3.4 Work health and safety and duty of care
Volunteers are not covered by the State Service Act 2000, the State Service Employment Directions, or workplace awards and agreements.
Volunteers are not considered to be workers under the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 and therefore cannot make a claim for workers compensation.
Libraries Tasmania volunteers are considered workers under the Work, Health and Safety Act 2012 (Tas). Libraries Tasmania has a duty of care to volunteers to provide a healthy and safe workplace. Every person has a duty of care to all persons in the workplace.
As far as is reasonably practical, volunteers must:
- take reasonable care to protect the health and safety of themselves and others
- identify and report health and safety risks, accidents, incidents, injuries and property damage at the workplace
- use any equipment that is provided to protect their health and safety
- follow reasonable instructions given on health and safety, and injury management
- comply with workplace health and safety instructions, policies and procedures.
Volunteers undertake volunteer duties on Libraries Tasmania premises. The exceptions to this are:
- Home Library Couriers who personally deliver books to home-bound clients. Please also see the Home Library Service
- Adult Literacy Tutors who work one-to-one with individuals needing literacy support where:
- Tutors and their literacy clients are unable to meet at a Libraries Tasmania site and organise an alternative public site, by agreement with the local literacy coordinator, e.g. Neighbourhood Houses, Child and Family Learning Centres (CFLCs), or
- The tutor and their client agree to undertake literacy tutoring online from their chosen location using their own technology where appropriate, by agreement with the local literacy coordinator.