Q: How should our ministry deal with, and document, injuries occurring during activities?

A: An effective injury reporting procedure should include completion of a Notice of Injury Form and reporting the injury to a specified ministry leader.

The safety and well-being of ministry participants should be a top priority during every ministry activity. Be sure your supervisors and volunteers are prepared to respond appropriately and immediately.

It is important to have an injury policy and reporting procedure in place. An effective injury reporting procedure should include:

• Completion of a Notice of Injury Form
• Report of the injury to a specified ministry leader

(In the case of child neglect or abuse, consult with a local attorney within 24 hours of the allegation or suspicion to determine if the allegation or suspicion should be reported to authorities.)

After you’ve taken care of immediate medical needs, contacted an emergency contact or parent (in the case of a minor), and connected the person with a medical professional (if needed), then you should make a record of the incident and communicate with leadership.

Notice of Injury Form

It is important to complete of a Notice of Injury Form as soon as possible after an incident. This form will help preserve the facts about the situation while they are still fresh. Recording physical symptoms immediately after identifying an injury or illness may help medical personnel determine treatment. Recording observations or allegations immediately after suspected or alleged neglect or abuse may help authorities better investigate the circumstances. The information on this form may also help you identify if your ministry should make any changes in activities, equipment, or policies.

It is important to complete of a Notice of Injury Form as soon as possible after an incident.

Immediately after an incident, document important information, such as:

• Date, time, location of injury/illness
• Full name and contact information of injured/ill person
• Type of injury/illness and description
• Course of action (basic first aid, transportation to medical facility, etc.)
• Circumstances surrounding the injury or illness
• Other people involved and witnesses to the incident

Since Notice of Injury Forms may contain personal information protected by privacy laws, completed forms should always be kept in a secure place (e.g., a locked file cabinet or in a locked room used for confidential files).

Recommended Resources

• Download our Notice of Injury form. This form should be reviewed and approved by your attorney prior to use.
• Read our article, First Aid Basics.

*Important information: Brotherhood Mutual is pleased to provide Legal Assist as a complimentary resource. The services we offer through Legal Assist are intended to provide general legal information to our current and prospective policyholders.

The information we provide is intended to be helpful, but it does not constitute legal advice and is not a substitute for the advice from a licensed attorney in your area. Accordingly, no attorney/client relationship is created through this process, and no legal advice will be provided. We strongly encourage you to regularly consult with a local attorney as part of your risk management program.