Boy Scouts of America

Scouting Safely

SUMMARY

Do you know where to find up-to-the-minute safety information for Scouts and Scouters? The scouting.org website. Take time to become familiar with all the safety information under Scouting Safely to help all of us keep Scouts safe.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Check out these sections of the Scouting Safely page:

Guide to Safe Scouting—The Guide to Safe Scouting is an overview of Scouting policies and procedures gleaned from various sources. It is the one source of truth for policies such as Scouting’s Barriers to Abuse and the Prohibited Activity Listing. A valuable resource for unit leaders to review before conducting all activities.

SAFE Checklist—Scouts and their parents expect all Boy Scouts of America activities to be conducted safely. To ensure the safety of participants, the Boy Scouts of America expects leaders to use the four points of SAFE when delivering Scouting programs.

Safety Moments—Safety Moments are precisely what the name implies: opportunities to prepare for an activity, review safety measures, and report incidents correctly. Topics of this series include incident reporting helps, safe use of medication in Scouting, weather-related safety, and many more topics.

Annual Health and Medical Record (AHMR)—All participants must compete the AHMR and update it at least annually. Leaders then review it to address any fitness risk factors, including temporary or chronic health conditions that might impact a participant’s safety.

Incident Reporting—Timely, clear, concise, and complete incident reports allow for an appropriate response and an opportunity for analysis while promoting continuous improvement of our programs. Please report incidents, near misses, and youth protection/membership infraction incidents immediately to your local council.

Wilderness First Aid (WFA) Training—Before heading into a remote environment where definitive care by a physician or rapid transport to a medical facility is not available the BSA recommends and sometimes requires WFA. BSA has partnered with the American Red Cross and Emergency Care and Safety Institute to provide accredited courses to enable your participation in backcountry adventure.

Answers to Your General Health and Safety Questions—Review this page for answers to frequently asked questions ranging from Scouts on zip lines and pets at campouts to the Annual Health and Medical Record and insurance coverage. There are also links to other FAQ pages.