Despite primarily being a volunteer organisation Scouts NSW is subject to the requirements of the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act 2011. Within this legislation there are a number of duties which Scouts NSW must discharge, the primary one of which is our Duty of Care*. In the event that Scouts NSW fails to satisfy this Duty, such that someone to whom we owe this Duty is hurt we could be prosecuted by SafeWork.
Under our Duty of Care, Scouts NSW must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the health and safety of our members, supporters, employees and members of the public who partake in Scouting activities, or use our facilities, are not put at risk as a result of what we do or omit to do.
To satisfy this duty Scouts NSW must, at all times, operate in a safe way, meaning we need to understand the risks to which we are exposed, be competent to undertake the task at hand, have the necessary safety measures in place and operate in accordance with the requirements of our systems and procedures.
*WHS Act 2011: Division 2 Primary duty of care
