Safety & Insurance
Planning for Safety
Scouting is exciting. We love Scouting because it is fun and adventurous, yet activities can be risky business if proper preparations and precautions are missed. Scouting safety is the responsibility of each and every adult leader in Scouting.
Here are a few ideas to instill a culture of safety in your unit or district:
sAFETY MOMENTS
To keep safety top-of-mind at every Scouting activity, easy-to-use ‘Safety Moments’ are available to every leader. Safety Moments are exactly what the name implies: quick featured topics to remind Scouts and leaders of the risks and steps to prevent incidents. Bonus Tip: have Scouts present the Safety Moments at the beginning of each meeting – the Scout gets a bit of public speaking experience as well as sharing with their peers how to be safer. Click here to access the more than 90 available Safety Moments
S.AF.E. 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 the Scouting program:
Supervision – Youth are supervised by qualified and trustworthy adults who set the example for safety.
Assessment – Activities are assessed by adult leaders for risks during planning.
Fitness And Skill – Participants’ Annual Health and Medical Records are reviewed by unit leaders and confirmed that fitness and skill levels exist for participants to take part safely.
Equipment and environment – Safe and appropriately sized equipment and activity areas are used properly. Leaders monitor gear and environment for changing conditions that could affect safety. For full details, click here
REPORTING INCIDENTS
Any time an incident occurs when persons are injured or when property damage occurs, leaders must submit an Incident Report. These reports are compiled to give volunteer and staff risk managers an overview of risk areas so that Scouting can continually improve safety. Please provide this form whenever ANY incident occurs, preferably within 48 hours of the incident. Send the form to info@cpcbsa.org Form available in the download section at the bottom of this page.
REPORTING NEAR-MISSES
A ‘near-miss’ is an incident that does not result in injury, illness, or damage, but had the potential to do so. Reporting near-misses helps safety leaders learn and adapt Scouting programs. This form is a tool to gather information. If an injury has occurred, use the incident reporting form. Return your completed form to info@cpcbsa.org Form available in the download section at the bottom of this page.
REQUESTING A CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE
When a unit (pack, troop, etc) rents or uses the property of a business or other organization, the property owner will often ask for a ‘certificate of insurance’ that demonstrates that insurance will cover their property.
To request a certificate of insurance, fill out a Certificate of Insurance Request Form. The form will automatically be submitted to Deanne Molenkamp, (deanne.molenkamp@scouting.org). Allow a minimum of two weeks for processing. Approved certificates will be returned by email.
Insurance
Scouting provides liability insurance for leaders and chartering organizations. Cascade Pacific Council also provides accident and sickness coverage for its members:
LIABILITY COVERAGE
Comprehensive General Liability – primary general liability for claims related to official Scouting activities. Provided by the National Council for all registered leaders. More details.
Automobile Liability – All vehicles used in Scouting activities must be covered by a liability policy that meets state requirements, with a recommended minimum of $100,000 combined single limit. Other requirements apply. Please visit the National Council insurance coverage page for more details.
Chartered Organizations – The general liability policy provides primary liability insurance coverage for all chartered organizations for liability arising from chartering a traditional Scouting unit. More details are available on the National Council insurance coverage page.
Accident/Sickness Coverage
Cascade Pacific Council provides accident and sickness coverage for registered CPC members through Health Special Risk (HSR). This coverage for Scouts and Scouters furnishes medical reimbursement in case of death, accident, or sickness within the policy amounts.
HSR coverage is secondary coverage and excess to any and all other available sources of medical insurance or other healthcare benefits.
The coverage provided has maximum limits and a maximum benefit period, usually 52 weeks from the date of the incident. Claims must be submitted within 90 days directly to HSR as described on the claim form. Forms available in the download section at the bottom of this page and are marked ‘HSR.’
Insurance Forms
| Title | Description | Size | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near-Miss Incident Form | Use this form to report a 'near-miss' incident. A near miss does not result in injury, illness, or damage, by definition, but had the potential to do so. This form is a tool to gather information. If an injury has occurred, use the incident reporting form. Return your completed form to info@cpcbsa.org | 88.66 KB | DownloadPreview |
| Incident Report Form | Use this form to report ANY incident or event of injury, illness, or property damage. This information is used by risk management volunteers and staff to identify and better understand specific areas of risk and develop methods to minimize risk in the future. Return your completed form to info@cpcbsa.org | 112.72 KB | DownloadPreview |
| 2024 HSR Accident & Sickness Description of Coverage | (Only for incidents that occurred in 2024) This document is a description of coverage for the 2024 unit accident insurance purchased by Cascade Pacific Council for Scouting units through Health Special Risk (HSR). This document describes who is covered, what incidents are covered, and under what circumstances. | 3.00 MB | DownloadPreview |
| 2024 HSR Accident & Sickness Claim Form | (Only for incidents that occurred in 2024) Claim form for Health Special Risk (HSR) insurance policy for incidents occurring in the calendar year 2024. Use this form to process a claim in the event of an accident or other applicable incident within 90 days. This form is only needed in the event of a claim. Fill out the form and process it directly through HSR, the third-party insurance company through which Cascade Pacific Council has purchased unit accident insurance for each Scouting unit. | 227.10 KB | DownloadPreview |
| 2023 HSR Accident & Sickness Description of Coverage | (Only for incidents that occurred in 2023) Description of coverage for the 2023 unit accident insurance purchased by Cascade Pacific Council for Scouting units through Health Special Risk (HSR). This document describes who is covered, what incidents are covered, and under what circumstances. | 2.53 MB | DownloadPreview |
| 2023 HSR Accident & Sickness Claim Form | (Only for incidents that occurred in 2023) Claim form for Health Special Risk (HSR) insurance policy for incidents occurring in the calendar year 2023. Use this form to process a claim in the event of an accident or other applicable incident within 90 days. This form is only needed in the event of a claim. Fill out the form and process it directly through HSR, the third-party insurance company through which Cascade Pacific Council has purchased unit accident insurance for each Scouting unit. | 221.57 KB | DownloadPreview |
Impact for Generations.
Prepared for Life.
This is more than a motto. It is a manifesto. It is our promise to the community and to every parent and child who Scouts with us. By Scouting in the Cascade Pacific Council (CPC) of the Boy Scouts of America, every youth can learn to make an impact on the world around them and be more prepared for career and life.