Emergency Procedures

REPORTING OF INCIDENTS

Any out of the ordinary happening or incident that occurs traveling to or from or at one of your placement sites or with a program/event for which you are responsible should be reported to your supervisor immediately. Such happenings/incidents may include, but not be limited to:

van/car accident
volunteer or program participant injury
threat or incidence of violence
conflict with agency/site contact person
concern(s) about volunteers

Reporting of such happenings/incidents should be done in the following manner:

call your supervisor -- leave voice mail if she or he is not available
make a written report detailing the happening
follow-up in person with supervisor

* Please note:
If you are uncertain about the need to report a certain happening/incident, then report it! Better to err on the side of caution than to let a potentially significant happening/incident go unreported. Your supervisor would much prefer to hear about the happening/incident from you, than someone outside of the office.

SITE VISIT CHECKLIST

Student Staff Site Visit Form

When working or volunteering for any organization it is important to be familiar with the policies and procedures that govern the safe and effective operation of the organization. The following is a checklist of important items that you should become familiar with when you work or volunteer with an organization. It is important to seek out this information when you first begin working/volunteering with an agency. If an organization is unable to provide you with any of this information, please let your supervisor know.

I. INFORMATION YOU SHOULD COLLECT

An organizational chart that includes list of staff members names and titles. This information will help you determine who to seek if you have questions or concerns about your work.
A calendar that includes the organization's hours of operation and a schedule of holidays and other closures.
Starting and ending dates and times for volunteer programs.
Information about parking, building access, and use of equipment and the facility. Is access restricted for certain equipment or parts of the facility? Are their guidelines for signing in/out when you arrive/depart? Is smoking permitted in or around the building?
Any policies governing the supervision, evaluation, and dismissal of volunteer staff. Is there an employee/volunteer code of conduct or dress code?
Detailed information about the agency’s volunteer preparation/orientation process.
All emergency procedures relevant to the organization. This may include:
-guidelines for personal safety at the work site
-fire evacuation procedures
-procedures for responding to injuries that occur on-site
-building safety

II. INFORMATON YOU SHOULD PROVIDE
(Don’t forget that you should be dressed professionally for site visits (shirts with sleeves, stomachs covered, pants not hanging down too low).

A CCSJ handbook.
A copy of the Fall 2011 Loyola University academic calendar.
A campus map.
A Center for Community Service and Justice organizational chart.
Explain your role as Service Coordinator. Make sure you are clear about whether or not you will be volunteering.
Explain the emphasis we place on preparation, reflection and, evaluation and the importance of their role in that process.

Emergency and First Aid Procedures for Volunteers:

Help your volunteers by making them aware of all emergency routines (first aid, CPR, fire evacuation, Heimlich Maneuver, etc.) at the sites where they are working. They must also understand the role they play in such emergencies. Programs should include volunteers in training sessions on first aid, CPR, and other emergency treatment.

Universal Precautions:

Universal precautions should be used in all incidents where blood and other bodily fluids are present. This should include using latex gloves whenever a volunteer is cleaning the body and / or bodily fluids. Gloves should be available in all areas where a volunteer is working. Volunteers should also thoroughly wash their hands after they have had contact with any bodily fluids, even though they have been wearing gloves.

Single use towels, rags, etc. may also be used in conjunction with the gloves. They should then be disposed of, along with the latex gloves, in a plastic bag with a secure tie.

Acceptance of Risk and Release Agreements

Each volunteer should complete an acceptance of risk and release agreement form before volunteering at their site. This is to ensure that all volunteers understand the possible risks involved. See the acceptance of risk and release agreement form at the back of this manual. Copies of this form are also available in the Service Coordinator office.

Discipline Policy

Discipline is a process by which children can be trained, molded and learn through positive experiences. Discipline should always be viewed as an educational process by which the volunteer assists children in developing the experience and self-control necessary to make responsible decisions and to learn acceptable norms of social behavior.

Children can learn a great deal through positive role modeling by the volunteers with whom they interact. All volunteers are responsible for using positive discipline techniques with children. Any effort to cause emotional or physical harm (i.e. shaming, degrading, slapping, pushing, pinching, etc.) to any child is prohibited.

Discipline should be administered as soon as possible after the incident. It should also be directly related to the problematic behavior and should be proportionate to the severity of the incident.

Volunteers should receive training from their site supervisor regarding what forms of discipline are acceptable to each particular program.

If the volunteer has any questions about appropriate or inappropriate forms of discipline, they should consult with the site director before administering any type of discipline.