Safety Moments

Using a Safety Moment in Scouting Activities

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

If a Safety Moment is for Adult Audience Only, it will be indicated at the top of the Safety Moments page.

Guidance for Clear and Effective Safety Moments in Scouting

Safety moments are a crucial component of the BSA’s Culture of Safety, underscoring our commitment to identifying, preventing, or mitigating hazards and risks in all Scouting activities. As with other safety-conscious organizations, we initiate meetings and events with a brief pause to discuss potential dangers and how to avert them, focusing the group’s attention on safety protocols.

Here’s a breakdown of the different forms’ safety moments can take:

Scouting Safely Resources: Utilize the extensive library of ready-to-use safety moments on Scouting Safely, covering a myriad of topics. These are regularly updated and expanded by BSA volunteers and professional staff.
On-the-Spot Safety Moments: Scouts and Scouters can create ad-hoc safety moments tailored to specific situations or activities. These “just in time” reminders can precede an activity, providing concise information or notifying participants of safety essentials like fire extinguisher locations and exits.
Localized Safety Moments: Develop safety moments at the local level for units, districts, councils, or camps. These can align with local procedures or conditions, offering reminders during pre-activity assessments. Camp leaders may plan a series of Safety Moments for each day, reinforcing important safety topics during camper orientation.
External Resources Caution: While other organizations and companies may share safety moments online, exercise caution. Ensure that these align with Scouting values and adhere to BSA safety guidelines.

What Defines a Good Safety Moment?

Keep these key criteria in mind:

Conciseness: Limited to about one page and readable in 2 minutes or less.
Focus: Addresses a single topic or a specific aspect of a larger subject.
Audience Relevance: Tailored to the educational level of the audience.
Delivery: Crafted for Scouts to present to fellow Scouts, with some topics suitable for adult-to-adult communication.
Structure: Includes an opening statement, core information, a brief wrap-up, and at least one follow-up resource.
Non-Specificity: Avoids references to or about specific individuals.
Compliance: Conforms to BSA policies, practices, guidelines, and standards; excludes activities prohibited by BSA.

If you have a safety moment idea for the Scouting Safely website, share your draft with us at Health.Safety@Scouting.org, and we’ll consider it for publication.