Volunteer Protection

A volunteer working on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail is officially a volunteer of either the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) or the National Park Service (NPS), and is entitled to certain protections. These volunteer protections are especially important in case an injury occurs involving an A.T. volunteer while at work.

If an injury occurs, a volunteer should follow these five steps:

1. Immediate care and First Aid
2. Emergency treatment by a medical provider, if needed (inform agency authorities first, if possible.)
3. Reporting of the injury to the appropriate agency authorities
4. Documentation
5. Follow-up

The documents listed below make up a packet of information about dealing with injuries suffered by A.T. volunteer workers. We recommend that a paper copy of this packet be carried by each A.T. volunteer work leader. Volunteers should be familiar with the contents of this packet, and should complete specific local contact information on the instruction sheet before an accident resulting in injury occurs.

Volunteer Injury Instructions
ATC Trail Maintenance and Construction Tasks, Hazards, and Safety Gear
Form CA-1:Report of injury
Form CA-16: Authorization for exam or treatment
Form CA-16 cannot be posted online; clubs can download a CA-16 form by logging in to the database or by contacting your ATC regional office for this form.

Volunteer Injury Packet Label: Affix to the outside of the manila envelope containing the above resources.
Volunteer Injury Packet Image: View an example of a compiled packet