Injury reporting

[Its Me]

From The Guide to safe scouting:

 

"Reporting Deaths or Serious Injury

Adult leaders are responsible for informing their council Scout executive or designee, as soon as

possible, of a death or serious injury or illness. A serious injury or illness is defined as:

1. Any period of unconsciousness;

2. Any hospital inpatient admission; or

3. Any surgical intervention other than suturing of the skin or setting of simple fractures.

Leaders should be prepared to give specific facts of:"

 

 

So BSA does not require the reporting of fractures and sutures. What is in patient admission?

 

By these rules: A scouter (adult or youth) who sprains a leg at summer camp goes to a clinic sees a doctor (maybe x-rayed) gets it wrapped and released after a few hours.

 

Must an injury report be filed with Council?

Would the camp have generated an injury report.

Should any reports be given to the charter organization?

Should the troop mainatin an injury report on this incident?

 

I found no reference to injury reporting in the scout master handbook.

[hot_foot_eagle]

"Inpatient admission" referrs to cases where a patient stays in the hospital for more than 24 hours. Generally fractures would not fall under this category unless surgical intervention was required.

 

The media frequently publishes reports using the phrase "kept overnight for observation" which typically falls under the category of "outpatient admission" as well. Our local hospitals happen to say 23-hour observation rather than overnight observation, but it's just a more accurate description of the same thing.

 

Using your example of the leg sprain, even if you went to the ER and waited hours for treatment, you would not have to file a report unless your council happens to have a policy different than the GTSS.

 

 

[John-in-KC]

If in doubt, report. Your SE can then help guide you for the future.

[Beavah]

Must an injury report be filed with Council?

 

Nope. Think of council reports as "somethin' serious that might have long-term consequences or liability implications". Or when the ER doc says "we need to admit the patient."

 

Would the camp have generated an injury report.

 

Yah, for sure, eh?

 

Should any reports be given to the charter organization?

 

Depends. Yeh have to follow your CO's policies just as much as the BSA's. Does your CO have a policy for injuries on youth group field trips? Most do.

 

Should the troop mainatin an injury report on this incident?

 

Yah, I think it's good practice to always write up any injury that results in professional medical care, or any incident that would have required medical care if yeh hadn't gotten lucky (a near miss). And then do at least some sort of "internal review" with your scouters and/or key committee members to see what you can learn, eh?

 

Dat also documents your "due diligence" should anybody come back later with a complaint for long-term disability because of the injury.

 

Beavah

 

 

[ScoutNut]

In the example you stated -

 

Must an injury report be filed with Council? - Not by the Scouts Unit

 

Would the camp have generated an injury report? - Any time the camp medical officer is involved, a log is kept of the reason.

 

Should any reports be given to the charter organization? - Not unless your CO specificaly requests them. Ask your CO their policy.

 

Should the troop mainatin an injury report on this incident? - I would not think so, unless you feel that there was some form of neglegence involved that caused the injury and that there is a chance of a suit being filed.

[Eamonn]

Injury reporting is a good way of covering your tail!!

Keeping a log book near or in the First Aid Box/Kit is a good idea.

How far you or the unit wants to go with it is up to you the unit and the CO if your lucky enough to have an interested CO!!

Documenting and having a paper trail is in most cases a very good idea.

Informing the Council of any injury that might lead to some sort of a claim is a very good idea.

A small cut that needs a couple of stitches?

I think if the family had health insurance, I'd let go, but a cut that has the possibility of leaving a noticeable permanent scar, which at a later date might need more treatment? I'd deal with differently.

If your unsure what to do? Call the Council Service Center and follow up with a letter, keeping a copy on file.

This might come under the heading of Be Prepared!!

Ea.