Boy Scouts of America

Risk Assessment

Adult Audience Only


SUMMARY

The Guide to Safe Scouting asks us to assess risks for activities that are not covered by the BSA program.

This begs the question: How do I assess risks?

GENERAL INFORMATION

The BSA National Health and Safety Committee has developed the following tools to help assess risks in Scouting:

  • The enterprise analysis tool (see link below) is primarily used to record, assess, and manage councilwide risks. The risks identified using this tool should be serious enough to jeopardize council operations. This tool may cover many areas, such as financial, legal, or liability risks.
  • Program hazard analysis is used mainly for program areas within camps or high-adventure bases. It covers specific risks to the program areas. This tool has a defined way of assessing probability and severity of risks.
  • Safety checklists are used for small events or campouts. Checklists provide a body of knowledge for running Scouting activities safely. Like an airline pilot reviewing a checklist before takeoff, these tools help to make sure critical safeguards are in place for a specific Scouting activity.
  • The Safety PAUSE (Pause, Assess, Understand, Share, and Execute) process stresses the importance of a last-minute safety check in the field. By encouraging each Scout or adult leader to pause and reflect on the tasks at hand just before beginning, you have an opportunity to take necessary precautions to prevent any present or potential hazards. This is not a stand-alone tool. A formal risk assessment should be done first, such as a safety checklist or a program hazard analysis (PHA).
  • You can reference the Enterprise Risk Management Committee Guidebook to learn exactly how to use these tools. Reach out to Scouters in your units or councils with backgrounds in risk management or safety. Doing risk assessments is likely part of their everyday routine. With their know-how and these tools, risk assessing can be easily accomplished.

RESOURCES

Bray Barnes

Director, Global Security Innovative
Strategies

Bray Barnes is a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, Silver
Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Learning for Life Distinguished
Service Award. He received the Messengers of Peace Hero award from
the royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and he’s a life member of
the 101st Airborne Association and Vietnam Veterans Association. Barnes
serves as a senior fellow for the Global Federation of Competitiveness
Councils, a nonpartisan network of corporate CEOs, university presidents, and
national laboratory directors. He has also served as a senior executive for the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, leading the first-responder program
and has two U.S. presidential appointments

David Alexander

Managing Member Calje

David Alexander is a Baden-Powell Fellow, Summit Bechtel Reserve philanthropist, and recipient of the Silver Buffalo and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the founder of Caljet, one of the largest independent motor fuels terminals in the U.S. He has served the Arizona Petroleum Marketers Association, Teen Lifeline, and American Heart Association. A triathlete who has completed hundreds of races, Alexander has also mentored the women’s triathlon team at Arizona State University.

Glenn Adams

President, CEO & Managing Director
Stonetex Oil Corp.

Glenn Adams is a recipient of the Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the former president of the National Eagle Scout Association and established the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award. He has more than 40 years of experience in the oil, gas, and energy fields, including serving as a president, owner, and CEO. Adams has also received multiple service awards from the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers.