We rely heavily on volunteers to keep a whole range of different events and organisations running smoothly and safely within the community – from local sports teams to charities to our surf lifesavers. Currently, in Queensland alone, we have over 9,000 active lifesavers[1] patrolling our beaches every weekend to help keep people safe.
As we are in the midst of summer, and with the volunteer surf lifesaving season is already underway, my mind turns to our volunteers and what their entitlements are if they are injured while they are giving back to our communities. Over the previous 12 months, there were over 356,662 volunteer hours provided by Queensland surf lifesavers[2] to ensure that we were kept safe on our beaches. In the 2024 National Coastal Safety Report, it was identified that there were around 8,857 rescues performed over the previous 12-month period[3] – that just goes to show how important our volunteer surf lifesavers are to our community.
If a volunteer is injured while undertaking tasks for an organisation, they are in fact entitled to receive benefits under the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act, including rehabilitation costs and payment for any weekly benefits lost if they are unable to work in their “day job” as a result of an injury sustained while performing volunteer tasks. However, they do not have the same entitlement as a worker when it comes to receiving compensation for damages sustained as a result of an injury. For example, if a volunteer surf lifesaver suffered an injury as a result of performing a rescue in the ocean they may be entitled to weekly compensation/medical benefits, but not have a right to a negligence claim.
Notwithstanding the limitations under WorkCover, if a volunteer is injured due to the negligence of a third party (such as an owner/occupier) then they may in fact be entitled to compensation for damages for personal injuries under the Personal Injuries Proceedings Act 2002.
It’s a reminder that, although a volunteer should take reasonable care for their own health and safety, an organisation also has a duty to not expose a volunteer to a reasonably foreseeable risk of injury. An organisation still owes a duty to avoid exposing people, such as volunteers, to unnecessary, reasonably foreseeable and not insignificant risks.
Looking after our volunteers is essential – they play a vital role in providing well-run and safe activities within our local communities for everyone to enjoy.
[1] Surf Life Saving Queensland (2024) National Coast Safety Report 2024 <https://sls.com.au/national-coastal-safety-report-highlights-record-lives-saved-by-volunteer-surf-lifesavers/>
[2] Surf Life Saving Queensland (2024) National Coast Safety Report 2024 <https://sls.com.au/national-coastal-safety-report-highlights-record-lives-saved-by-volunteer-surf-lifesavers/>
[3] Surf Life Saving Queensland (2024) National Coast Safety Report 2024 <https://sls.com.au/national-coastal-safety-report-highlights-record-lives-saved-by-volunteer-surf-lifesavers/>
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