It is vital your club protects its assets with adequate insurance. Insurance is a common risk management tool, which may be used to minimise your club’s liability.
However, insurance is a reactive rather than a pro-active risk management tool. Other risk management strategies should be adopted in order to reduce the risk from occurring at all.
Examples of legal claims/risks sporting organisations are exposed to:
- Negligence claims – eg. personal injury or decisions made
- Criminal liability – including claims for sexual offences
- Discrimination and harassment
- Occupier’s liability
- Work Health and Safety
- Employment liability – eg. unfair dismissals.
If you require or are unsure about insurance, talk to your state/national body about insurance in your sport in the first instance.
Your club’s risk assessment process will identify the type of risks the club is subject to. This will help determine whether insurance is available and appropriate. Some policies that may be applicable to your club:
- Public liability insurance
- Professional indemnity insurance
- Directors and officer’s liability insurance
- Associations liability insurance
- Personal accident insurance
- Occupational health and safety cover
- Workers compensation
- Property and contents insurance
- Fidelity insurance
- Building insurance
- Travel insurance
- Injury insurance.
This checklist (DOCX, 91.48 KB)should be used by the board on an annual basis to manage your club’s insurance.
Your state or national body is a good first port of call for advice and assistance.
- icare NSW - The NSW Sporting Injuries Insurance Scheme is a no-fault scheme provided by the NSW Government to provide benefits for people seriously injured playing sport.
- Play by the Rules – risk management advice for people in sport
- Our Community – Risk Management
- The Clearinghouse for Sport connects people in sport to a world of ideas, experiences and knowledge.
Disclaimer
As with any resource, this does not replace obtaining legal advice on each sport specific requirement and it is recommended you do so.
The information provided in this resource is for your information only. The authors and the NSW Office of Sport accept no responsibility for the accuracy of the information or your reliance upon it.