Risk Management

Volunteer Injury Coverage (VIC)Insurance

Volunteer Injury Coverage (VIC) is available to people who volunteer for OSU to perform official state duties. According to the Code of Federal Regulations, a volunteer is defined as an individual who performs hours of service for a public agency for civic, charitable, or humanitarian reasons, without promise, expectation or receipt of compensation for services rendered. The Federal Labor Standard Act does NOT permit an individual to perform hours of volunteer service for a public agency when such hours involve the SAME type of services which the individual is EMPLOYED to perform for the same public agency.

The OSU Office of Risk Management (ORM) highly recommends having volunteers sign up for this coverage when they become a volunteer. To activate the coverage, or to become an officially appointed OSU volunteer, the volunteer and the department or program using the volunteer must complete a State of Oregon Conditions for Volunteer Services form and waiver PRIOR to the volunteer service beginning. There is no cost to OSU for activating the coverage; however, losses are assessed in the same manner as OSU's workers' compensation losses are by the State of Oregon Insurance Fund (SOIF).

This insurance is provided by the State of Oregon Insurance Fund (SOIF) and is similar to many commercial accidental death or disability and personal injury protection policies. VIC pays up to $25,000 for covered losses (up to one year after the accident) and is EXCESS to any other applicable insurance that covers the volunteer. Notice of injuries must be reported within FIVE days of the injury as a prerequisite of coverage.

To qualify for the VIC Program, an individual must:

• Be appointed by OSU in writing to perform official state duties as outlined in the volunteer's brief position description, and
• Receive no remuneration for his/her service to OSU, and
• Provide a primary benefit to OSU (the volunteer can not receive valuable personal benefits of any kind), and
• Work at OSU's request or consent under OSU's direct supervision and control.

VIC policy conditions include:

• The injury must be caused directly and solely by an accident that occurs during and arises out of the performance of assigned official state duties.
• The duties must be written in a brief position description.
• The OSU department or program must keep a roster of covered volunteers.
• The volunteer must sign a VIC form and waiver PRIOR to volunteering.
• The OSU department or program must keep the original VIC form and waiver on file and submit it upon request in the event of a loss.

To request this coverage, complete the VIC form and waiver and retain in the OSU department records for submission in the event of a loss.

For more information, contact the Office of Risk Management @ 737-7252 or refer to the Department of Administrative Services Risk Management Division (DAS-RMD) Volunteers Website.