Safety

Welcome to the Safety Committee page. Please use the following Table of Contents to navigate and learn more about the committee’s role, and to find valuable information for leaders.

If you are visiting this page to report an active emergency, please call the Mountaineers Emergency Line.

Mountaineers Emergency Line

If you are visiting this page to report an incident or near miss on one of your recent trips, please file an incident report.

File an Incident Report

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Committee Overview
• Preventing an Incident
• Incident Response
• Safety Forms & Documents

COMMITTEE OVERVIEW

The Pacific Northwest environment can be unforgiving, yet Mountaineers safely climb remote peaks, ski glaciers and steep couloirs, hike and backpack in wilderness areas, and navigate the waters of Puget Sound. Our enviable safety record is not by luck. The Mountaineers make safety the top priority on all trips, without sacrificing adventure.

The Mountaineer Safety Committee and the Branch Safety Officers work to improve the safety awareness of all leaders and participants, and to ensure all Mountaineer activities follow established procedures and standards.

TO ACCOMPLISH THESE RESPONSIBILITIES, THE SAFETY COMMITTEE:

• Collects and analyzes Incident Reports and Safety Concern from trip participants, and takes key learnings to share in our annual reports and future recommendations. Selected incidents appear in monthly Mountaineer climbing newsletters. Meets with activity committees to disseminate the lessons learned from the past year’s incidents.

• Works with activity committees to develop and maintain safety and skill standards within The Mountaineers that also reflect national/international norms and standards.

• Assists The Mountaineers Chief Executive Officer in investigations of extremely serious incidents. Outside (non-Mountaineer) experts also frequently take part in these investigations. The results of these investigations may lead to changes in the way trips are run, or updates to an activity’s safety or skills standards.

PREVENTING AN INCIDENT

• Safety Blog
• Safety Reports

INCIDENT RESPONSE

Learn about the suggested steps to take before, during, and after any incident on your trip.

• Handling an Incident on Your Trip 
• Before Your Trip: Preparation 
• During an Emergency: Response
• After an Emergency: Follow-Up

The Mountaineers provides around-the-clock support to members and volunteers out on Mountaineers trips. It is imperative that our leaders understand the organization's Emergency Contact procedures, and know when and how to use the Mountaineers Emergency Line.

SAFETY FORMS & DOCUMENTS

You can view and download all safety forms and documents in this folder!

• File an Incident Report - Read about how to file an incident report or near-miss after a trip.
• Behavioral Complaint Form - Safety isn't just wearing a helmet. The Mountaineers prides itself on being an inclusive and welcoming organization. More specifically we have board policies related to harassment, anti-discrimination and member problem behavior to help ensure that everyone is treated equally and respectfully.  Please use this online form to report harassment or problem behavior.
• First Aid Report Form - Pack this form in your first aid kit, to use in the event of an injury.
• Program & Outdoor Centers Incident Report Form - Used by our Program & Outdoor Centers to submit incident reports.
• Mountaineers Critical Incident Response Plan - A detailed plan that The Mountaineers staff and volunteers will follow in the event of a critical incident.