Using a Safety Moment in Scouting
May 9, 2025
Safety is at the heart of Scouting, and as leaders, we have a responsibility to model and encourage safe practices in everything we do. One powerful tool in fostering a culture of safety is the use of Safety Moments. These brief, focused reminders not only reinforce safety practices but also engage Scouts and Scouters in thoughtful discussions about the importance of safety in their activities.
A Safety Moment can take many forms, from quick, on-the-spot reminders to more structured, localized sessions designed to address specific needs of your unit, district, or camp. When integrated into your meetings or activities, Safety Moments help create a safe environment where everyone is aware of potential risks and knows how to respond to them. Whether you’re introducing a new activity, preparing for a camping trip, or just reinforcing key safety principles, a well-crafted Safety Moment can make all the difference. In the following sections, you’ll find a breakdown of the different types of Safety Moments, along with tips for creating impactful, engaging, and compliant moments.
Together, we can grow a strong Culture of Safety that keeps Scouts safe while fostering a lifelong commitment to preparedness, awareness, and responsible action.
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 Scouting America 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 Scouting America 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 Scouting America policies, practices, guidelines, and standards; excludes activities prohibited by Scouting America.
Visit Scouting America’s Safety Moment landing page here!
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!
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