Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1244/2014Show full title

CHAPTER 7 U.K. PROCEDURES TO ENSURE DUTY OF CARE, SAFETY AND SECURITY

Article 28 U.K. Security management and risk assessment

1. The sending organisation shall have in place an organisational security policy and risk assessment procedures that shall be suitable and applicable for EU Aid Volunteers and, where necessary, adapted.

2. Based on the sending organisation's organisational security policy, sending and hosting organisations shall jointly develop a security management and evacuation plan for actions under the EU Aid Volunteers initiative. Such plans shall as a minimum comply with the requirements set out in point 5 of Annex I.

3. Sending and hosting organisations shall jointly develop a written assessment of security, travel and health risks for the country of deployment. Such assessments shall as a minimum comply with the requirements set out in point 6 of Annex I.

4. The risk assessment referred to in paragraph 3 shall be reviewed and updated as regularly as required by the context and, as a minimum, before the deployment of the EU Aid Volunteer. Where the risk assessment leads to the conclusion that deployment would take place in the theatre of international or non-international armed conflict, or threats thereof, deployment shall not be envisaged or shall be cancelled in case an EU Aid Volunteer has been already selected.

5. Requirements related to security awareness and appropriate behaviour in relation to risk and security management shall be included in the description of the task assignment and the recruitment process.

6. The sending organisation shall inform the relevant national authorities of Member States and other participating countries, in accordance with Article 23 of Regulation (EU) No 375/2014, before one of their citizens is deployed as an EU Aid Volunteer. Prior to deployment, the sending organisation deploying EU Aid Volunteers who are not citizens of the Union shall ascertain the rules for consular protection provided by the volunteer's country of nationality or another country.

7. Sending and hosting organisations shall ensure that all information on security and safety procedures is shared with and understood by the EU Aid Volunteer. During the induction, a context-specific security briefing shall be provided before departure and within 24 hours upon arrival in the country of deployment. This must include the results from the risk assessment, the evacuation and security management plan, including security incident reporting, procedures for evacuation and repatriation, communication tree, crisis management contact officer(s), and details of embassies, police and fire stations, and hospitals.

8. The sending organisation shall ensure that the EU Aid Volunteer is covered, as a minimum, by the insurance provided according to Article 24.

9. In addition to the mandatory security training in the context of the training programme, the sending organisation shall provide EU Aid Volunteers with any other relevant security training provided to its own international staff.

10. When signing the contract referred to in Article 16(2), the EU Aid Volunteers shall acknowledge awareness of and compliance with the security management procedures, including their duty to keep themselves informed and up-to-date with current security situations; their personal responsibility concerning security management for themselves, others and the organisation; and the duty to refrain from risk-taking behaviour. Sending and hosting organisations shall make the EU Aid Volunteer aware of the consequences of any breach of security procedures, in particular those resulting in a premature forced end of placement.

11. The sending organisation shall recommend to EU Aid Volunteers that they register with the embassy or consulate of their nationality upon arrival in the country of deployment, and inform them about the possibility of requesting consular assistance thereof. If the country of the EU Aid Volunteer's nationality does not have a consular representation in the country of deployment, the sending organisation shall recommend to EU Aid Volunteers who are citizens of the Union to register with a consulate or embassy of another Member State, and inform them about the possibility of requesting consular assistance thereof.

12. Based on updates from the hosting organisation, sending and hosting organisations shall regularly update the evacuation plan to ensure it remains suitable for the operating environment at all times. The outcome of the risk assessment shall inform the frequency at which the plan is to be reviewed and the hosting organisation shall use past data and current updates to adjust it, as necessary. The evacuation plan shall be kept in a place that is easily accessible for the EU Aid Volunteer.

13. The hosting organisation shall ensure that the EU Aid Volunteer is updated about any change in the operating environment and the consequent amendment in any of the security procedures or protocols.

14. The hosting organisation shall be aware of the location of the EU Aid Volunteer, and the contact number to reach them at all times, including when on leave.

Article 29 U.K. Procedures to be followed in the event of an incident or evacuation

1. In case of a security incident, the EU Aid Volunteer shall be debriefed as soon as possible. Depending on the seriousness of the incident and the procedures in place in the sending and hosting organisations, this debriefing may be undertaken by the line manager or the mentor from the hosting organisation, or the crisis management officer in the sending organisation, and may include professional psychological support.

2. In case of evacuation, the evacuation plan shall be followed and the EU Aid Volunteer shall be taken care of at all times, following, where relevant, procedures in place in the consulates or embassies where the EU Aid Volunteer has been registered in accordance with Article 28(11).

3. The sending organisation shall contact EU Aid Volunteers upon their return and ensure that they receive adequate follow-up, including debriefing, psychosocial and medical support.

4. Security shall be included in the sending and hosting organisations' monitoring and evaluation framework and lessons learned from security incidents shall inform project review and improvement.

Article 30 U.K. Health and safety

1. The sending organisation shall have in place an organisational health and safety policy that shall be suitable and applicable for EU Aid Volunteers and, where necessary, adapted, including guidelines on:

(a) personal health, such as physical health (disease preventions, eating and sleeping advice, risk awareness on climate and geographical hazards, access to treatment);

(b) mental health (advice on work-life balance, stress management, coping mechanisms and relaxation methods, points of contact for psychosocial support).

2. Based on the sending organisation's organisational health and safety policy, sending and hosting organisations shall jointly develop a comprehensive set of health and safety policies and guidelines to meet their duty of care obligations and to ensure the physical and emotional well-being of EU Aid Volunteers.

3. As part of the risk assessment referred to in Article 28(3) and before defining the task assignment, sending and hosting organisations shall jointly assess whether the placement provides safe and secure working and living conditions for the EU Aid Volunteer based on the basis of the indicators set out in point 7 of Annex I.

4. The sending organisation shall ensure that the EU Aid Volunteer is covered, as a minimum, by comprehensive medical and travel insurance provisions in accordance with Article 24.

5. During the induction, the sending organisation shall brief the EU Aid Volunteer on the health and safety policies and guidelines referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2, including diseases, first aid support, maintenance for all locations, maintenance of vehicle and equipment, workstations, work-life balance, health and security incidents, procedure for medical evacuation.

6. The sending organisation shall ensure that the EU Aid Volunteer completes a thorough medical check-up prior to departure, and provide the recommended medication and vaccinations for the risks in the country of deployment and equipment, such as first aid and mosquito kits, where necessary.

7. The hosting organisation shall ensure that duty of care is integrated in the day-to-day volunteer management and, during the induction, provide the EU Aid Volunteer with:

(a) up-to-date information on local resources concerning health and safety such as contact details of doctors, hospitals, paramedical services;

(b) guidance on local customs and norms as part of their in-country briefing in order to limit risks to safety and to facilitate integration.

8. The sending organisation shall facilitate a post-deployment medical check upon the return of the EU Aid Volunteer and offer psychosocial debriefing session(s) or counselling support as part of the debriefing process. The sending and hosting organisations shall promote the network for the EU Aid Volunteers initiative as an alternative support mechanism before, during and after the deployment.