Do you need to take out insurance for your volunteers?
When doing volunteer work, your volunteers may suffer an injury or property may be damaged. In such cases, insurance cover can come in handy.
Who should take out the insurance?
Any organization that has volunteers working for it is responsible for ensuring that adequate insurance cover is in place. Moreover, the Municipality of Maastricht has an insurance policy that covers all volunteers. More information: Volunteer insurance – Municipality of Maastricht
Who is liable for damage caused during volunteer work?
If any damage is caused by the volunteer and they have third-party liability insurance, then a claim can be made against that policy. But the injured party can also claim for damages against the organization as well as the volunteer. After all, the volunteer is working on behalf of the organization. So, it is important that an organization insures its volunteers, especially because the organization can itself be held liable too.
What is liability?
Liability means a legal obligation by virtue of statutory provisions to compensate a third party for the damage inflicted upon them (third party liability). It is also possible to make certain agreements with each other with regard to liability. This is called contractual liability.
What is third-party liability insurance?
This is insurance against claims made by individuals. As a firm, organization, institution, or association may be held liable, it is important for them to take out third-party liability insurance.
What about directors’ liability?
The Dutch Directors’ Liability Act applies to commercial organizations. However, most associations are not covered by this legislation, which means board members are not jointly and severally liable. It’s a different story if a board member acting outside of the tasks or powers granted, or runs away with the money. In that case, they can be held personally liable!
Do you need to take out accident insurance?
If the volunteer work involves few risks (e.g. no need to use power tools or climb ladders), then you might think that there’s no need to take out accident insurance.
Why is it important to take out accident insurance anyway?
The chance of an accident is slim, but if one does happen, it can have huge consequences, such as a permanent injury requiring long-term medical treatment which the health insurance fund or private insurance does not cover.
How do you take out insurance for volunteers?
You can contact the insurance company where the foundation/association/organization already has contacts. You could also ask a range of local and regional insurance companies for a quote.
Is age taken into consideration for volunteer insurance?
Is there a maximum or even minimum age limit?
There are insurance companies that do apply a maximum age limit when it comes to covering certain volunteer tasks, such as transport. Some insurance companies also have a minimum age limit.