Responsibilities

To keep ourselves and our visitors safe despite any risks, we need to follow the APS NSW Policy and procedures whether we are:

• A member or visitor
• A team member
• An activity leader
• A District Group committee member
• The state office volunteers/board members

Details of these responsibilities are shown below. 

As a member (and visitor)

• Am responsible for my own wellbeing and safety
• Know my responsibilities (review the Health and safety policy and procedures - link above)
• Lead by example i.e. do things safely ourselves
• Discuss safety, share information and seek views
• Know the risks of activities I do
• Take care of anyone hurt
• Report any injury or incident
• Attend training and induction if volunteering
• Know emergency procedures
• Be clear on first aid availability
• Use safe gear

As a team member who volunteers

• Be responsible for my own wellbeing and safety and the safety of those around me
• Know my responsibilities as a team member (review the Health and safety policy and procedures - link above) 
• Lead by example
• Discuss safety and contribute regarding risks and how to be safe
• Be aware of the risks of any activities I engage in and do my bit to reduce risks
• Report any incidents or injuries
• Know the emergency procedures
• Participate in training and induction as required for my volunteer role
• Report any unsafe equipment or gear
• Click on the Guides above for additional pointers

As an activity leader

• Be responsible for my own wellbeing and safety and the safety of those around me
• Know my responsibilities as an activity leader and lead by example
• Know my responsibilities as an activity leader (review the Health and safety policy and procedures - link above) 
• Consult with members and volunteers about how to do things more safely and share safety information
• Know the risks of any activities I lead and minimise or eliminate risks
• Complete a risk plan prior to any activity I lead and brief people on risks before starting an activity
• Report any incidents or injuries
• Investigate incidents or injuries and make recommendations
• Communicate emergency procedures to participants of my activities including having emergency numbers recorded in my phone
• Participate and/or lead training and induction as required as a volunteer
• Have access to a first aid kit and have access to a first aider, OR know the nearest medical centre
• Report any unsafe equipment or gear
• Discuss with your volunteers how to make work safer
• Click on the Guides above for additional pointers

As a District Group committee

• Be responsible for my own wellbeing and safety and the safety of those around me
• Know my responsibilities as DG leader and lead by example (review the Health and safety policy and procedures - link above) 
• Have a safety action plan to address any gaps at a DG level
• Talk about safety at meetings, consult with members and share safety information
• Know the risks of any activities we have as a group and minimise or eliminate risks - maintain a risk register and feed risks into state-wide risk register
• Ensure activity leaders do risk plans prior to any activities and brief people on the risks prior to the activity
• Clarify reporting requirements in the group for any incidents or injuries and investigate what happened for improvement 
• Clarify and communicate emergency procedures to members and visitors
• Ensure training and induction is done for any volunteer roles. See the draft induction/safety training here
• Ensure adequate first aid kits available and determine need for first aiders in your group (approx ratio - 1 first aider to 30 people in remote area, 1 in 50 for sedentary activities) as well as know the nearest medical centre
• Replace any unsafe equipment or gear
• Ensure safety procedures are followed
• Check for usage of hazardous chemicals and ensure appropriate processes followed (see WHS Policy and Procedures)