1. Scouting Safety … Begins With Leadership—Course Notes
Summary: Although rare, serious injuries and fatalities occur during Scouting activities—typically more often at the unit level than at council events. This course promotes leader understanding and acceptance of responsibility for the well-being and safety of Scouts entrusted to their care, and provides an overview of tools and policies for identifying risk and preventing incidents.
Target audience: This course is appropriate for all unit, district, and council volunteers and professionals who supervise youth activities. Ideally, it should be offered to all new leaders shortly after they complete Fast Start training for their position and This Is Scouting orientation. It should be repeated every two years or when a leader changes to a new position, for example from a den leader to an assistant Scoutmaster.
Learning objectives:
Promote leader understanding and acceptance of responsibility for safe Scouting activities.
Demonstrate how identifying hazards supports accident prevention.
Acquaint leaders with BSA resource materials for planning safe Scouting activities, with emphasis on the Guide to Safe Scouting
and the Sweet 16 of BSA Safety.
Introduce the critical role of qualified supervision and discipline (the sandwich principle).
Review selected risks, such as vehicular accidents and heat reactions.
Training format: Discussion is guided by a standardized PowerPoint file supplemented by a short video clip. Both are available for download from the Scouting Safely quick link at The course will take 45 to 60 minutes, depending on the amount of discussion. Slides in the PowerPoint file reference the video, so it is critical that the video is shown as indicated.
Training materials: Each participant should bring or be given a printed copy of the Guide to Safe Scouting. The instructor will need a computer (or other digital device that drives the projector), a projector, screen, and a flip chart or dry-erase board with markers. Props, such as helmets, life jackets, and a first-aid kit, add interest but are not essential. The instructor should preorder completion cards, No , from Supply Group at or a local council service center. There are eight cards per perforated sheet. A PDF is also included in the instructor packet. The instructor should check with the council to determine what documentation is needed to update council training records. A generic attendance sheet is provided in the instructor packet, but other forms may be specified by the council training committee. A short quiz is included in the presentation as well. It, too, is in the instructor packet for printing, and may be distributed following slide 47.
Instructors: The council health and safety committee and/or risk management committee, with the consent of the Scout executive, has the responsibility to appoint people who are qualified to instruct this course in concert with the district/council training plan.
Instructor preparation: Instructors should review the notes included with each slide in the PowerPoint presentation and practice delivery until able to make the key points in their own words without reciting from the notes. Instructor, participant interaction is critical: The slides do not stand alone without commentary. Hard copies of the slides should not be presented to the participants. This slide will not appear in slideshow mode.
1st ed. May 2011
Look here for notes on following slides. This hidden slide will not project in slideshow mode.

2. Hidden slide. Sample attendance sheet, which may be printed directly from this file. However, your council training committee may require a different form. Check with your council office before the course to determine reporting procedures.

3. Scouting Safety … Begins With Leadership Quiz
7. A cold front moves through during a weekend campout and Scouts propose using a cook stove in a tent for warmth. The primary hazard is:
Scouting Safety … Begins With Leadership Quiz
3. The leading cause of death in the United States (and during BSA activities) is:
1. The critical items that form the “sandwich principle” of BSA safety are:
8. During Scouting events, the primary responsibility for safety rests with:
4. The leading cause of accidental death in the United States is:
6. General guidelines for all Scouting activities are provided by:
2. The best resource for BSA safety policies and procedures is:
a. Qualified supervision and safety procedures
5. Drowsiness is a factor in many fatal highway accidents:
c. Qualified supervision and discipline
b. Burns from knocking over the stove
b. Safety procedures and discipline
c. Carbon monoxide poisoning
a. Fire of flammable bedding
a. Scoutmaster’s Handbook
b. Guide to Safe Scouting
a. Cardiovascular disease
b. Sweet 16 of BSA Safety
a. Each individual youth
b. Vehicular accidents
a. Vehicular accidents
c. Safe Swim Defense
b. Youth unit leaders
c. Adult unit leaders
a. Trek on Safely
c. Fieldbook
c. Drowning
c. Suicide
b. Falls
a. True
b. False
Hidden slide. The quiz questions are contained in the PowerPoint presentation and may be covered without a handout. However, instructors have the option of supplementing the slides with a paper copy, which may be printed from this slide.

4. Hidden slide. Front and reverse of course completion card
Hidden slide. Front and reverse of course completion card. Preorder perforated sheets of eight, No , from the BSA Supply Group or your council service center.

5. Scouting Safety … Begins With Leadership
3/31/2017
Scouting Safety … Begins With Leadership
Title slide. Instructors should welcome participants, introduce themselves, and review the facility emergency action plan, e.g., what to do if an alarm sounds. Make sure all attendees are signed in or registered as required by your council training committee. (Next slide.)

6. Safe activities are great activities.
Commentary: “If you have taken the This Is Scouting online orientation course, then you are already aware of the importance of keeping youth under our care safe. This course will expand on how to accomplish that goal.” (Next slide.)
Note: Suggested commentary is provided to make key points for each slide. Instructors should paraphrase in their own words rather than read verbatim from notes.
Safe activities are great activities.

7. Accidents and injuries occur during Scouting activities.
Unit leaders
are responsible
for the well-being of
youth under their care.
Slide is animated. Commentary: “It is important to realize that safety is not automatic. Serious injuries and even fatalities do occur during Scouting activities. (Advance.) “It is your task as a unit leader to plan safe activities.” (Next slide.)

8. Objectives—to Help Leaders:
Understand importance
Evaluate hazards
Reduce risk
Utilize safety resources
Apply “sandwich principle”
Slide is animated. Commentary: “This course is designed to help you plan safe activities.” (Advance.) “The first goal to help you understand, and realize how important your role is in keeping Scouts safe.” (Advance.) “We will also discuss how to identify (Advance.) and reduce risks.” (Advance.) “The BSA has several tools to help with that task. We’ll review those.” (Advance.) “We will also discuss the critical role played by qualified supervision and discipline. Please feel free to ask questions or provide comments at any time.”

9. Video Presentation
Commentary: “Let’s watch a short video on Scouting safety.” (Advance.)
The blue hyperlink serves as a reminder to cue the Scouting Safety … Begins With Leadership video that can be downloaded from After the video, ask if there are any questions or comments, then resume the slideshow.

10. Video Presentation
After the video, ask if there are any questions or comments, then resume the slideshow.

11. Hazard Recognition Helmets required
Slide is animated. Commentary: “The video spoke about entering the risk zone. To prevent incidents, we first need to recognize the hazards. There is some risk of injury in just about all activities. Let’s take a look at some.” (Advance.) “Here are some photos of Scouting activities taken from Scouting magazine. Falls or upsets are hazards for all of these activities. As the consequences of a fall become more dangerous, safety equipment, such as a helmet, is appropriate.” (Advance.) “Here’s another. Falls are common when learning to snowboard. If you look in the Guide to Safe Scouting, under winter sports activities, you will find that helmets are required.” (Next slide.) If available, the last point can be made more memorable if the instructor picks up a helmet while making the statement.

12. Slide is animated. Will be blank at first
Slide is animated. Will be blank at first. Commentary: “Let’s look at more activities to see if you spot any hazards.” (Advancing once will start the sequence, with a new photo added every second. The instructor may watch along with the participants or may name the activities as they appear. The sequence is: whittling, fishing, soccer, biking, cooking, confidence course, elevated water entry, polar bear swim, tomahawk toss, caving, hockey-like game, snowmobiling, archery, winter camping.)
After sequence is complete, state: “Next we’re going to list hazards for activities you are familiar with. You may use these as a guide, or think of others. (Next slide.)

13. __________ __________ Activity/Hazards Precautions
Instructor needs to move to a nearby flip chart or dry-erase board. Commentary: “I want everyone to think of an activity, a likely hazard for that activity, and a precaution to avoid the hazard. For example, sunburn is a hazard that accompanies swimming outside. Sunscreen can help prevent sunburn.” Write: “Swimming/sunburn” and “sunscreen” on the chart in letters large enough for everyone to see. Then write down a response from each of the participants. For small groups, you may go around the room twice. If participants are having trouble, which might happen in large groups when the more obvious responses are taken, the instructor may offer prompts such as, “Why do some campers hang their food from bags?” The instructor may also display the previous slide so that participants can get ideas from the photos. After you complete the list, ask if there are any questions or comments. Go to the next slide after handling those.
The video and most of the slides transfer information from the instructor to the listener. This exercise makes the listener an active participant. The instructor will need to manage the interaction. Everyone should be heard from and all questions answered, but be careful of too many “war stories.”
For a copy of the Program Hazard Analysis, go to

14. Sweet 16 of BSA Safety Qualified supervision Skill-level limits
3/31/2017
Sweet 16 of BSA Safety
Qualified supervision
Skill-level limits
Physical fitness
Weather checks
Buddy system
Planning
Safe area or course
Communications
Equipment selection and maintenance
Permits and notices
First-aid resources
Personal safety equip.
Applicable laws
Safety procedures and policies
CPR resources
Discipline
Commentary: “What we just did focused on one hazard at a time. However, a Scout outing may involve several activities and dozens of potential risks. Scouting has developed a list of considerations, called the Sweet 16 of BSA Safety, to help you plan safe activities.” (Next slide.)

15. Guide to Safe Scouting Chapter VIII. Sports and Activities 3/31/2017
“Please find the list in your Guide to Safe Scouting and follow along as we briefly highlight each point.” (Next slide after everyone has found the list.)

16. 1. Qualified Supervision
Commentary: “The video discussed the importance of appropriate supervision. One of your tasks as a unit leader is to determine if special training is needed to qualify a person to provide safe supervision. For many activities, training requirements are provided in the Guide to Safe Scouting. For example, a BSA or NRA firearms instructor is required for target shooting. The BSA’s Climb on Safely pamphlet defines the leader training necessary for climbing and rappelling.” (Next slide.)

17. 2. Physical Fitness Guide to Safe Scouting:
Commentary: “As noted in the Guide to Safe Scouting, everyone needs to complete the BSA’s Annual Health and Medical Record. You can download the forms from the Scouting website.” (Next slide.)
Guide to Safe Scouting:
V. Medical Information and First Aid

18. 2. Physical Fitness
Slide is animated. “Leaders use the Annual Health and Medical Record to determine if those taking part in an activity have medical conditions for which special precautions are needed.” (Advance.) “For example, some participants may need ready access to drugs such as an inhaler or EpiPen™” (Advance.) “The most common medical restrictions on activities arise from temporary conditions. For example, a physician has instructed a youth with an ear infection not to swim for a while. Since such conditions may not be noted on the Annual Health and Medical Record filed earlier, the leader should ask for pertinent updates prior to an outing.” (Advance.) “Leaders should work with parents and caregivers to accommodate those who have special needs.”

19. 2. Physical Fitness The greatest risk?
Commentary: “Let’s discuss one more item on physical fitness. What is the most common cause of death for men and women in the United States?” (Keep soliciting responses until provided with cardiovascular disease or heart attack.) “Right. While there are tens of thousands of deaths yearly on the nation’s highways, there are hundreds of thousands of deaths annually because of cardiovascular problems. And many of those deaths are to people similar in age to those in this room. Therefore, it shouldn’t be any surprise that the risk and occurrence of such deaths transfers to Scouting activities. That is one reason the BSA has leader fitness programs and height/weight restrictions for strenuous backcountry activities. As the leader of a safe Scouting activity, you need to look after the well-being of yourself and other adults on the outing as well as the youth.” (Next slide.)
The greatest risk?

20. 3. Buddy System
Commentary: “The buddy system, common for swimming, is appropriate for most other activities as well. It places an extra pair of eyes looking out for the well-being of everyone in the group.” (Next slide.)

21. 4. Safe Area or Course
Commentary: “Physical hazards in the activity area need to be removed, repaired, or isolated. Broken glass in a backyard swimming pool is an obvious hazard. Not so obvious is that any depth in that pool over head height can be deadly for a nonswimmer.” (Next slide.)

22. 5. Equipment Selection and Maintenance
Commentary: “Whenever gear is used in an activity, it needs to be properly designed and maintained.” (Next slide.)

23. 6. Personal Safety Equipment
Commentary: “Some gear items, such as boats and paddles, are necessary for the activity. Other items, such a whistle, ear and eye protection, life jackets, helmets, gloves, and knee pads, provide essential protection for the participant. Check the Guide to Safe Scouting for recommended personal protective gear for different activities.” (Next slide.)

24. 7. Safety Procedures and Policies
Archery
Boating
Bicycling
Camping
Caving
Climbing
Horsemanship
Rifle, shotgun
Scuba
Skating
Swimming
Slide is animated. Commentary: “Recommended personal protection equipment is one example of safety policies and procedures. (Advance.) Here is a partial list of activities for which additional safety guidance is provided in the Guide to Safe Scouting. Some activities (advance), such as these, have separate training programs that can be found on the BSA website. (Next slide.)

25. 8. Skill-Level Limits
Commentary: “Activities need to be based on the ages and skills of the participants. Someone just learning to swim is not ready for scuba diving. Having canoed once on a lake doesn’t mean someone is ready for whitewater. The policies and procedures covered in the last slide should help you determine appropriate skill levels.” (Next slide.)

26. 8. Skill-Level Limits
Commentary: “The Guide to Safe Scouting also includes guidelines for age-appropriate activities. For example, bow saws are appropriate for Webelos, but not axes.” (Next slide.)

27. 9. Weather Checks
Commentary: “Some changes in the weather can be minor inconveniences. Others can be deadly. You need to be prepared for both. If you hear thunder or see lighting, move everyone to cover, preferably indoors, and wait at least 30 minutes before resuming the activity. The BSA has an online course … (Next slide.)

28. 9. Weather Checks
Commentary (continued from previous slide): “… that helps you prepare for and respond to weather changes. At least one adult must complete that training prior to a unit trip.” (Next slide.)

29. 10. Planning
The instructor should write six large letter P’s on a flip chart or dry-erase board, then state: “These stand for Prior Planning Prevents Pitifully Poor Performance. It is your task as a leader to follow the Scout motto of ‘Be Prepared.’ Consideration of the other 15 points in this list [point to the Sweet 16] is an important part of the planning process. Having youth involved in the process, as age appropriate, helps later with the buy-in for safety procedures and discipline.”

30. 10. Planning
Slide is animated. Commentary: “The BSA also has forms for trip planning. You will find examples in the appendices of the Guide to Safe Scouting. (Advance.) Please find this section on the back of the tour planning checklist that lists activity standards.” Allow sufficient time for participants to find the tour plan and scan the relevant section, then state: “Note that BSA literature builds on itself to reinforce safety concerns. Here, the tour plan helps define qualified supervision for various activities.” (Next slide.)

31. 11. Communications
Commentary: “Safety during an activity relies on having communication between participants, participants and leaders, and leaders and outside emergency services. Don’t assume a single cell phone is adequate, particularly for remote trips. Cell phones can lose coverage, be damaged, or run out of power. Backup might be knowing the quickest route to the nearest ranger station.” (Next slide.)

32. 12. Permits and Notices
Commentary: “You need permission to conduct activities on private property, and some public sites require use permits. Permits may specify the size of the group, types of fires for cooking, waste disposal options, and other restrictions that affect planning and safety.” (Next slide.)

33. 13. First-Aid Resources
Commentary: “The supervisor should determine what first-aid supplies, and training, are appropriate for an activity. (Pick up a first-aid kit if one is available.) Need to know what to put in a first-aid kit? Turn again to our old friend, the Guide to Safe Scouting.” (Next slide.)

34. 14. Applicable Laws
Commentary: “Simply put, the BSA expects you to observe all federal, state, and local laws at all times. Knowing what laws apply is the challenge. Those that are posted are obvious. You might have to dig a bit deeper for limits on types of fish.” (Next slide.)

35. 15. CPR Resources
Commentary: “Earlier, we spoke of the risk to adults of sudden cardiac arrest. Prompt CPR and AED application are often critical to survival.” (Next slide.)

36. 16. Discipline
Commentary: “Unit leadership needs to keep activities under control—to prevent emergencies and also to respond properly. Scouts are generally well-behaved, particularly if they are reminded of their dual responsibility for their own safety and that of others in the unit. However, youthful exuberance may, at times, cause momentary lapses in attention; fun and a sense of adventure can overwhelm common sense. Youngsters cannot always be expected to act rationally in the interest of their own safety. Adult leaders should therefore accept that they, not the Scouts, are ultimately responsible for implementing BSA rules and procedures.” (Here, as in the other slides, the instructor may paraphrase the commentary so long as the main points are made. The instructor should come across as speaking from experience, not as someone reading a script. (Next slide.)

37. Sweet 16 of BSA Safety
Slide is animated. Commentary: “That completes the elements of the Sweet 16 of BSA Safety. The 16 points do not specify procedures to follow for all possible situations but instead identify areas that should be considered to determine specific safety concerns and procedures. As you look further into BSA safety procedures and training programs (advance), you will find that many of the details for specific activities have been completed for you. However, all of these additional training programs begin with qualified supervision and end with discipline.” (Continue with next slide.)

38. Qualified Supervision
Sweet 16 of BSA Safety
Qualified Supervision
Commentary (continued from last slide): “That’s what the video referred to as the ‘sandwich principle.’ ”
Discipline

39. Vehicular Accidents
Commentary: “Let’s briefly review some of the other information in the video, starting with car accidents.” (Next slide.)

40. Vehicular Accidents
Commentary: “Car accidents are the leading cause of accidental death in the United States. One of the risk factors is driver fatigue.” (Next slide.)

41. Vehicular Accidents
Commentary: “The video discussed prevention and warning signs for fatigue, as shown on this chart. You don’t need to copy down the chart if you want to review it or share it with others.” (Next slide.)

42. Vehicular Accidents—Resources
Guide to Safe Scouting
Chapter XI.
Transportation
Commentary: “You can find the information in the Guide to Safe Scouting. Please turn to chapter 11 and scan the headings.” After allowing time for the participants to find the right location, state, “The Guide to Safe Scouting is the best place to start for information on keeping Scouting activities safe.” (Next slide.)

43. Vehicular Accidents—Resources
Venturing Course
Commentary: “However, the Guide to Safe Scouting is not your only resource. For example, you can download a safe-driving course for Venturing youth from the BSA website.” (Next slide.)

44. Vehicular Accidents—Resources
Defensive Driving
Slide is animated. Commentary: “At the same website, you will also find the opportunity to take the National Safety Council Defensive Driving course. In general, you will find online training courses under the MyScouting tab.” (Point to that tab, then advance.) “Here’s the Web address for the BSA site.” (Next slide.)

45. Heat Stress Know signs and treatment of: Dehydration Heat exhaustion
Heatstroke
Elevated temperature and humidity:
Drink often
Curtail strenuous activity
Rest often in shade
Slide is animated. Commentary: “Heat stress was another potential hazard covered during the video.” (Advance.) “You need to know how to handle various situations that arise when the body gets overheated. Heatstroke is a medical emergency that can be, and has been, fatal during isolated Scouting activities.” (Advance.) “Better yet, you should know how to avoid heat stress.” (Next slide.)
Note: This slide reinforces information provided during the video, and provides an example of hazard recognition and avoidance. However, it is not meant to serve as a comprehensive discussion of heat stress, which is left to the resources indentified in the following slides. Therefore, the text is not expanded on a point-by-point basis, but simply summarized.

46. Heat Stress—Resources
BSA Publications
Commentary: “Various Scouting publications and tools provide information on preventing, recognizing, and treating heat stress.” (Pause long enough for participants to look at pictures on the slide, then advance.)
The heat index/urine color chart, which is a valuable tool, is available at

47. Heat Stress—Resources
Hands-on
First-Aid Courses
Commentary: “However, sometimes the knowledge you need cannot be obtained from reading or online courses. When physical skills are involved, you will need a hands-on course. A standard first-aid course may be adequate in an urban setting, where emergency medical personnel can respond within minutes. For remote settings, a wilderness first-aid course is more appropriate. (Pause.) That completes the review of material in the video. We’ll next take a short quiz (hand out printed copies), and then we’ll be done.” (Advance.)

48. Scouting Safely Quiz

49. Scouting Safely Quiz
1. The critical items that form the “sandwich principle” of BSA safety are:
Qualified supervision and safety procedures
Safety procedures and discipline
Qualified supervision and discipline
Slide is animated. Do the following for all quiz slides: Solicit responses from the audience. Once someone volunteers an answer, correct or not, ask if everyone agrees. If there is disagreement, let the participants discuss the reasons for their choices. If the answer is correct and no one disagrees, advance to show the underline and then move to the next slide. You may do the quiz using only the slides, but you may also pass out a paper copy of the questions.

50. Scouting Safely Quiz
2. The best resource for BSA safety policies and procedures is:
Scoutmaster’s Handbook
Guide to Safe Scouting
Fieldbook
Slide is animated. Do the following for all quiz slides: Solicit responses from the audience. Once someone volunteers an answer, correct or not, ask if everyone agrees. If there is disagreement, let the participants discuss the reasons for their choices. If the answer is correct and no one disagrees, advance to show the underline and then move to the next slide.

51. Scouting Safely Quiz
3. The leading cause of death in the United States (and during BSA activities) is:
Cardiovascular disease
Vehicular accidents
Suicide
Slide is animated. Do the following for all quiz slides: Solicit responses from the audience. Once someone volunteers an answer, correct or not, ask if everyone agrees. If there is disagreement, let the participants discuss the reasons for their choices. If the answer is correct and no one disagrees, advance to show the underline and then move to the next slide.

52. Scouting Safely Quiz
4. The leading cause of accidental death in the United States is:
Vehicular accidents
Falls
Drowning
Slide is animated. Do the following for all quiz slides: Solicit responses from the audience. Once someone volunteers an answer, correct or not, ask if everyone agrees. If there is disagreement, let the participants discuss the reasons for their choices. If the answer is correct and no one disagrees, advance to show the underline and then move to the next slide.

53. Scouting Safely Quiz
5. Drowsiness is a factor in many fatal highway accidents:
True
False
Slide is animated. Do the following for all quiz slides: Solicit responses from the audience. Once someone volunteers an answer, correct or not, ask if everyone agrees. If there is disagreement, let the participants discuss the reasons for their choices. If the answer is correct and no one disagrees, advance to show the underline and then move to the next slide.

54. Scouting Safely Quiz
6. General guidelines for all Scouting activities are provided by:
Trek on Safely
Sweet 16 of BSA Safety
Safe Swim Defense
Slide is animated. Do the following for all quiz slides: Solicit responses from the audience. Once someone volunteers an answer, correct or not, ask if everyone agrees. If there is disagreement, let the participants discuss the reasons for their choices. If the answer is correct and no one disagrees, advance to show the underline and then move to the next slide.

55. Scouting Safely Quiz
7. A cold front moves through during a weekend campout, and Scouts propose using a cook stove in a tent for warmth. The primary hazard is:
Fire of flammable bedding
Burns from knocking over stove
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Slide is animated. All of the answers are valid hazards, and the reason the BSA has a “no flames in tents” policy. However, over the past decade, there have been near misses and deaths because of carbon monoxide poisoning from burning material, such as charcoal, in enclosed sleeping areas during Scout outings. Fire is an obvious, well-known hazard. Carbon monoxide poisoning is less known, but can be deadly. This question is included to make leaders aware of that hazard.

56. Scouting Safely Quiz
8. During Scouting events, the primary responsibility for safety rests with:
Each individual youth
Youth unit leaders
Adult unit leaders
Slide is animated. Each of those listed should act responsibly, but the adult unit leaders have the ultimate responsibility for implementing BSA safety rules and procedures.

57. Slide is animated. Pause for participants to register individual components, then advance to show center panel. Commentary: “There’s a poem* that says, ‘To make an end is to make a beginning.’ We are at the end of this course. However, before you begin any Scouting activity, you need to ask yourself: ‘Am I ready to lead this event safely?’ (Pause for emphasis.) All we have to do now is to pass out the completion cards. Before I do that, are there any final questions or comments?”
Completion cards, No , should be preordered from the BSA Supply Group or your council service center. Make sure to turn in course completion records as required by your council training committee.
“Four Quartets: Little Gidding” by T.S. Eliot