Insurance For Volunteers – Voluntary Workers Insurance – LCIS Community Group Risk Management, not for profit Risk management

About – Personal Accident Voluntary Workers Insurance

This cover helps protect your organisation’s voluntary workers by allowing for the payment of financial compensation for personal injury sustained when undertaking an activity on behalf of your organisation in an official capacity.

Volunteer workers personal accident cover

Why do you need Volunteer Personal Accident Insurance?

Personal Accident Voluntary Workers Insurance often referred to as Volunteer Personal Accident Insurance, can help compensate your Volunteers for certain expenses and lost income incurred as a result of an accident/injury sustained whilst performing work for your organisation, including direct travel to and from the work site. The financial compensation provided by the policy can include benefits such as Weekly Benefits for lost income, Capital Benefits for permanent disablement or death, and in some cases Out of Pocket non-Medicare medical expenses where allowed by legislation.

Features of our Volunteer Personal Accident Insurance cover:

Loss of Income Loss of income because of an Injury
Australia Wide Cover Covers volunteers anywhere in Australia

Full Benefits To 90 Full Capital Benefit for any person aged up to 90
$25,000 Capital Benefit For any person over 90 or aged under 18

No Waiting Periods To claim policy benefits.

Some examples of who the policy covers:

Committee Members (as long as they are unpaid)
Fundraising Officers (as long as they are unpaid)
Volunteers acting on behalf of your group
Volunteers setting up at your event
Volunteers travelling to and from activities

You should consider keeping a register of volunteers and officials and when they are engaged in activities on your behalf.

Examples of the activities which can be covered by this policy:

Setting up for an event.
Serving tea and coffee.
Selling or taking tickets at an event.
Acting as an usher or information guide.

Example of what activities will not be covered by the policy:

It will not provide cover where the person injured is not working in an official capacity on your behalf. The cover triggers on injury only while they are performing the volunteer work — so they need to be working for you in a recognised capacity helping to run the group’s activities.

Policy Benefits:

The Volunteer Personal Accident Insurance does have options which enables you to tailor the policy to provide the best level of cover for your volunteers.

Section 1 — Personal Accident
Part A – Accidental Death and Capital Benefits.	Benefits payable in the event that the insured person suffers accidental death or Section 1 – Personal Accident.
Part B – Weekly Injury Benefits	Weekly benefits payable in the event an insured person suffers temporary total disablement or temporary partial disablement, as a result of an injury on a journey.
Part C – Injury Resulting in Surgery	Benefits payable where the insured person suffers injury whilst on a journey and requires a specified surgical procedure.
Part D – Injury Resulting in Fractured Bones	Benefits payable where the insured person suffers injury whilst on a journey resulting in fractured bones.
Part E – Injury Resulting in Loss of Teeth or Dental Procedures	Benefits payable where the insured person suffers an injury whilst on a journey resulting in loss of teeth or requiring full or partial capping of teeth.
Section 2 – Non-Medicare Medical Expenses
Non-Medicare Medical Expenses (Out of pocket expenses)	Following an accident we will pay an insured person, where permissible by law, 85% of the non-Medicare medical expenses incurred within 12 months of sustaining an injury up to a maximum of $1,500.
Section 3 – Non-Medicare Medical Expenses
Personal Vehicle Excess Waiver Personal Vehicle Excess Waiver	Reimbursement for any excess under an insured person’s comprehensive motor vehicle policy where the insured person’s personal motor vehicle suffers loss or damage whilst undertaking voluntary work.
Policy Benefits and options available:
Capital Benefits	$50,000 / weekly $500 $75,000 / weekly $750 $100,000 / weekly $750 $100,000 / weekly $1000
Limit of Liability	Any One Period of Insurance: $10,000,000.

Frequently Asked Questions

What locations does this policy cover?

The Volunteer Personal Accident Insurance policy helps cover your volunteers anywhere in Australia, including travelling to and from locations where they are volunteering.

What does this insurance cover?

Volunteer Personal Accident Insurance helps provide cover for loss of wages, compensation for permanent disablement, and, in some circumstances, payment of injury-related non-Medicare medical expenses where a volunteer is injured while undertaking activities on behalf of the organisation and cannot work at their regular occupation.

Who does this insurance cover?

Volunteer Personal Accident Insurance helps provide cover for volunteers working for you in an official capacity, e.g. organising activities or assisting at events. The policy can provide volunteers with financial compensation if they sustain a personal injury while working in a group’s volunteer capacity. It would be best if you considered keeping a register of volunteers and officials and when they are engaged in activities on your behalf.

Is there an age limit on this cover?

Full Benefits are paid up to the age of 90. However, for individuals who are over 90 years old or under 18 years old, a $25,000 Capital Benefit applies.

Will the policy cover traveling to and from a location?

Benefits may be payable in the event of accidental injuries that occur during a journey while you are engaged in volunteering. This includes direct travel to and from the location, as well as any activities conducted on behalf of your organisation in an official capacity.

Should volunteers have insurance?

Regardless of whether someone is a volunteer or a paid worker, everyone deserves to feel safe and protected while performing their duties. Volunteers contribute their time and skills to support various community-based organisations and causes, and their wellbeing should be a top priority. Taking out insurance for volunteers can help cover accidents or injuries that may occur while carrying out their volunteer work. Having insurance coverage can help provide a safety net for volunteers, offering financial protection and compensation in the event they need medical treatment without incurring significant financial burdens.

Many volunteers have jobs or occupations outside of their volunteer work, and an accident or injury sustained during their volunteer activities could potentially prevent them from performing their regular job duties. This can have significant financial implications for volunteers who rely on their income from their primary employment.

This type of cover can demonstrate a commitment to their safety and welfare, fostering a positive and inclusive environment for volunteers to continue making a difference in their communities.

Are volunteers covered by Workers Compensation?

Workers Compensation is typically obtained by community groups and businesses to provide medical coverage and wage replacement for employees who sustain work-related injuries. However, it’s important to note that volunteers are generally not covered by this type of insurance. Most state laws and insurers do not extend coverage to unpaid volunteers. To ensure the wellbeing of unpaid members/volunteers in your group, it is advisable to consider obtaining Volunteer Workers Personal Accident Insurance that specifically caters to their needs. This will help ensure that all members of your group are adequately protected.

Does Public Liability Insurance protect Volunteers?

Public & Products Liability insurance is designed to cover an organisation’s potential liabilities to third parties for personal injury and/or property damage in the event of negligence. This type of insurance typically covers the legal liability of an organisation, its members, or individuals for third-party bodily injury or property damage claims. However, it’s important to note that Public Liability Insurance may not specifically protect volunteers. For organisations that heavily rely on volunteers, it is advisable to consider obtaining separate insurance coverage that is specifically designed to protect volunteers, such as Volunteer Personal Accident Insurance. This type of insurance provides coverage for accidents and injuries that occur while volunteers are performing their volunteer duties, offering additional protection beyond what Public Liability Insurance or Public & Products Liability Insurance may provide.

How can you reduce the risk for volunteers?

To create a safer environment for volunteers and promote their well-being while reducing the risk of claims, organisations can:

Implement effective risk management by identifying and analysing potential risks specific to your organisation. This includes assessing the financial implications and legal liabilities associated with injury claims.
Ensure that existing controls and safety measures are in place and regularly reviewed. This involves evaluating the level of risk, considering the likelihood of the risk eventuating, and making risk acceptance decisions based on the risk versus reward/opportunity.
Provide proper training and induction for volunteers, ensuring they understand their roles and responsibilities. Develop a risk register to record and prioritise potential risks, and review policies and procedures annually to ensure they align with best practices.
Provide clear instructions: Clearly communicate the tasks, responsibilities, and expectations to volunteers. Make sure they understand what they need to do and any potential risks involved.

Assign a supervisor or point of contact who can provide guidance and support to volunteers. This person should be available to answer questions, address concerns, and provide assistance when needed.
Establish clear communication channels between volunteers and the organisation. Encourage volunteers to report any safety concerns or incidents promptly.
Always ensure you have an asset register for volunteers to sign in and out of volunteer activities stating what days they are volunteering, times, locations etc in case a claim is to arise.

Remember, these steps are general guidelines, and it’s important to tailor them to the specific needs and activities of your volunteer program.

The above statements are issued as a matter of information only and for full terms and conditions you should refer to the Product Disclosure Statement and Policy Wording. All cover is subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy.

Local Community Insurance Services - Community Association Insurance; Voluntary Workers Insurance; Volunteer Personal Accident Insurance; Risk Management Process; Risk Management Insurance; Community Group Risk Management.

1300 853 800

Volunteer Workers Personal Accident Cover