either the volunteer

or the regional Council. It was the intermediary arts promoter whohad contracted with over 22 regional venue providers.

d) The involvement of volunteers in any aspect of the company’s productionswas extremely rare. It was also rare for the company not to have fullcontrol over all aspects of a production. The company had no adequateprocesses and policy for transferring and managing unexpected risksin an unknown physical environment over which it had little control.

OutcomeThe touring theatre company has addressed the risks highlighted by theincident. In the main it has chosen to avoid the risk – it has not involved anyvolunteers since in either touring or local productions in a similar capacity.

29‘…the [company]owed [Mary] thesame duty of carethat it would haveowed had it paidher… she was in thesame position as anemployee.’

The National Safety Council Victoria Division (NSC) was a company limitedby guarantee incorporated in 1928. It was formed by a coalition of Victoriannot-for-profit agencies with the charitable object of promoting safetyawareness, particularly industrial safety. Membership of the company wasopen to all willing to subscribe to the constitution and pay an annualsubscription of one guinea. Members of the company guaranteed to eachpay one guinea ($2.10) if the company was wound up and unable to payits debts. All members had an equal vote to elect a council of five membersand 42 specified organisations had the right to appoint a representativeto the council. The specified organisations included a range of governmentagencies (police, fire service, railways) and not-for-profit organisationssuch as chambers of commerce, car clubs, trades unions and some privatecompanies (eg. Ford). The Council appointed an executive committeeconsisting of a President and representatives from 14 named associations.

The NSC carried out safety awareness programs which initially emphasisedthe workplace, but expanded to road and leisure activities. It was fundedthrough government grants and industry contributions, relying onvolunteers to perform most of its functions. In 1962 the Council fosteredthe establishment of similar organisations in the other states of Australiawhich became separate corporate entities. It was at this time that theNSC began to conduct a safety service to industry, specialising in on-sitetraining and safety auditing. In 1979 it purchased a fire tender and beganto develop emergency services.

In 1982 under the charismatic leadership of its chief executive, JohnFriedrich, the organisation expanded into providing unusual forms ofsearch and rescue. Its expansion was funded through commercial loansfrom financial institutions. The loans were secured against rescueequipment contained in sealed containers as arranged by the CEO. Mostcontainers were empty and so the security was illusory, and the loansobtained fraudulently. The accounts of the organisation were alsotampered with to show a better position, often in the form of illusorydebtors. There is also a suggestion that auditor’s reports qualifying theaccounts were tampered with by the chief executive before beingpresented to the board and lenders.


30

Case Study: 2The Sleeping Board Members

Over a number of years the popular press signaled the possibility of a fraud.These articles later proved to have been fairly accurate. As early as 1986the Bairnsdale Advertiser, a local paper, outlined extensive misgivingsabout the financial status of the NSC, while in August 1988 Channel10’s Page One expressed concerns about the Council and its operations.A large feature article in the Sydney Sun Herald by Wendy Bacon inOctober 1988 noted that the company’s accounts were puzzling, it wasunaccountable to the public, and discrepancies existed betweenequipment purchased and income received.

The matter was brought to a head when the board requested an independ-ent financial assessment and the chief executive fled. The company wasplaced into liquidation owing about three hundred million dollars.

The trial judge found that the company had been insolvent for nearlyfive years and that this could have been ‘fairly easily appreciated by anadult person of normal intelligence who had a general knowledge ofthe company’s activities and an inclination to consider the accountsand auditor’s report for half an hour.’

Some other findings of the judge were:• out of 18 board meetings held in one period, at 11 meetings there

were no accounts of any kind provided or discussed;• in another period, apart from the annual accounts, no accounts had

been discussed at a board meeting for almost a year;• no annual meeting was held in one year;• copies of accounts and reports were not sent to members before

annual meetings;• no financial controller was appointed as required by the company’s

constitution; and• the CEO was not properly supervised or monitored by the board.

The directors were sued in the civil courts for debts incurred whilst thecompany was insolvent. A settlement was negotiated with all directorsexcept the chairman of the company.The chairman was found liable to paysome $97 million to creditors. The executive officer faced several seriouscriminal charges but committed suicide on the eve of the trial.The auditorswere sued by the liquidator, who claimed professional negligence in thesum of $256 million. Again the matter settled out of court. It was reportedthat the auditors settled for $2 million without admitting liability.

As well as managing risks responsibly, committee members and boards mayneed to ensure that there is an appropriate legal compliance plan in placeto ensure absolute compliance with the law such as timely production ofannual accounts and reports, attention to scrutinising annual accounts andmonitoring the activities of senior staff and the organisation generally.

For further information about this case, see Commonwealth Bank ofAustralia v Friedrich (1991) 9 ACLC 946; 5 ACSR 115, and M. McGregor-Lowndes, ‘Not-for-profit Corporations – Reflections on Australia’s LargestNot-for-profit Insolvency’, Australian Journal of Corporate Law, Vol. 5,No. 4, 1995, pp. 417-441.

31Volunteer committeemembers anddirectors have thesame duties andresponsibilities aspaid directors andface similarconsequences fordefaults. These risksmust be managedresponsibly.

Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) is a not-for-profit association assistingQueensland Surf Life Saving Club branches, and is also a member of theNational Surf Life Saving Association.

Like many other not-for-profit organisations, the association and itsbranches have been under pressure from the public liability insurancecrisis. This is highlighted by a number of recent public cases where injuredsurfers are suing rescue authorities.

Research to identify its risks found that 40% of all insurance claims inrecent years were for injuries to members caused by the use orinappropriate design of inflatable rescue boats (IRBs). The associationrealised that it would be at risk in a number of ways if it did not dealwith the IRB problem.

Managing the risks posed by the IRBs was clearly a priority for theorganisation. A committee worked through a risk register and risktreatment schedule and prepared a risk action plan (see the followingpages) which is being implemented. The plan will develop over time asnew national risk management strategies become approved.


32

Case Study: 3The Volunteer Lifesaver andthe Dangerous Rubber Duckie

Volunteers form thebackbone of thelifesaving movementand it is importantthat they are freefrom unacceptablerisks and being partyto litigation.

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33

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nd

seni

or m

anag

emen

t

Insu

ranc

e ris

k – in

crea

sed

cost

and

/or l

oss o

f cov

er

Avoi

d/M

anag

e ris

k

As a

bove

Man

age

risk

Man

age

risk

Man

age

risk

Man

age

risk

Avoi

d ris

k for

eve

nts

Man

age

risk f

or o

pera

tiona

l res

cues

Redu

ce in

ciden

ce o

f inj

urie

s by:

i)Im

prov

e tr

aini

ng;

ii)Ch

ange

aw

ards

stru

ctur

e to

rew

ard

safe

ty a

spec

ts o

f com

petit

ion;

iii)C

hang

e qu

alifi

catio

ns to

ope

rate

IRBs

– n

ew C

rew

pers

on C

ertif

icate

;iv

)Cha

nge

even

t rul

es –

no

mod

ified

craf

t to

be a

llow

ed;

v)Ch

ange

des

ign

of cr

aft –

new

twin

hul

l cu

rren

tly b

eing

des

igne

d.

Med

ia li

aiso

n pe

rson

and

use

of w

ebsit

e an

d m

ater

ials

to sh

ow co

mm

unity

that

act

ion

is be

ing

take

n

Ensu

re D

irect

ors’

and

Offi

cers

’ cov

erag

e is

as

com

plet

e as

pos

sible

; boa

rd to

clos

ely

scru

tinise

risk

Neg

otia

tions

and

clos

e re

latio

nshi

p w

ith

insu

rer

Low

Med

ium

Med

ium

Med

ium

Med

ium

Med

ium

Acce

pt

Acce

pt

Acce

pt

Acce

pt

Acce

pt

Acce

pt

CEO

CEO

CEO

CEO

CEO

/Boa

rd

CEO

/Boa

rd

Imm

edia

tely

Ong

oing

Imm

edia

tely

Ong

oing

Ong

oing

Ong

oing

Ong

oing

Wor

kpla

ce C

omm

ittee

an

d IR

B Co

mm

ittee

As a

bove

Wor

kpla

ce C

omm

ittee

an

d IR

B Co

mm

ittee

Risk

Man

agem

ent

Subc

omm

itee/

Wor

kpla

ce

Com

mitt

ee

Risk

Man

agem

ent

Subc

omm

itee/

Wor

kpla

ce

Com

mitt

ee

Risk

Man

agem

ent

Subc

omm

itee/

Wor

kpla

ce

Com

mitt

ee


34

Risk

Act

ion

Plan

fu

nc

tio

n/a

ctiv

ity

pe

rs

on

re

sp

on

sib

le

re

vie

we

d b

y

da

te

da

te

ris

k

re

co

mm

en

de

d r

es

po

ns

e a

nd

im

pa

ct

re

so

ur

ce

re

qu

ir

em

en

ts

re

sp

on

sib

ilit

ie

s

tim

in

g

re

po

rt

in

g a

nd

mo

nito

rin

g r

eq

uir

ed

Use

of I

nfla

tabl

e Re

scue

Boa

ts (I

RBs)

Inju

ries t

o m

embe

rs a

nd vo

lunt

eers

whe

n us

ing

infla

tabl

e re

scue

boa

ts (I

RBs)

in e

vent

s an

d re

scue

s

a)av

oid

the

risk f

or e

vent

s unt

il Au

stra

lia-w

ide

risk m

anag

emen

t str

ateg

ies p

ut in

pla

ceb)

man

age

the

risk f

or re

scue

s as t

here

are

curr

ently

no

acce

ptab

le a

ltern

ativ

es to

IRBs

c)se

ek a

nat

iona

l app

roac

h w

ith co

mm

on st

anda

rds a

cros

s Aus

tral

ia

To b

e ca

lcula

ted

pr

op

os

ed

Ac

tio

ns

a)Es

tabl

ish a

stat

e-ba

sed

Wor

kpla

ce In

jurie

s Man

agem

ent T

eam

whi

ch h

olds

regu

lar

mee

tings

to re

view

wor

kpla

ce is

sues

, and

take

out

Wor

kcov

er fo

r mem

bers

;b)

Esta

blish

Aus

tral

ian

IRB

Revi

ew C

omm

ittee

– a

lso a

n et

hics

com

mitt

ee h

as se

nt o

ut

peop

le to

wat

ch h

ow IR

Bs a

re u

sed

and

oper

ated

;c)

Out

com

es:

i)Im

prov

e tr

aini

ng;

ii)Ch

ange

aw

ards

stru

ctur

e to

rew

ard

safe

ty a

spec

ts o

f com

petit

ion;

iii)C

hang

e qu

alifi

catio

ns to

ope

rate

IRBs

– n

ew re

accr

edid

atio

n st

ruct

ure

with

es

tabl

ishm

ent o

f Cre

wpe

rson

’s Ce

rtifi

cate

;iv)

Chan

ges t

o ho

w ev

ents

are

run

with

mod

ified

rule

s – n

o m

odifi

ed cr

aft a

re to

be a

llow

ed;

v)M

ajor

chan

ges u

nder

way

to d

esig

n of

craf

t – n

ew tw

in h

ull c

raft

curre

ntly

bein

g de

signe

d.d)

The

outc

ome

of th

e re

view

has

bee

n to

avo

id th

e ris

k by

bann

ing

IRBs

for n

atio

nal

com

petit

ive

IRB

racin

g un

til a

ll st

ates

com

e up

to th

e ne

w st

anda

rds b

ut m

anag

ing

the

risk f

or re

scue

s as t

here

is cu

rren

tly n

o al

tern

ativ

e to

the

IRBs

. Thu

s, IR

Bs a

re st

ill

used

for o

pera

tions

;e)

All s

tate

bod

ies t

o re

port

det

ails

of a

ny in

jurie

s on

stan

dard

form

s for

cons

isten

t an

d ef

ficie

nt co

llect

ion

and

inpu

t of d

ata;

f)Ap

poin

t med

ia li

aiso

n pe

rson

and

use

of w

ebsit

e an

d m

ater

ials

to sh

ow

com

mun

ity th

at a

ctio

n is

bein

g ta

ken;

g)N

egot

iate

and

mai

ntai

n clo

se re

latio

nshi

p w

ith in

sure

r

CEO

Wor

kpla

ce In

jurie

s Man

agem

ent T

eam

and

Au

stra

lian

IRB

Revi

ew C

omm

ittee

CEO

As a

prio

rity

CEO

to W

orkp

lace

Inju

ries M

anag

emen

t Tea

mLo

cal b

ranc

hes t

o re

port

on

stan

dard

form

to C

EO o

f Sta

te b

ody

35

Meals on Wheels delivers pre-packed meals at home to the elderly andin some cases to the disabled. Deliveries are made by volunteers usingtheir own vehicles.

There are many associated risks, including those involving cars (accidents)and food preparation (cuts, burns, lifting strains). There is also the risk ofinjury to patrons if the food is not prepared, stored, transported and thenconsumed or stored appropriately. Food Standards Australia and NewZealand estimate that there are 7 million cases of food poisoning annuallyin Australia. The consequences of food poisoning for frail, elderly ordisabled patrons of Meals on Wheels could be very serious.

Risks also arise when the patron is not at home when the meal isactually delivered.1 If the meal is left outside the door, it could be tampered with by

animals or other people.2 Danger posed by heated granite plates left by drivers to keep food hot.

Heated granite plates are used in eskies to ensure food is delivered atcorrect temperature. Volunteers have protective holders to avoid burns.

3 It is not acceptable to leave food with neighbours without havingarranged this with the patron or vetted and instructed the neighboursbeforehand. Transfer of such a risk to neighbours without theirknowledge or consent is inappropriate. Entering a neighbour’spremises without permission has hazards, such as dog attacks.

4 Some patrons require special foods (for example, they are diabetic orallergic to certain foods). The normal risk management procedure isfor the deliverer to check with the patron that the correct food isbeing delivered. This cannot be done if the patron is not present.

Here is how one Meals on Wheels unit has begun to deal with thespecific issue of patrons not being present at the delivery of meals.


36

Case Study: 4Volunteer Food Delivery

Where patrons’welfare is at risk, therisk cannot be leftuntreated.

Risk

Reg

iste

rfu

nc

tio

n/a

ctiv

ity

co

mp

ile

d b

y

re

vie

we

d b

y

da

te

da

te

ris

k r

at

in

g

lik

elih

oo

d

ra

tin

g

co

ns

eq

ue

nc

e

ra

tin

ga

de

qu

ac

y o

f e

xist

in

g c

on

tr

ols

lik

elih

oo

d

Poss

ibili

ty o

f ani

mal

s or o

ther

hum

ans

tam

perin

g w

ith fo

od

If dr

iver

s lea

ve fo

od w

ith n

eigh

bour

s-f

ood

qual

ity n

ot a

ssur

ed-u

nacc

epta

ble

to tr

ansf

er ri

sk to

ne

ighb

ours

with

out t

heir

know

ledg

e or

cons

ent

Dang

er p

osed

by

heat

ed g

rani

te p

late

s lef

t by

driv

ers t

o ke

ep fo

od h

ot

If fo

od o

r rec

ipie

nts i

ncor

rect

ly n

amed

:-f

ood

was

ted

-cos

t inc

urre

d of

retu

rn a

nd re

plac

emen

t

-pos

sible

per

sona

l inj

ury

due

to p

atro

ns

cons

umin

g w

rong

food

, e.g

. tho

se w

ith

diab

etes

or a

llerg

ies

Brea

ch o

f leg

islat

ive

requ

irem

ents

for f

ood

safe

ty

Deat

h or

inju

ry

Imag

e of

bod

y

Inju

ry to

driv

ers a

nd

patr

ons

Body

cann

ot a

fford

was

te

of re

sour

ces

Deat

h or

inju

ry. V

olun

teer

s m

ay re

sign.

Gov

t fun

ding

m

ay b

e th

reat

ened

if fo

od

qual

ity n

ot m

aint

aine

d.

Pena

lty; lo

ss o

f pub

lic tr

ust

Hig

h

Low

/Med

ium

Low

Low

Med

ium

Low

Inad

equa

te –

fact

ors a

re o

ut o

f the

m

anag

er’s

cont

rol

As a

bove

Driv

ers n

ot a

ble

to a

dvise

pat

rons

on

how

to

hand

le p

late

s – m

ust r

ely

on p

ast p

ract

ices

and

writ

ten

mat

eria

ls gi

ven

prev

ious

ly

Cost

s to

retu

rn a

nd re

plac

e fo

od –

clie

nt

requ

ired

to p

ay fo

r foo

d if

they

do

not

notif

y in

eno

ugh

time

A gr

eat d

eal o

f car

e is

take

n by

pai

d an

d vo

lunt

eer s

taff

whe

n pa

ckin

g m

eals

in th

e la

belli

ng a

nd n

amin

g pr

oces

s

Very

det

aile

d pr

oces

ses a

re in

pla

ce a

nd

trai

ned

fullt

ime

staf

f but

man

y vo

lunt

eers

w

ho n

eed

to b

e ov

erse

en b

y st

aff t

o en

sure

co

mpl

ianc

e oc

curs

eve

ry ti

me.

Hig

h im

pact

Hig

h im

pact

Med

ium

im

pact

Low

Hig

h

Hig

h

Hig

h

Med

ium

/Low

Low

Low

Low

(wel

l m

anag

ed ri

sk)

Med

ium

Hig

h

Med

ium

Low

Low

Med

ium

Med

ium

Deliv

ery

of Fo

od to

the

Elde

rly a

nd D

isabl

ed w

hen

Patr

on a

bsen

t

co

ns

eq

ue

nc

es

co

ns

eq

ue

nc

es

of

an

ev

en

t h

ap

pe

nin

g

th

e r

is

ks

– w

ha

t c

an

ha

pp

en

an

d h

ow

37

Risk

Tre

atm

ent S

ched

ule

and

Plan

fu

nc

tio

n/a

ctiv

ity

co

mp

ile

d b

y

re

vie

we

d b

y

da

te

da

te

ho

w t

o m

on

ito

r

th

e r

is

k a

nd

th

e

tr

ea

tm

en

t o

pt

io

ns

tim

eta

ble

fo

r

imp

lem

en

ta

tio

n

pe

rs

on

resp

on

sib

le f

or

imp

lem

en

ta

tio

n

co

st/b

en

ef

it

an

aly

sis

re

su

lt

(a

cc

ep

t/r

eje

ct)

ris

k r

at

in

g

af

te

r

tr

ea

tm

en

t

tr

ea

tm

en

t

op

tio

ns

pr

ef

er

re

d o

pt

io

ns

ris

ks

in

pr

io

rit

y o

rd

er

(f

ro

m r

is

k r

eg

is

te

r)De

liver

y of

Food

to th

e El

derly

and

Disa

bled

whe

n Pa

tron

abs

ent

Poss

ibili

ty o

f ani

mal

s or

othe

r hum

ans t

ampe

ring

with

food

If dr

iver

s lea

ve fo

od w

ith

neig

hbou

rs-f

ood

qual

ity n

ot a

ssur

ed-u

nacc

epta

ble

to tr

ansf

er

risk t

o ne

ighb

ours

with

out

thei

r kno

wle

dge o

r con

sent

Dang

er p

osed

by

heat

ed

gran

ite p

late

s lef

t by

driv

ers t

o ke

ep fo

od h

ot

If fo

od o

r rec

ipie

nt

inco

rrec

tly n

amed

:-p

atro

n ca

nnot

corr

ect a

t tim

e of

del

iver

y, fo

od

was

ted,

cost

incu

rred

of

retu

rn a

nd re

plac

emen

t

- pat

ron

may

be h

arm

ed b

y co

nsum

ing

wro

ng fo

od

eg. t

hose

with

dia

bete

s or

alle

rgie

s

Cont

inue

pac

kagi

ng a

nd

deliv

erin

g fo

od –

risk

of

brea

ch o

f leg

islat

ive

requ

irem

ents

for f

ood

safe

ty

Avoi

d ris

k/M

anag

e ris

k

Avoi

d ris

k/M

anag

e ris

k

Avoi

d ris

k/M

anag

e ris

k

Avoi

d ris

k/M

anag

e ris

k

Avoi

d ris

k/M

anag

e ris

k

Man

age

risk

Avoi

d ris

k

Avoi

d ris

k – ce

ase

activ

ity

Use

oth

er co

ntai

ners

that

can

be u

sed

in th

e ab

senc

e of

volu

ntee

rs o

r col

d fo

ods

Man

age r

isk –

pat

ron

to co

llect

bef

ore o

r afte

r th

e des

igna

ted

time –

mus

t adv

ise th

e Cen

ter

if go

ing

to b

e aw

ay o

r clie

nt st

ill p

ays

Ensu

re d

eliv

ery

staf

f are

trai

ned

and

volu

ntee

rs in

the

kitc

hen

are

awar

e of

and

fo

llow

pro

cess

es

Ensu

re co

ntai

ners

com

ply

with

wor

kpla

ce

heal

th a

nd sa

fety

legi

slatio

n. E

nsur

e vo

lunt

eers

and

staf

f tra

ined

, pol

icies

in p

lace

an

d pr

oces

ses a

dapt

ed p

rom

ptly

to m

inim

ise

risks

Hig

h

Low

Low

Low

Reje

ct

Reje

ct

Acce

pt

Acce

pt

Acce

pt

Acce

pt

Man

ager

Man

ager

Man

ager

Man

ager

Man

ager

Man

ager

Imm

edia

tely

Imm

edia

tely

Imm

edia

tely

Imm

edia

tely

Imm

edia

tely

Imm

edia

tely

Man

ager

repo

rtin

g to

m

anag

emen

t com

mitt

ee

Man

ager

repo

rtin

g to

m

anag

emen

t com

mitt

ee

Man

ager

repo

rtin

g to

m

anag

emen

t com

mitt

ee

Man

ager

repo

rtin

g to

m

anag

emen

t com

mitt

ee

Man

ager

repo

rtin

g to

m

anag

emen

t com

mitt

ee

Man

ager

repo

rtin

g to

m

anag

emen

t com

mitt

ee


38

Risk

Act

ion

Plan

fu

nc

tio

n/a

ctiv

ity

pe

rs

on

re

sp

on

sib

le

re

vie

we

d b

y

da

te

da

te

ris

k

re

co

mm

en

de

d r

es

po

ns

e a

nd

im

pa

ct

re

so

ur

ce

re

qu

ir

em

en

ts

re

sp

on

sib

ilit

ie

s

tim

in

g

re

po

rt

in

g a

nd

mo

nito

rin

g r

eq

uir

ed

Deliv

ery

of Fo

od to

the

Elde

rly a

nd D

isabl

ed w

hen

Patr

on a

bsen

t

Food

qua

lity

cann

ot b

e as

sure

d w

hen

food

left

at p

rem

ises i

n th

e ab

senc

e of

pat

ron

Avoi

d th

e ris

k unl

ess s

atisf

acto

ry ri

sk m

anag

emen

t str

ateg

ies a

re in

pla

ce a

nd a

ccep

ted

by p

atro

ns

pr

op

os

ed

Ac

tio

ns

a)N

o m

eals

to b

e le

ft o

utsid

e th

e pa

tron

’s ho

me

if th

ey a

re n

ot a

t hom

e (e

ven

if an

esk

y is

prov

ided

); pa

tron

to p

ay if

no

one

is at

hom

e to

rece

ive

food

; all

unde

liver

ed fo

od to

be

retu

rned

to th

e ki

tche

n.b)

Mea

ls on

ly to

be l

eft w

ith n

eigh

bour

s by p

rior a

rrang

emen

t and

onl

y if n

eigh

bour

s kno

w

of a

nd h

ave

acce

pted

risk

s and

ther

e is

no re

ason

to su

spec

t tha

t the

nei

ghbo

ur is

un

relia

ble

– to

tran

sfer

risk

may

be

unet

hica

l pra

ctice

and

insu

ranc

e m

ay n

ot co

ver a

ny

brea

ch o

f dut

y in

thes

e cir

cum

stan

ces.

c)Pa

tron

s to

mak

e pr

ior a

rrang

emen

t for

colle

ctio

n of

mea

l fro

m th

e ki

tche

n of

the

asso

ciatio

n ea

rlier

in th

e da

y, or

afte

r nor

mal

del

iver

y tim

e.d)

Arra

nge

for t

he d

eliv

ery

of a

n ex

tra

mea

l on

the

day

befo

re (o

nly

if pr

evio

usly

neg

otia

ted

and

if pr

actic

able

e.g

. if fo

od sp

oila

ge is

not

an

issue

) but

ens

ure

the

patr

on p

lace

s the

m

eal i

n th

e fr

idge

/fre

ezer

and

reco

rd th

at th

is ha

s occ

urre

d.e)

Deliv

ery

volu

ntee

rs to

leav

e a

note

in p

atro

n’s a

bsen

ce co

nfirm

ing

the

mea

l is a

t the

ki

tche

n fo

r col

lect

ion.

Cho

ose l

imite

d ra

nge o

f mea

ls th

at a

re le

ss su

scep

tible

to ri

sk th

an a

fre

shly

cook

ed m

eal (

e.g. if

left

out o

f frid

ge) s

uch

as ch

eese

s and

bisc

uits

/pre

pack

aged

food

.f)

Ensu

re co

nsist

ent m

ento

ring

of d

river

s as t

o th

eir r

espo

nsib

ilitie

s by

indu

ctio

ns a

nd

stan

dard

s and

pro

per s

cree

ning

of b

ackg

roun

d of

driv

ers;

g)Cr

eate

cust

omise

d se

rvice

del

iver

y st

anda

rds,

but r

atio

nalis

e w

hen

rele

vant

stat

e or

na

tiona

l sta

ndar

ds o

n se

rvice

del

iver

y ar

e de

velo

ped.

cont

inue

d ne

xt p

age

Man

ager

Sub-

com

mitt

ee o

r man

agem

ent c

omm

ittee

a)Fo

od w

asta

ge to

be

min

imise

db)

Paid

staf

f to

assis

t driv

ers w

ith p

roce

ssc)

Man

agem

ent t

ime

to tr

ain

driv

ers a

nd st

aff

d)Cr

eatio

n of

writ

ten

mat

eria

l for

pat

rons

and

staf

f pro

mot

ing

the p

olici

es a

nd p

roce

dure

s

Man

ager

to o

vers

ee p

roce

sses

are

follo

wed

To b

e im

plem

ente

d im

med

iate

ly

a)M

anag

er to

repo

rt to

man

agem

ent c

omm

ittee

b)Su

b-co

mm

ittee

to b

e es

tabl

ished

to fo

cus o

n re

port

ing

of ri

sk in

ciden

ts a

nd ri

sk

man

agem

ent i

ssue

s and

to re

port

to th

e bo

ard

c)Ri

sk m

anag

emen

t day

39


40

Risk

Act

ion

Plan

cont

inue

dp

ro

po

se

d A

ct

io

ns

co

ntin

ue

d

h)In

duct

ions

and

form

al tr

aini

ng a

t reg

ular

tim

es. D

evel

opm

ent o

f con

siste

nt tr

aini

ng

mat

eria

ls an

d tr

aine

rs. E

nsur

e co

mpe

tenc

ies a

ppro

pria

tely

ass

esse

d af

ter t

rain

ing

wor

ksho

ps –

cert

ifica

tes g

iven

. Tra

inin

g an

d ch

ange

man

agem

ent o

ptio

ns:

-Onl

ine

asse

ssm

ent –

mul

tiple

choi

ce q

uest

ions

– d

one

at vo

lunt

eer’s

ow

n tim

e –

com

pute

r acc

ess a

t bod

y or

libr

ary

or st

ate

offic

es if

volu

ntee

r doe

s not

hav

e co

mpu

ter

acce

ss –

in 15

-min

ute

segm

ents

;-R

aise

aw

aren

ess a

nd g

et/b

uy in

from

staf

f – h

old

‘Food

qua

lity

and

serv

ice d

eliv

ery’

com

petit

ions

– co

mpe

te w

ith o

ther

are

a bo

dies

– g

ain

med

ia p

ublic

ity;

-Sim

ulat

ions

of b

est p

ract

ice –

stat

e bo

dy to

crea

te vi

deos

on

‘dos

’ and

‘don

’ts’;

-Sta

te b

ody

to p

ost b

est p

ract

ice g

uide

lines

in ch

eckl

ist fo

rmat

on

web

site

– ge

t up

cons

titue

nt m

odel

– m

embe

rshi

p of

stat

e bo

dy a

nd is

sues

with

hav

ing

to a

bide

with

na

tiona

l sta

ndar

ds –

rew

ards

for c

ompl

ianc

e –

reco

gniti

ons,

mor

e fu

ndin

g to

loca

l bo

dies

to re

ach

stat

e or

nat

iona

l sta

ndar

ds;

-Obt

ain

patr

on fe

edba

ck o

n w

hat i

s goo

d an

d ba

d –

syst

emat

ic co

llect

ion

of d

ata

– fe

edba

ck sh

eet w

ith e

ach

mea

l – to

be

colle

cted

at s

ubse

quen

t col

lect

ions

– ve

ry si

mpl

e fo

rms –

don

’t ju

st re

ly o

n an

ecdo

tal e

vide

nce

and

then

ada

pt sy

stem

and

pro

cess

es;

-Und

erta

ke re

gula

r spo

t aud

its o

n dr

iver

s com

plia

nce

with

gui

de li

nes;

-Driv

er si

gn o

ff an

d tic

k che

cklis

t tha

t all

proc

edur

es fo

llow

ed a

fter e

very

run.

Rec

ords

m

anag

emen

t to

colla

te a

nd a

ct o

n th

ese

shee

ts a

nd su

gges

tions

from

pat

rons

and

dr

iver

s to

impr

ove

the

syst

em.

A not-for-profit association (‘the Centre’) provides teaching and otherservices for hearing-impaired children and support for their parents.

Each year the Centre holds a Christmas party for the children enrolled.Parents, volunteers, staff, board members, and management are invited,and parents usually bring along others who have not been specificallyinvited. This year approximately 30 children, ranging in age from 2 to 6years, and 20 adults will be present. Father Christmas will arrive byprime mover, which is being provided by a sponsor and driven by asponsor’s employee.

The prime mover will be parked in the adjacent carpark outside the fencedplayground area of the Centre. The cabin is quite high off the ground andthe exhaust pipe will be very hot and near where children will climb ontothe machine. Parents will be asked to supervise but a staff member willalso be present, and the driver of the prime mover will remain in the cabinthroughout the activity. The carpark is near the roadway and trafficpresents a greater than usual risk for many hearing-impaired children.

There will be not be enough staff to monitor every aspect of the functionclosely. Children may be stressed by the heat and the unusually largecrowd. Children with hearing aids could also be at risk from the resultanthigh noise levels, which may be amplified by the hard surfaces insidethe building.

Some of the people attending, although well meaning, may behaveinappropriately and in ways that could unsettle the children and parents.In addition, staff supervising children may be distracted by parents whowant in-depth discussions of their children’s progress. Parents can becomeemotional and distressed during interviews and privacy and confidentialitycannot be assured at the event.

Clearly, various aspects of the event present risks, although they are allof low likelihood. However, if problems do arise, they could have a majorimpact on the Centre.

41A once-a-year event,outside theorganisations usualroutines, can presentnew risks that needto be specificallymanaged.

Case Study: 5The Annual Christmas Party

Risk

Reg

iste

rfu

nc

tio

n/a

ctiv

ity

co

mp

ile

d b

y

re

vie

we

d b

y

da

te

da

te

ris

k r

at

in

g

lik

elih

oo

d

ra

tin

g

co

ns

eq

ue

nc

e

ra

tin

ga

de

qu

ac

y o

f e

xist

in

g c

on

tr

ols

lik

elih

oo

d

Child

ren’

s Chr

istm

as P

arty

Child

ren

clim

bing

ont

o he

avy m

achi

nery

and

pr

oxim

ity to

road

caus

ing

phys

ical i

njur

y

Staf

f at r

isk fr

om h

eavy

mac

hine

ry

Child

ren

mad

e sic

k by

eatin

g in

appr

opria

te

food

(e.g

. hea

vily

spice

d). P

aren

ts a

nd st

aff

upse

t.

Inap

prop

riate

beh

avio

ur o

f vol

unte

ers/

visit

ors

Pare

nts w

ishin

g to

disc

uss i

ssue

s with

staf

f at

the

even

t

Phys

ical i

njur

y

Phys

ical i

njur

y

Phys

ical i

njur

y

Brea

ch o

f priv

acy

Brea

ch o

f priv

acy

Low

Low

Low

Med

ium

Med

ium

Suffi

cient

mon

itorin

g bu

t cle

ar st

eps t

o m

anag

e ris

ks sh

ould

be

artic

ulat

ed

inclu

ding

frea

k acc

iden

ts.

Staf

f not

spec

ifica

lly a

war

e of

risk

s fro

m

mac

hine

ry b

efor

e th

e da

y of

the

even

t.

Staf

f allo

cate

d bu

t bec

ause

of n

umbe

r of

pare

nts a

nd ch

ildre

n clo

se m

onito

ring

not

feas

ible

.

Staf

f inf

orm

ed o

f pol

icy, C

entr

e ne

eds t

o en

sure

par

ents

und

erst

and

reas

ons b

ehin

d po

licy.

Pare

nts c

onta

cted

bef

oreh

and

abou

t the

ev

ent b

ut n

ot in

form

ed sp

ecia

lly a

bout

this

issue

.

Med

ium

/Hig

h

Low

Med

ium

Med

ium

/Hig

h

Med

ium

/Low

Med

ium

Low

Low

Med

ium

Med

ium

/Hig

h

Med

ium

Low

Low

Med

ium

Med

ium

co

ns

eq

ue

nc

es

co

ns

eq

ue

nc

es

of

an

ev

en

t h

ap

pe

nin

g

th

e r

is

ks

– w

ha

t c

an

ha

pp

en

an

d h

ow


42

Risk

Tre

atm

ent S

ched

ule

and

Plan

fu

nc

tio

n/a

ctiv

ity

co

mp

ile

d b

y

re

vie

we

d b

y

da

te

da

te

ho

w t

o m

on

ito

r

th

e r

is

k a

nd

th

e

tr

ea

tm

en

t o

pt

io

ns

tim

eta

ble

fo

r

imp

lem

en

ta

tio

n

pe

rs

on

resp

on

sib

le f

or

imp

lem

en

ta

tio

n

co

st/b

en

ef

it

an

aly

sis

re

su

lt

(a

cc

ep

t/r

eje

ct)

ris

k r

at

in

g

af

te

r

tr

ea

tm

en

t

tr

ea

tm

en

t

op

tio

ns

pr

ef

er

re

d o

pt

io

ns

ris

ks

in

pr

io

rit

y o

rd

er

(f

ro

m r

is

k r

eg

is

te

r)Ch

ildre

n’s C

hrist

mas

Par

ty

Inju

ry ca

used

by:

-chi

ldre

n cli

mbi

ng o

nto

heav

y m

achi

nery

-hea

ring

impa

ired

child

ren

runn

ing

onto

th

e ro

ad

Allo

win

g no

n-pa

rent

s to

atte

nd a

t par

ty –

in

appr

opria

te b

ehav

iour

of

som

e vol

unte

ers/

visit

ors o

n th

e da

y

Pare

nts w

ishin

g to

disc

uss

issue

s at t

he e

vent

Staf

f inj

ured

whi

le h

elpi

ng

child

ren

to cl

imb

onto

truc

k

Child

ren

mad

e sic

k by

eatin

g in

appr

opria

te fo

od

(eg.

hea

vily

spice

d).

Pare

nts a

nd st

aff u

pset

Avoi

d or

man

age

risk

Avoi

d or

man

age

risk

Man

age

risk

Avoi

d, m

anag

e or

tran

sfer

risk

Man

age

risk

No

heav

y m

achi

nery

, or c

lose

mon

itorin

g by

st

aff, p

aren

ts a

nd sp

onso

r. Che

ck m

achi

nery

fo

r dan

gero

us p

arts

bef

ore

and

afte

r it a

rriv

es

By m

akin

g cle

ar ex

pect

atio

ns a

nd sc

reen

ing

all a

tten

dees

and

by

staf

f bei

ng a

war

e of

be

havi

ours

By m

akin

g cle

ar ex

pect

atio

ns o

f par

ents

and

re

ason

s beh

ind

Cent

re p

olicy

All s

taff

brie

fed

on re

spon

sibili

ties t

o ot

hers

on

the

day.

Cons

ider

mor

e gu

idan

ce o

n st

aff

safe

ty. C

heck

insu

ranc

e co

ver a

nd le

gisla

tive

com

plia

nce.

Staf

f mem

bers

and

par

ents

to b

e al

loca

ted

resp

onsib

ility

to e

nsur

e ap

prop

riate

food

go

es to

child

ren

and

pare

nts

Med

ium

/Low

Low

Med

ium

/Hig

h

Low

Low

Acce

pt

Acce

pt

Reje

ct

Acce

pt

Acce

pt

Seni

or st

aff

mem

ber a

nd

spon

sor

Seni

or

man

agem

ent

Seni

or

man

agem

ent

Seni

or

man

agem

ent

Staf

f mem

ber

and

pare

nt

Befo

re n

ext

Chris

tmas

pa

rty

As a

bove

As a

bove

As a

bove

As a

bove

Subm

it pl

an to

Sub-

com

mitt

ee li

stin

g al

l tas

ks,

atte

ndan

t risk

s and

how

th

ey w

ill b

e ad

dres

sed.

Item

for r

isk p

lann

ing

day.

Seni

or m

anag

emen

t to

close

ly m

onito

r inf

orm

atio

n gi

ven

to p

aren

ts a

nd o

ther

s.Ite

m fo

r risk

pla

nnin

g da

y.

As a

bove

Subm

it pl

an to

Sub-

com

mitt

ee li

stin

g al

l tas

ks,

atte

ndan

t risk

s and

how

th

ey w

ill b

e ad

dres

sed.

Item

for r

isk p

lann

ing

day.

As a

bove

43

Risk

Act

ion

Plan

fu

nc

tio

n/a

ctiv

ity

pe

rs

on

re

sp

on

sib

le

re

vie

we

d b

y

da

te

da

te

ris

k

re

co

mm

en

de

d r

es

po

ns

e a

nd

im

pa

ct

re

so

ur

ce

re

qu

ir

em

en

ts

Child

ren’

s Chr

istm

as P

arty

Phys

ical s

afet

y and

com

fort

of c

hild

ren,

espe

cially

child

ren

with

hea

ring

aids

, may

be a

t risk

be

caus

e of

ove

rcro

wdi

ng o

f ven

ue a

nd in

crea

sed

noise

leve

ls an

d so

met

imes

misg

uide

d ac

tions

of g

uest

s.

pr

op

os

ed

Ac

tio

ns

-Sen

d in

vita

tions

to in

vite

es a

nd st

ate

that

any

oth

er p

erso

ns w

ho w

ish to

att

end

mus

t fir

st se

ek p

erm

issio

n of

the

Cent

re a

nd b

e re

cord

ed in

the

Cent

re’s

reco

rds.

Clea

r gui

delin

es

for i

nvite

es sh

ould

be

stat

ed in

the

invi

tatio

n.-P

ut d

iscla

imer

on

invi

tatio

n th

at a

ll pa

rent

s mus

t tak

e re

spon

sibili

ty to

mon

itor t

heir

child

ren

and

wha

t the

y ea

t at t

he p

arty

.-I

f hea

vy m

achi

nery

will

be a

t the

Cen

tre,

requ

ire a

cons

ent f

orm

to b

e sig

ned

by a

ll pa

rent

s be

fore

thei

r chi

ldre

n ar

e al

low

ed to

go

on th

e m

achi

nery

, sta

ting

that

the

pare

nts w

ill

acco

mpa

ny th

em a

nd e

nsur

e th

at a

staf

f mem

ber w

ill b

e pr

esen

t at a

ll tim

es. If

the

mac

hine

ry h

as p

arts

that

pos

e an

una

ccep

tabl

e ris

k, th

en d

o no

t util

ise h

eavy

mac

hine

ry

in fu

ture

. On

the

invi

tatio

n in

sert

a d

iscla

imer

as t

o ne

glig

ence

as f

ar a

s per

mitt

ed b

y la

w.

-Con

firm

in w

ritin

g th

e sh

arin

g of

liab

ility

of t

he C

entr

e an

d th

e sp

onso

r who

supp

lied

the

mac

hine

ry a

nd th

e dr

iver

, reg

ardi

ng li

abili

ty a

nd in

sura

nce

cove

r sho

uld

any

inju

ry

be o

ccas

ione

d to

any

child

or s

taff

mem

ber o

r the

driv

er fr

om th

e ch

ildre

n cli

mbi

ng

onto

or i

nto

the

mac

hine

.-C

onsid

er a

ltern

ate

venu

es if

noi

se le

vels

are

unco

mfo

rtab

ly h

igh

or th

e he

at is

un

com

fort

able

for t

he ch

ildre

n.-A

ppoi

nt st

aff m

embe

r to

be re

spon

sible

for a

ppro

pria

tene

ss o

f foo

d (e

g. n

o ho

t spi

cy fo

od

on p

late

s for

the

very

you

ng) a

nd g

ener

al a

ctiv

ities

in th

e ki

tche

n (to

ens

ure

safe

ty in

the

kitc

hen

area

).

Seni

or m

anag

erCo

rpor

ate

Gove

rnan

ce a

nd R

isk M

anag

emen

t Su

b-Co

mm

ittee

a)en

sure

staf

f are

all

in a

tten

danc

e an

d w

ell b

riefe

d on

are

as o

f risk

and

stra

tegi

es

and

role

s of s

taff

to m

onito

r and

min

imise

risk

. It m

ay w

ell b

e un

real

istic

and

inap

prop

riate

to a

ttem

pt to

tran

sfer

risk

to p

aren

ts to

mon

itor c

hild

ren

effe

ctiv

ely.

b)pa

rkin

g at

tend

ants

to a

ssist

with

par

king

of c

ars i

n th

e vi

cinity

of t

he e

vent

. W

hen

child

ren

go o

utsid

e fo

r act

iviti

es, s

taff

and

pare

nts t

o en

sure

thei

r saf

ety

at a

ll tim

es b

y no

t allo

win

g an

y pa

rkin

g of

cars

in th

e ca

rpar

k and

the

loca

tion

of th

e pr

ime

mov

er.

c)en

sure

that

exte

rnal

supp

liers

(e.g

. an

ente

rtai

ner o

r the

spon

sor)

are

invo

lved

in

the

plan

ning

pro

cess

and

are

aw

are

of th

eir r

espo

nsib

ilitie

s on

the

day.

cont

inue

d ne

xt p

age

Avoi

d th

e ris

k –

do n

ot h

ave

heav

y m

achi

nery

at t

he p

arty

– lo

w im

pact

; avo

id h

avin

g th

e pa

rty

insid

e at

the

Cent

re w

here

the

surfa

ces i

ncre

ase

the

leve

l of n

oise

and

mov

e to

the

outs

ide

area

or t

o an

othe

r ven

ue –

low

impa

ct.

Man

age

the

risk

– in

trod

uce

stra

tegi

es to

min

imise

risk

to ch

ildre

n’s c

omfo

rt a

nd h

earin

g w

hilst

man

agin

g vo

lunt

eers

’ exp

ecta

tions

, str

ateg

ies t

o cla

rify

supp

ort r

equi

red

of p

aren

ts

and

expe

ctat

ions

of s

taff

at th

e ev

ent –

low

impa

ct.

Tran

sfer

the r

isk –

ensu

re in

sura

nce c

over

is a

dequ

ate

to co

ver a

ny p

hysic

al in

jurie

s; co

nsid

er

shar

ing

or tr

ansfe

rring

risk

whe

n ap

prop

riate

for i

njur

y occ

asio

ned

by th

e hea

vy m

achi

nery

. M

ay n

ot b

e app

ropr

iate

and

thus

, con

sider

if ri

sk is

una

ccep

tabl

y hig

h, to

avo

id th

e risk

and

no

t hav

e he

avy

mac

hine

ry a

t the

par

ty –

hig

h im

pact

if n

o co

ver.


44

Risk

Act

ion

Plan

cont

inue

dr

es

po

ns

ib

ilit

ie

s

tim

in

g

re

po

rt

in

g a

nd

mo

nito

rin

g r

eq

uir

ed

a)pr

epar

e an

d cir

cula

te a

n ag

enda

whi

ch st

ates

the

orde

r of a

ctiv

ities

at t

he p

arty

and

to

min

imize

the

perio

d of

tim

e du

ring

whi

ch th

e ch

ildre

n m

ay cl

imb

onto

the

mac

hine

.b)

wai

t suf

ficie

nt ti

me

betw

een

whe

n th

e m

achi

ne a

rriv

es a

nd w

hen

the

child

ren

clim

b on

boa

rd a

nd e

nsur

e th

e m

achi

ne is

insp

ecte

d bo

th b

efor

e th

e m

achi

ne a

rriv

es a

t the

pa

rty

but a

lso a

fterw

ard,

and

that

ther

e ar

e no

expo

sed

or d

ange

rous

par

ts.

a)at

the

end

of th

e ev

ent,

cond

uct a

‘deb

rief’

of th

e ac

tiviti

es o

n th

e da

y an

d be

fra

nk a

nd

cons

truc

tive

in d

raw

ing

out i

ssue

s tha

t sho

uld

be a

ddre

ssed

. Hav

e th

e ch

air o

r ano

ther

m

embe

r of t

he b

oard

cond

uct t

he d

ebrie

f.b)

annu

al ri

sk p

lann

ing

day,

risk a

sses

smen

t sho

uld

be u

nder

take

n of

all

maj

or e

vent

s and

op

erat

ions

– in

volv

e al

l key

stak

ehol

ders

and

be

facil

itate

d by

a ri

sk m

anag

emen

t exp

ert

if po

ssib

le.

c)th

e pe

rson

/s re

spon

sible

for t

he e

vent

to su

bmit

a pl

an p

rior t

o th

e ev

ent t

o th

e Co

rpor

ate

Gove

rnan

ce a

nd R

isk M

anag

emen

t Sub

-Com

mitt

ee o

utlin

ing

all a

ctiv

ities

, ke

y ris

ks a

nd h

ow th

ose

risks

are

to b

e m

anag

ed –

the

Sub-

Com

mitt

ee to

repo

rt o

n an

y un

usua

l or h

igh

risks

to th

e bo

ard,

shou

ld th

e ne

ed a

rise

and

tabl

e pl

an fo

r the

ben

efit

of a

ll bo

ard

mem

bers

.

45

Risk

Reg

iste

r

co

ns

eq

ue

nc

es

fu

nc

tio

n/a

ctiv

ity

co

mp

ile

d b

y

re

vie

we

d b

y

da

te

da

te

ris

k r

at

in

g

lik

elih

oo

d

ra

tin

g

co

ns

eq

ue

nc

e

ra

tin

ga

de

qu

ac

y o

f e

xist

in

g c

on

tr

ols

lik

elih

oo

d

co

ns

eq

ue

nc

es

of

an

ev

en

t h

ap

pe

nin

g

th

e r

is

ks

– w

ha

t c

an

ha

pp

en

an

d h

ow

Risk

Tre

atm

ent S

ched

ule

and

Plan

fu

nc

tio

n/a

ctiv

ity

co

mp

ile

d b

y

re

vie

we

d b

y

da

te

da

te

ho

w t

o m

on

ito

r

th

e r

is

k a

nd

th

e

tr

ea

tm

en

t o

pt

io

ns

tim

eta

ble

fo

r

imp

lem

en

ta

tio

n

pe

rs

on

resp

on

sib

le f

or

imp

lem

en

ta

tio

n

co

st/b

en

ef

it

an

aly

sis

re

su

lt

(a

cc

ep

t/r

eje

ct)

ris

k r

at

in

g

af

te

r

tr

ea

tm

en

t

tr

ea

tm

en

t

op

tio

ns

pr

ef

er

re

d o

pt

io

ns

ris

ks

in

pr

io

rit

y o

rd

er

(f

ro

m r

is

k r

eg

is

te

r)

Risk

Act

ion

Plan

fu

nc

tio

n/a

ctiv

ity

pe

rs

on

re

sp

on

sib

le

re

vie

we

d b

y

da

te

da

te

ris

k

re

co

mm

en

de

d r

es

po

ns

e a

nd

im

pa

ct

re

so

ur

ce

re

qu

ir

em

en

ts

re

sp

on

sib

ilit

ie

s

tim

in

g

re

po

rt

in

g a

nd

mo

nito

rin

g r

eq

uir

ed

pr

op

os

ed

Ac

tio

ns

GlossaryAvoidanceA method of lowering risk exposure bynot doing the risky activity.

ConsequenceThe outcome of an event expressed asa figure (10%), bringing a loss, injury,disadvantage or gain. There may be arange of possible outcomes associatedwith an event.

DefamationGenerally a defamatory statement maybe described as one which exposes thedefamed person to hatred, contempt,ridicule, or which tends to lower theaggrieved person in the estimation ofother people or which injures him orher in their profession or calling orwhich causes him or her to be shunnedor avoided.

DefendantIndividual or organisation againstwhom a legal action has been brought.In a civil action the defendant may becalled the respondent.

Evaluation of riskThe term for estimating level of risk and/or for setting priorities on the ways inwhich future risk can be managed.

IndemnifyA promise to reimburse another for aloss suffered.

InsuranceA contract whereby an organisationagrees to indemnify another and to paya specified amount upon determinablecontingencies in exchange for a premium(price paid). An example of risk transfer.

Legal compliance planA legal compliance plan manages theorganisation’s, individual boardmember’s and management’s exposureto breaching the law. A compliance plandiffers from a risk management plan inthat the system is designed to completelyeliminate breaches of the law. Measuresto prevent a breach occurring cannotbe compromised on the basis of cost.

LiabilityAny enforceable legal obligation.

LikelihoodThe term used as a qualitativedescription of probability or frequencyof an event/risk happening.

NegligenceFalling below the duty of care owed toanother resulting in their injury. Forexample, failure to keep visitors to youroffices safe from harm by tripping overunsafe floor coverings or giving incorrectadvice to clients who suffer injurythrough reliance on such information.The duty of care of an individual or anorganisation is decided by the Courtsand involves taking reasonable carenot to cause harm to other persons.

OfficerIndividual who has a managementposition within an organisation.Depending on the context it may includeboard or committee members andsenior managers (paid or volunteer).

PlaintiffAn individual or organisation thatinitiates a lawsuit to obtain a remedyfor an injury.

ProbabilityThe likelihood of a specific event oroutcome, measured as the ratio ofspecific events or outcomes to the totalnumber of possible events or outcomes.

RiskRisk is a measure of the possibility thatthe future may be different from whatis expected.

Risk managementThe strategic planning process ofmanaging an organisation’s potentialexposure to liabilities, by preventing orminimising them, and/or by providingfor funds to meet the liability if it occurs.The process has 4 steps: identify risks;evaluate risks; design a managementprogram; and implement and reviewthe program.

TortThe area of law dealing with civil, asopposed to criminal, wrongs, arisingoutside the field of contract. For example,the type of legal action an elderly citizenwould bring against the driver of a carthat ran them down on a well-litpedestrian crossing.

Vicarious liabilityLiability imposed on a person ororganisation for the acts, defaults oromissions of persons serving on itsbehalf. Vicarious liability can be imposedeven if the individual or organisation isnot directly involved. The liability of oneparty is imposed on another.

VolunteeringAn activity that takes place in not-for-profit organisations or projects and isundertaken to be: of benefit to thecommunity and the volunteer; of thevolunteer’s own free will and withoutcoercion; for no financial payment; andin designated volunteer positions only.

developed for volunteering australia by

for more information on how to obtain the national standards for involving volunteers in not-for-profit organisations

or the national standards implementation guide for not-for-profit organisations involving volunteers visit our web site

at www.volunteeringaustralia.org or telephone 03 9820 4100.

professional advice and support by

State and Territory Volunteering Centre Contacts

Volunteering ACTCommunity ChambersCorner Chandler Street and Cameron AvenueBelconnen ACT 2617t 02 6251 4060f 02 6251 4161e [email protected]

Volunteering NSWLevel 2, 228 Pitt StreetSydney NSW 2000t 02 9261 3600f 02 9261 4033e [email protected]

Volunteering QLDLevel 6, 333 Adelaide StreetBrisbane QLD 4000t 07 3229 9700f 07 3229 2392e [email protected]

Volunteering SA1st Floor, Torrens Building220 Victoria SquareAdelaide SA 5000t 08 8221 7177f 08 8221 7188e [email protected]

Volunteering AustraliaSuite 2, Level 311 Queens RoadMelbourne 3004t 03 9820 4100t 03 9820 1206e [email protected]

Volunteering Tasmania57D Brisbane StreetHobart TAS 7000t 03 6231 5550f 03 6234 4113e [email protected]

Volunteering Victoria7th Floor, 388 Bourke StreetMelbourne VIC 3000 t 03 9642 5266f 03 9642 5277e [email protected]

Volunteering WA2 Delhi StreetWest Perth WA 6000t 08 9420 7288f 08 9420 7289e [email protected]

Volunteering Australia Darwin OfficeLevel 4, Darwin Central21 Knuckey StreetDarwin NT 0800t 08 8981 3910f 08 8981 2955

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