Use of volunteer labour

[wsmtbdhvp]

All clubs depend on volunteers, not even CORC the biggest club in Australia can pay its many workers, (we the people running the clubs) have to keep in mind the possibility of something going wrong as we carry out our tasks. This article sends chills down my spine and should be interesting to see how Safework SA deals with Lifeline.

2 March 2009

SAFEWORK SA says it is investigating the death of a volunteer worker who fell through the roof of the Lifeline warehouse in Port Pirie.
According to SafeWork SA, the incident occurred at 10:40am on 28 February 2009. The 65-year-old volunteer working was replacing sheets of roofing on top of the community service building, when he fell through the gap and landed four metres on the floor below.
The man sustained serious injuries and died shortly in Port Pirie Hospital. A SafeWork SA inspector was dispatched from the safety authority’s Port Pirie office, and began a formal investigation.
The workplace safety investigation will look at what safe work procedures and precautions were in place, such as fall protection. SafeWork SA says falls account for about 20 per cent of all incidents of harm in the workplace, all of which are preventable.
The agency is also reminding employers who use the services of volunteers, that under the Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act 1986, an employer is legally responsible for the health and safety of volunteers under their direction as well as paid employees.

 

[FR Drew]

Pretty sure that an MTBA day licence covers any volunteers injured in the course of a working bee if they aren't already club members.

Anyone from MTBA who can clarify this?

 

[SLEDGER]

Maybe on registered trail maintenace days clubs hold a induction with scope of works to be completed which may include machinary, tree purning for example.

Included with the induction what safety equipment is required EG: high vis clothing; safety wear which may include helmets & goggles, use & operation of particular equipment.

I know this is a stretch but safety is the 1st priority.

 

[wsmtbdhvp]

Pretty sure that an MTBA day licence covers any volunteers injured in the course of a working bee if they aren't already club members.

Anyone from MTBA who can clarify this?

Slightly missed the point. FR Drew.

Maybe on registered trail maintenace days clubs hold a induction with scope of works to be completed which may include machinary, tree purning for example.

Included with the induction what safety equipment is required EG: high vis clothing; safety wear which may include helmets & goggles, use & operation of particular equipment.

I know this is a stretch but safety is the 1st priority.

Sledger is much closer

 

[FR Drew]

Sorry, Wasn't sure if it was the litigation side or the injury side you were worried about.

At the start of a working bee we've (CORC) always had a meeting covering safety issues, "radius of death" of tools, guidelines for working near powered equipment, making sure that only experienced people were ever using sharp or powered tools, we generally have the trail marked to warn riders that there is trailwork going on ahead and have a spotter in place to warn the trail teams well in advance of any bikes coming through.

As you say, safety first. A volunteer ought to have precisely the same conditions re safety as a any paid staff (if a club even has paid staff)

Frankly, if a 65 year old volunteer was working on a roof with no fall arrest harness then the people he was helping ought to be reamed to the fullest extent of the law. It's pretty hard to fall 4m if your fall arrest will slow you at three...

There's a gulf between being careful and being downright negligent.

 

[noballz]

Pretty sure that an MTBA day licence covers any volunteers injured in the course of a working bee if they aren't already club members.

are you trying to say that you have to pay the $15 day license fee to volunteer (if you do not have full mtba membership). somehow i cant see anyone paying money to help out. i would have thought that being affiliated with mtba would automatically have the club be covered by their public liability insurance.

 

[SLEDGER]

CCOMTB had a organised track maintenance day today & in accordance we were required to sign volunteers on a registor with sign on & out times with a MTBA licence required otherwise the volunteers was required to purchase a day licence for insurance purposes.

Unfortunately litigation is the way of the world now & clubs require to cover there arses so I guess volunteers will get less & less now if the individual clubs don't cover the day licence cost. This will be the clubs own way to manage & get volunteers to help with track maintenance from time to time.

PS: watch out for brown snakes & funnel webs when lifting rocks thats my tip,we found that out nearly the hard way.

 

[FR Drew]

are you trying to say that you have to pay the $15 day license fee to volunteer (if you do not have full mtba membership). somehow i cant see anyone paying money to help out. i would have thought that being affiliated with mtba would automatically have the club be covered by their public liability insurance.

Wasn't $15, if there was a charge, the club covered it in the same way as they covered the cost for pizza for lunch.

 

[Red Peekay]

Being a volunteer or using volunteers doesn't absolve individuals or organisations from complying with OH&S standards. Just because your not getting paid or paying someone doesn't mean you can throw safe work practices out the window. Any organisation (even with a MTBA licence) is, if using volunteers or paid employees, still required to comply with safe work practices, legislation governing work practices and to supply and use appropriate safety equipment and training. I'm not familiar with exactly what happened to the guy who fell through the roof, however, was he wearing a harness??, was there scaffolding in place etc. Insurance companies are always looking to get out of paying, so if you fail to comply they can argue that they shouldn't have to pay!!

 

[FR Drew]

I've never intended to imply that safe practices shouldn't be followed, my initial posting was to the effect that the MTBA insurance should give the clubs liability coverage in the unfortunate circumstances where something did go pear shaped with a volunteer who was signed in to work on the day.

In no way does having someone sign in as a volunteer mean that proper safety procedures shouldn't be followed tothe fullest extent. In my day to day work we have a regular group of volunteers. They work under exactly the same safety equipment and work practices restrictions as the rest of us.

I can't see how someone clipped into a fall arrest harness could fall 4m onto a floor. To say they weren't wearing one would be to pre-empt the findings of the safety investigation, but as someone who regularly operates an elevated work platform, I don't see how you could do it if all the safety arrangements were in place that should be in place.

 

[wsmtbdhvp]

What it means is we the people overseeing building have to apply more OH&S rules to all our activities. Sydney Olympic Park Monster Mountain X was built under full OH&S standards it cost $250,000 the BMX track cost $400,000. WSMTB has built and repaired many sites in recent years working with National Parks and Sydney Olympic Park Authority, we have worked out safe work methods when dealing with these groups. I see the Life line incident as a reminder that despite our riding insurance if any incident occurs Workcover will be looking for reasons why the incident happened and who is responsible, the overseer $?0,000, the club $?00,000 MTBA $?,000,000.

It also reminds me of trying to write the Sydney Olympic Park 4X risk assessment, "yes 4 riders race around a 30 second course desinged to propel them into the air at various points. possibility of injury level 1, how to address this risk????? I did ask for the one they wrote for rugby league so I could get some hints, (26 players try to kill each other over a pig skin) which they did not seem to have?

 

[dob-k]

Hi,

If you are commenting on a post immediately above or even a couple of posts above then there is no need to use the full

 

[uselsRemTulge]

Well due to the fact that this question is also a suggestion, this is the best place for this, so posting it here
was a good idea to do so

I agree on having a forum for that as it would be helpful, but then again thinking about it,
you could get ideas by asking in your topic in the Forum Promotion forum, however it would be better having
say an archive of tips and hints etc... so I agree with you, a forum about this would be a good idea