Volunteer Work Health and Safety

Please ensure you regularly familiarise yourself with the following WHS information by clicking and reading the content of all links below.

Always think about the potential risks and hazards associated with each rescue, care and release site as well as the risks associated with the species. Before beginning any rescue, care or release activities, ensure you take the time to assess the site for hazards or risk and prioritise safety at all times.

WIRES has a primary duty of care to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health and safety of WIRES Members and other persons, while undertaking volunteer activities or duties. WIRES meets its obligations to its volunteers, so far as is reasonably practicable, to provide a safe and healthy workplace by:

• Providing WIRES WHS procedures and considerations
• Providing information about safety equipment and PPE
• Providing specialised training (RICC and Advanced Species Training)
• Requiring members to report incidents to the Volunteer Support Manager (vsm@wires.org.au)
• Requiring members to accept that safe work practices are the responsibility of the individual undertaking WIRES activities

ALL WIRES Members agree to the following on joining and on renewal each year:

• That you have read and understand WIRES WHS Procedures and Considerations (as below).
• That you will read important WHS updates as they become available.
• That you will take reasonable care that your own acts or omissions do not adversely affect the health and safety of other persons.
• That you will ensure that you only attend rescues and volunteer activities in which you have been appropriately trained to undertake, are within your medical and physical capacity to be carried out safely, where you have the appropriate equipment and resources to do the task correctly and safely and have conducted a comprehensive risk assessment and applied appropriate risk controls.