A chartered member of Little League International since 1957!

Common Sense Safety Code: To be distributed to all Bedford Little League Board Members, Coaches and Volunteers. The Safety Code will also be posted at www.bedfordll.com

1. Volunteer Screening

Providing a safe atmosphere for the children of the Bedford Little League (BLL) is a top priority of the BLL’s Board of Directors. Parents must be assured that their children are being supervised by responsible and trustworthy volunteers.

In order to assure parents that their children will be safe under the supervision of league volunteers, mandatory criminal background checks will be performed on all league members (via JDP). As an added precautionary measure, the Safety Coordinator will review the public sex offender registry (SOR) to ensure that no league members are on the list. Additionally, volunteers must complete a Little League Volunteer Form on an annual basis prior to being allowed onto a BLL field. As these requirements are mandatory, anyone refusing to complete either of these screenings will be deemed ineligible to be a BLL volunteer. The BLL Board of Directors reserves the right to prohibit any person from volunteering should their conduct be deemed inappropriate at any point during the baseball season.

Coaches and BLL board members will be provided with the Little League Volunteer Application to distribute at the time of registration and then throughout the season as new volunteers are identified. In addition to completing a Volunteer form, new volunteer must provide a copy of their NH driver’s license to have on file for the upcoming season. Note: All forms and copies collected by the Safety Coordinator will be shredded prior to the start of the next baseball season.

The BLL is aware of the Abuse Awareness training provided by USA baseball and SafeSport.  The league will be providing all volunteers with the link to the training yearly and will be encouraging the completion of this training on an annual basis. 

2. Field and Equipment Inspections

A semi-annual inspection of fields and facilities will be conducted by the Safety Officer and Director of Facilities. This inspection will include but not limited to the following:

o Ensure all metal bleachers are grounded.

o Inspection of all wooden benches

o Conduct field inspections for holes, exposed sprinkler heads and other hazards.

o Ensure fencing has no sharp edges, missing caps or other defects creating hazards.

o Inspect all lights, outlets and wiring for hazards. (Contact an Electrician if needed.)

o Ensure first aid kits are present, accessible complete.

o Inspect dugouts for hazards or items in need of immediate repair.

Prior to any practice or game, managers and coaches are responsible for conducting a visual inspection of their respective field and around the dugouts insuring there are no hazards that could injure a player. To insure the dugouts are ready for the beginning of each game, teams should insure all garbage is disposed of in a garbage can on scene prior to leaving the field after each game. If any hazards are noted or garbage cans are not present, coaches should immediately contact the Safety Coordinator so the issue can be rectified.

Equipment inspection - Managers and coaches are responsible for inspecting all equipment prior to each game. Damaged equipment such as cracked helmets, helmets missing padding, dented bats, etc, should be removed from play immediately and the Equipment Manager is to be contacted for a replacement. Managers and coaches should also ensure that any player-provided helmet meets NOCSAE regulations.

Umpire Inspections – Umpires play a key role both prior to a game and during the game in the safety of the players. Prior to each game umpires are expected to: 1) Be sure that players are not wearing jewelry (medical necklaces and bracelets are acceptable.) 2) Ensure that players are in uniform (shirts tucked in and hats are on.) 3) Inspect playing field for unsafe conditions. 4) Remind coaches of the “no tolerance” rules regarding head first sliding, on-deck batters and “crashing” into defensive players waiting to make a tag. 5) Inspect equipment for damage and Little League regulations. During the game umpires need to: 1) Continually monitor the field for safety and playability, 2) Make sure catchers are wearing the proper safety equipment, 3) Monitor pitchers warming up in foul territory to ensure they have a spotter and a catcher with full equipment.

Facility Survey will be completed yearly in the LL Data Center.

3. First Aid Kits

The League will provide each team with a first aid kit. The League-issued first aid kits must be taken to all practices and games. Replacement supplies such as cold packs, band-aids, etc can be obtained from the Equipment Manager. Note: Cold packs are only to be used for impact injuries and are not intended for “icing down” pitchers’ arms. Contents of the First Aid Kit will include items outlined in Requirement 12 on the Little League website.

4. Catchers

Catchers must wear a catcher’s helmet with a face mask and dangling throat guard, chest protector and shin guards. Male catchers must wear the long-model chest protector, protective supporter and cup at all times.

5. Mouth guards

Although mouth guards are not required, it is strongly recommended that all players wear mouth guards for both practices and games.

6. Protective Cups

While protective cups are only required for catchers, it is strongly recommended that all players (male and female) wear protective cups.

7. Safety Glasses

If a player wears glasses, it is recommended they wear safety glasses while playing to avoid injury.

8. Accident Reports

Verbal accident reports for incidents that require first aid should be made within 24 hours to the Safety Coordinator. During the verbal report the following information should be conveyed to the Safety Officer: Name and phone number of person involved, date, time and location of accident, detailed description of accident, preliminary estimation of the extent of injury and name and phone number of person reporting the incident. Follow-up written reports are due within 3 days. Within 48 hours of receiving the incident the Safety Officer will contact the injured party or the party’s parents and:

o Verify the information received

o Obtain any other information deemed necessary

o Check on the status of the injured party

o If applicable, advise parent or guardian of Little League’s insurance coverage and the provisions for submitting a claim.

Incident Tracking Forms will be provided to the coaches during the coaches training meetings. Additional forms can be downloaded from the Little League web site: www.littleleague.com (or requested by email from the Safety Coordinator.

9. Coaches Training

Baseball fundamentals clinic for coaches will be held in April of 2020. It is expected that at least one representative from each team will attend. Additional clinics may also be held later in the season. In additional to baseball fundamentals, at least one manager/coach from each team must attend training First Aid Training. Both trainings must be attended by every coach once every 3 years.  Coaches will also be provided with the coach’s code of conduct each and every year for review and training purposes. 

10. Jewelry

Players must not wear watches, rings, earrings (studs included), pins, necklaces or other metallic objects (including other body piercing). The only acceptable jewelry item is a necklace or bracelet containing medical emergency information.

11. Sliding

Although there is no “official” mandatory slide rule, players should be instructed to slide or attempt to avoid a defensive player with the ball waiting to make the tag. ‘Crashing’ the catcher or any other player waiting to make the tag will not be tolerated and will result in immediate ejection. Ejected players must also sit out the following game.

12. Head First Slides

As noted in the Rule Book, this is prohibited unless returning to a base. Any player sliding headfirst while advancing to a base shall be called “OUT” by umpires.

13. On Deck Batters

In Divisions below Jr. League, “ON DECK BATTER ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED”. The only person that should have a bat in their hands is the player who is currently at bat. Horseplay around the bench with bats will not to be tolerated. Coaches, umpires and volunteers are all responsible for enforcing this policy during games and practices.

14. Rules

Know your rules-- many are based on sound safety practices. It is recommended that Managers and Coaches periodically review the rulebook to familiarize themselves with basic Little League rules. For clarifications on rules questions should be directed to the Umpire in Chief.  Coaches and Managers will consistently enforce rules during practices and games as well as ensure all players have required equipment during play.

15. Thrown equipment.

Thrown equipment poses a danger to spectators, umpires, and other players and will not be tolerated. Any player adjudged by an umpire to have thrown equipment in anger will be ejected from the game. As with all other ejections, the player will also sit out the next game and must be in uniform on the bench.

16. Inclement Weather

Upon “HEARING” thunder or “SEEING” lightning, coaches should “IMEDIATELY” remove players from the field area and insure each one seeks shelter in a vehicle or safe building. Note: Dugouts, sheds and out buildings are not considered safe forms of shelter. Games or practices should not resume for thirty minutes after each sound of thunder or view of lightning. Safety to the players, coaches and spectators far out-weigh completing that one game.

17. Darkness

Evening games may be required to end early due to darkness early in the season. The plate umpire has the responsibility and authority to call the game whenever poor visibility threatens player safety. As with other judgment calls, this decision is final and not subject to appeal or argument. Instructional and Farm Managers have this responsibility for games in their division.

18. Supervision

To ensure adequate supervision, two adults (at a minimum) should be in attendance at each practice or game. Parents/guardians should be cautioned about not dropping their child off until at least one coach is present. Likewise, coaches must not leave the field after the practice/game until all players have been picked up. Players who are ejected, ill, or injured shall remain under supervision until released to their parent/guardian. During warm-up drills, players should be spaced so that errant balls do not endanger anyone. Only players, managers, coaches and umpires are allowed on the playing field during practices or games.

19. Concessions

While under our supervision, the ultimate responsibility of each BLL volunteer is to not only teach each player as much as they can about the game of baseball, but to also provide a safe and fun atmosphere to learn and develop.

These operating procedures for the concession stand at Little League Complex are also posted on the wall next to the cash register:

a. Workers must wear disposable gloves when serving food that is not wrapped (pizza and hot dogs).

b. At least 1 adult shall be in the concession stand at all times when open.

c. Children shall not be allowed to congregate in the Concession stand.

d. The fire extinguisher beside the door must be checked weekly.

e. Extreme care should be used when operating the hot dog steamer and bun warmer-- the water is hot enough to scald you!

f. A first aid kit is provided for both concession and player use.

g. All workers must be aware of the electrical breaker box location.

h. Any injuries must be reported within 24 hours to the Safety Officer).

i. Ensure that the Heimlich maneuver poster (choking first aid) is displayed on the outside of the concession stand door.

j. All workers must wash hands prior to preparing or handling food as often as needed. A “Wash Hands” poster will be hung in the concession stand.

k. A new Greaseless Fryer was purchased and installed in 2008. Several key safety points should be noted:

1. The Removable Front Panel should not be immersed in water when being cleaned.

2. Do not place hand or metal objects into the fryer while the unit is operating as the unit operates at a high voltage and can result in severe electrical shock to the user if caution is not exercised.

3. Remove the Drip Tray and Cooking Basket simultaneously upon completion of the cooking process. Remove cooked products with spatula or tongs or remove the Cooking Basket and dump product into a foil pan or holding container. Do not insert tongs or a spatula into the cooking cavity to empty items that are being cooked.

4. Prior to any cleaning procedure or maintenance, the on/off power switch must be in the center OFF position. This safety precaution will prevent accidental exposure to high voltage.

5. Always wear rubber gloves and eye protection when handling caustic chemicals/cleaning solutions such as HDS-W.

20. Promote Safety

The Safety Officer will submit an idea implemented to help promote or improve this safety plan at least annually.

Safety Manual will be posted yearly to the Bedford Little League Website and link provided to league personnel.

First-Aid training will be held in April of 2020 to include instructions on AED devices.