Boy Scouts of America

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:
 
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

Together, let’s grow a strong Culture of Safety in Scouting!

Search for Safety Moments:

Acute Mountain Sickness Recognition and Prevention
AED Basic Care and Maintenance
All-Terrain Vehicles
Anaphylaxis
Annual Health and Medical Record Safety Moment
Aquatics Safety—The BSA Way
Asthma
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Be Prepared for High Adventure
Behavior Around Campfires
Bunk Beds
Campfire Safety
Campout Safety Checklist
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning—at Home or Camp
Certificates of Insurance
Chain Saw Safety
Charcoal Safety
Climbing
Communicable Disease Prevention
Concussions
Conjunctivitis/Pink Eye
CPR
Dangers of Leaving Scouts Unsupervised, Sand Dunes, and Digging in Sand Dunes—Gage’s Story
Depression
Diabetes
Digital Safety and Online Scouting Activities
Distracted Driving
Emergency Action Plan
Energy Drinks
Fatal Fall—Nolan’s Story
Fire Safety with Backpacking Stoves
First Aid Kits
Food Allergies
Frostbite
Gaga Ball
Generators
Guide to Safe Scouting
Hammock Safety for Camping
Hazard Trees
Hazard Trees And Hammocks—Jack’s Story
Heat-Related Illness
Herbicides
Hiking
Histoplasmosis
Homesickness
Horses
How to Review the AHMR
Hypothermia
In Case of Emergency
Incident Reporting Helps
Indoor Bodyflight
Insurance
Is It Scouting?
Keeping Your Food Safe
Ladder Safety
Life Jackets / Personal Flotation Devices
Medication Use in Scouting
Nap On Safely
Orthopedic Injuries
Poison Control Centers
Poisonous Plants
Pre-Event Medical Screening
Prohibited Activities
Propane Stoves
Psychological First Aid
Range and Target Activities
Resilience
Risk Advisory for High-Adventure Activities
Risk Assessment
Roadside Fatality—Austin’s Story
Rocket Safety
SAFE Scouting
Safety Afloat
Safety Data Sheets
Scouter Code Of Conduct
Scouting Safely
Scouting’s Barriers to Abuse
Scouts First Helpline
Seizure
Shotgun Shooting—An Assistant Scoutmaster’s Story
Snake Bites
Stroke
Trailer Theft
Trampoline Park Safety
Transporting Scouts Safely
Violent Intruder
Water Bottle Rockets
Weather-Related Safety
Wilderness First Aid
Winter Activity Safety
Winter Sports Safety
Wounds—Cuts, Abrasions, And Punctures
Youth Suicide Prevention
Zip Lines