Who is responsible for the food and what insurance does Olio provide?
Legal responsibilities: who is responsible for what?
The businesses that Food Waste Heroes collect food from are responsible and liable for any defects inherent to the product itself (e.g. a product containing something it should not, the presence of harmful bacteria in cooked products that should have been cooked through, etc.) and for the accuracy of the allergen information provided.
Olio is responsible for ensuring that Food Waste Heroes have received suitable training and that its collection and redistribution processes, when properly applied by Food Waste Heroes, will prevent food safety incidents from happening (e.g. prevention of cross contamination, maintenance of the cold chain, good food hygiene practices, access to allergen information, adherence to expiry dates, etc.).
Food Waste Heroes are responsible for applying Olio’s collection and redistribution processes and guidelines as instructed (e.g. maintaining the cold chain, not sharing food past its use-by date, keeping food away from pests, etc.). Consequently, if an Olioer becomes sick and is able to prove that it is because of a Food Waste Hero’s negligent application of these processes and guidelines then that Food Waste Hero could potentially be held liable by that Olioer and by Olio for the consequences of such negligence.
Like a driver is responsible for applying the highway code and driving responsibly, Food Waste Heroes are responsible for applying food safety rules and sharing responsibly.
Insurance: what does Olio’s insurance cover?
As long as you follow our requirements and guidance, you are covered by our insurance policy if someone becomes sick from eating the food that you collected as a Food Waste Hero. This means that, as long as you follow Olio’s guidelines, you have nothing to worry about. However, as you are not an employee of Olio, our insurance does not cover any injuries that you may sustain during your voluntary activities and Olio cannot be held liable for such injuries.