Ensuring safety

You should look after your health and safety while volunteering in Australia or overseas. There are a number of ways you can ensure your volunteering experience is enjoyable and safe.

After finding a placement

  • Register your trip on Smart Traveller.
  • Have a look at the GLP colloquia and think tanks and book into any that might help you prepare for your placement.

Your health and safety

Just like any other organisation, volunteer organisations should take care of volunteer's physical and mental health and safety.

In Australia, we have Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws in place to ensure everyone is safe at work. If you're volunteering overseas, research and talk to your host organisation about WHS.

Volunteer ready checklist

  • Medical and health conditions: Does your host organisation ask you to disclose any medical or health conditions? If you disclose, is there support in place?
  • Vaccinations and medical checks: Will you need any vaccinations for the country you are visiting? Does your volunteer organisation cover any of these? Visit your doctor well before you depart for:
    • health and vaccination advice
    • medication needed, and
    • supporting documentation.
  • Fit for the job: Will the volunteer placement require you to do heavy lifting, extensive walking or physical activity?
    • Make sure you are fit for the physical demands of the tasks, and remember, you’ll be doing these in a new environment and climate, so you might need to do some training beforehand.
  • Qualifications for the job: Will you need any qualifications or licenses to undertake your volunteer work? A driver’s license? A Working with Children’s Check?
  • Training: Will you be provided with training to make sure you can do your job safely? If you are working with vulnerable groups, you should receive training that takes their health and safety into account.
  • Supervisor: Will you have a supervisor who can provide you with advice, training and guidance?
  • Equipment: What equipment does the organisation provide? The country you’re volunteering in might not use the same safety equipment we use here, for example closed shoes.
  • Emergency response: What do you do if there is an emergency? Who can you contact? Make sure you have a clear understanding of what you should do in the case of an emergency while you’re away.
  • Travel insurance: Does your host organisation have insurance that you can access?
    • Make sure you have comprehensive travel insurance and check that it covers you for volunteering. Some insurance will only cover you for travel.

Your responsibilities

As a volunteer it’s important that you:

  • Take care of your own health and safety and don’t adversely affect the health and safety of others.
  • Carry out your volunteering in a safe way.
  • Follow the WHS instructions, policies and procedures of your host organisation.

More information