A public liability insurance policy is necessary for an organisation to protect itself against claims of negligence made by third parties in relation to injury or property damage arising from the organisation's operations.

For example, it is likely to cover a person who enters your premises, slips on a wet surface and sustains a serious head injury.

Some public liability policies may also cover injuries resulting from products sold or supplied by your organisation. You must check the extent of your cover to ensure that product liability is included in your policy if relevant. This is particularly important for organisations that sell food or products as part of their day-to-day activities or for fundraising.

You need to check and understand to what extent your volunteers are covered. It is important to keep detailed records of all your volunteers, and to establish and communicate clear guidelines setting out volunteers' roles and activities.