be aware of your surroundings safety talk

A new year is often a time of taking stock: re-evaluating ones accomplishments, goals, and personal habits both the good, and the bad. Questioning without judgment is a key factor in successful situational awareness. 0 Many of these situations can involve your health, your safety, and your job performance. 4. Exits: Always be aware of your exits, and have an exit strategy. Stay focused at all times. Take in the whole scene If you only look at the middle of the road, you will miss what is happening on the side of the road and behind you. If you have any questions, problems, or comments about Login, please contact the University Service Desk at (404) 727-7777 or the Emory Healthcare Call Center at (404) 778-HELP. Check your rear view mirrors every two five seconds so you know the position of vehicles near you. If someone bothers you or makes you feel uncomfortable, change seats. Like if a job is too risky for one person to do it, or if a machine seems faulty. Turn on your lights during the day, if it is hard to see or you cannot see at least 1,000 feet ahead of you. A lack of situational awareness affects your personal safety in two broad . Ask yourself if you have the proper tools, training and PPE to perform the task safely. And again, remind them about instincts: If they don't have a good feeling about a certain person, they should approach . Defensive precautions includes avoiding walking alone at night, not letting people follow you, and avoiding any form of intoxication from drugs or alcohol while in public. Senses: Practice engaging all your senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste) to their fullest extent to increase your personal safety. What if that truck doesnt stop at its red light, do you have time to stop, someplace to go? Your email address will not be published. Go to a different store. Any person wishing to rely on the information present on this site should consult with competent legal counsel before doing so. In the city, 1015 seconds is about one block. Increase the distance between yourself and this person the amount of distance depends on the situation, but five or six feet can allow you some reaction time if they become an active threat. Be alert of your surroundings. Whatever you do, do not downplay the importance of the drill or neglect to pay attention to how procedures are carried out as you may be the one who needs saving or could potentially save another life. Do you know if your school, university, workplace, or place of worship has a response plan and training program for active intruder incidents or other emergencies? When people are in an area where there is potential danger (which, in reality, is almost anywhere), they should go through most of the day in a state of relaxed awareness. As a safety measure, also look over your right and left shoulders again while backing. It is a skill that can save lives, maybe even your own. You need to keep two hands on the wheel at all times and have your attention totally focused on the road and the other drivers around you. Don't allow loud distractions to stop you from keeping your eyes on your surroundings, rather than one direction. You can observe all the attack cues in the world and still could face an attack. Takeaway: Get into the habit of identifying the emergency exits at the stores you visit, hotels you are staying at and public buildings you enter. Contrary to popular belief, situational awareness is a skill you can learn with enough practice. If people inside the temple would have had access to Guard911 technology, which includes the Hero911 officer network, they couldve alerted each other faster and we would have had more officers on the scene sooner., Immediate notification time is a must mere seconds make a world of difference when it comes to saving lives. By remaining close to the people you trust and know well, you'll reduce the risk of being targeted by people who are up to no good and could be out to take advantage. Safety beings with awareness. Situational awareness is important to everyone - it is important that everyone is aware of their surroundings and the potential hazards they face. But, the points that I took away from the training session were that you can protect yourself. Do not rely on traffic signals. Exuding an aura of confidence, awareness, and capability, regardless of how you actually feel, can help broadcast to any threats that you are an undesirable target, and increase your personal safety. This means you must be proactive about being aware of your surroundings. In these active shooter situations, theres no room for complacency. If you participate in any type of social media, are your settings the most secure they can be? Relaxed awareness is not tiring, and it allows you to enjoy life while rewarding you with an effective level of personal safety. ), and on gravel. Respond to medical emergencies properly. The driver behind you wants to pass. Before complacency has set in-it can be a silent killer! Everyone should consider it his or her responsibility to report crime. Thats the most important question in self defense, in my opinion. You cannot be aware of your surroundings on the warehouse floor if you're focused on your phone. What if this was happening to the person in the car next to you? The second level of awareness, relaxed awareness, is like defensive driving. This is one of the easiest ways to increase your awareness. 2023 Garco Construction - General Contractor for Commercial Construction. Regardless of the time of year, making a commitment to ones personal safety is always an excellent idea. But how many people truly know what it means to be aware of your surroundings? Becoming carefree on the job can be disastrous due in no small part to becoming complacent, as stated earlier. Login. Observation has always been an important part of human survival. Should you have questions about how this pertains to your job talk to your supervisor or foreman. Blind spots can hide a motorcyclist, a vehicle or a bicyclist. We hope these tips can be of value to you as 2019 begins, and we wish you a happy (and safe!) Someone may step out from between them, a vehicle door may open, or a vehicle may pull out suddenly. Whenever possible, travel with a friend. Many criminals develop favorite areas for committing crime, as well as predictable methods of operation. By taking a few simple precautions, you can reduce the risk to yourself and also discourage those who commit crimes. Adjust your work setup so that you face a window or are exposed to plenty of light. This widens your monitoring range for detecting anything out of the ordinary. It serves two useful purposes. International Journal of Cognitive Informatics and Natural Intelligence, The newsletter of the ISBAs Standing Committee on Government Lawyers. Be careful when driving near motorcyclists or bicyclists. Drive down a long or steep hill. No. Situational awareness is the opposite of being distracted. Although a lot of us dont deal with the bad criminals who we presume are the threat, being aware of our surroundings is still important for both ourselves and our families. Be aware of locations and situations which would make you appear vulnerable to crime, such as alleys and dark parking lots. Avoiding complacency can help increase your perception of your surrounding. Operators should yield the right of way to pedestrians: This is an OSHA recommendation that all forklift drivers should be aware of. Know where your kids are. I asked the clerk for someone to escort me out. No one can predict disaster, and situational awareness can be the determining factor between life and death. Guard911 is here to help. Everything you need is already primed and ready for delivery. You talk with others about safety. Backing up is always dangerous because it is hard to see behind your vehicle. Facebook can wait. Anonymous Reporting Line: (310) 794-5824, 2023 Regents of the University of California, Domestic Violence: Obtaining a Restraining Order, Reporting a Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence, Timely Warnings and Emergency Notifications. Also be aware: "Familiarity breeds contempt" 1. All these activities might help prevent an attack. Avoid driving directly alongside other vehicles on multilane streets with or without traffic in the opposite direction. Be aware of your surroundings pay attention. Speak Up: Report all the following situations immediately to your supervisor (while at work) or to the person in charge (when out in public): accidents, injuries, close calls, near misses, safety hazards or concerns, and any suspicious persons, activity, or behavior. Invest in workplace safety and you can expect cost savings such as reduced workers' compensation costs, medical expenses, avoiding citations, and reducing unplanned work stoppages caused by occupational injuries. "But we're able to talk to kids about 'stop, drop and roll,' and it doesn't cause the chaos, fear and . You probably already take precautions in your daily life. Always lock your car doors after entering or leaving your vehicle. This is how your strengths and opportunities for improvement can be identified. Avoid all shortcuts and isolated areas. However, combining great awareness with a weapon might increase your odds of fending of an attack. Look over your shoulder to make sure you are not getting in the way of vehicles in the lane you want to enter. Login is Emory's authentication tool for logging into multiple web systems and applications. The most common thing that reduces aware is distraction. Report all unsafe conditions and near-miss incidents to your supervisor. Avoid doorways, bushes and alleys where someone could hide. [emailprotected] (618) 973-9174, The number of workplace shootings is increasing at an alarming[], Missouri School District Heightens School Emergency Response & Communication Are[], In regard to stopping killers in these uncertain times, before[]. hb```f``R``b`ag@ ~081g I +&& , @;PM R;4Hl_Ww`g6aKXN1YH3q20% rD- Question everything! Manage - If you feel that the operation is unsafe, stop working. A few quick tips that might signal potential danger include shiftiness, hands in pockets, and avoiding eye contact. If you work late, try to find another worker or a security guard to walk out with you. I dont literally mean keeping your eyes wide open, but always keeping a good field of view. If you are out shopping and you notice someone frequently and they appear to be overly observant of or interested in, or acting out of normal (remember, point 4), trust your gut. Keep a space between your vehicle and parked cars. Situational awareness refers to being aware of what is happening around you, where you are in relation to other people and things, and what potential threats there may be. Keep your car doors locked and windows closed while in or out of your car . A short poem on safety. Regularly inspect your normal work area. Ignoring warning signs or not being aware of what could lead to accidents can cause massive issues, as was the case when a crane collapsed in Texas, leaving four dead. When beginning work on a new project/contract/customer location. Here are some ways you can increase your awareness and have a higher level of security while shopping or dining out. This doesnt mean you should be paranoid or stop enjoying your time out in public or at work, its simply about practicing and mastering situational awareness a skill that could save your life or someone elses. Last but not least do not assume that just because you told someone about a risk or a correct procedure that they heard you or they agreed with you. Regularly exercising your senses can make them keener, which can help you avoid unsafe situations, determine threats faster, and pick up on critical information more quickly during emergencies. However, after enough practice it becomes second nature. I went into the store. Know which lanes are clear so you can use them if necessary. The fourth level of awareness is high alert. In an emergency you do not have a lot of time to take in your surroundings. You probably think you already do this, but being intentional about locating exits and doors, paying attention to the people around you, and practicing simple habits like looking over your shoulder in a parking lot before you get into your car should be part of your daily routine. Only use your devices after youve determined you are in an area or situation where it is safe to do so. Cars, motorcycles, bicyclists, and people that may be in the road by the time you reach them. Where needed call in your Corporate Safety Manager. This space cushion will give you room to brake or maneuver if you need the space. Always remember that inmates listen to every conversation that corrections officers and staff have. If other children are nearby, make sure you can see them before backing up. What if the driver of the car in front of you slams on his brakes? For our purposes we'll focus on situational awareness for self-defense purposes as it is a very important self-defense skill. Do not stay in another drivers blind spot. When you are backing out of a parking space: Check in front and behind the vehicle before you get in. Be aware of your surroundings Your coworkers won't be able to hear your ideas or take you seriously when there is a pile of dirty clothes in the corner behind you. Carrying a self defense weapon turns you from a passive observer to an observer that has the tools to fight back. There is a tendency to Another driver might crowd your lane or change lanes without looking and crash into you. This gives you space between your vehicle and the other driver, without having to slam on your brakes or swerve into another lane. The other driver may not see your vehicle and could change lanes and hit you. One of the best ways to become more aware of your surroundings is to practice identifying the objects around you. After working with you to understand your specific needs, we evaluate potential solutions to determine which best meets your operational and financial requirements. If team members see each other doing it then they will all follow suit eventually. Do not be afraid to yell for help if they don't stop. Finally, if a crime does occurREPORT IT! If your car breaks down, open the hood and attach a white cloth to the car antennae. He started yelling at me louder. Situational awareness is a great tool to use to prevent injuries and after all, you are the best resource to prevent injuries from happening. The load should be carefully checked to ensure it's suitable, undamaged and stable for the forklift - avoid lifting anything that isn't safe . Be aware of locations and situations which would make you appear vulnerable to crime, such as alleys and dark parking lots. Do they talk with you and then everyone can see? The temporary loss or lack of situational awareness is a casual factor in many accidents. Situational awareness, in laymans terms, is your ability to process your surroundings and notice any changes in those surroundings. Consider the building occupants when scheduling your work: you may need to schedule work when there are fewer people in the building/area; Put up barriers and signage to alert building occupants to avoid hazards and stay clear of the immediate work area; Report hazards to Facilities and/or Environmental Health and Safety Keep jewelry out of sight; don't flash jewelry; turn rings around so the stones don't show. Falken Ziex ZE-329 Review Should You Get this Tire? Most active shooters are finished massacring people in five minutes or less. Lt. Murphy. In this post, Ill discuss a number of techniques and tips that can help you learn how to increase awareness of your surroundings. The third level of awareness, focused awareness, is like driving in hazardous road conditions. Getting situational awareness right early on is important when you are working on a construction job site. Be alert to your surroundings and the people around you. There are a lot of blind spots, corners, turns, and on the equipment itself. You should aim to avoid falling into this auto-pilot mode while going about your daily life. Preparing properly for them and taking safety seriously are essential actions to save lives and mitigate damage. . Stay flexible in your schedule, and don't say NO to unexpected adventures. Having situational awareness can keep you and your coworkers safe. We can give you your valuable time back with 365 prepared toolbox talks just like this one about watching your surroundings, all delivered from our iOS and Android apps to your workers' phones, so your workers are focused, productive, and accident-free. Situational awareness is a critical foundation for successful decision making in most situations that you can be put in at work. Our knowledge, experience and education enables us to understand what is going on around us and helps us to determine if it is safe. You can hit your brakes and keep your car under control. Peripheral Vision: Attempt to focus on something while also observing whats happening at the edges of your vision. Situational awareness is not some magic pill that will automatically prevent an attack. The best way to avoid complacency is to consciously remind yourself to stay alert. Situational awareness: Understanding the current environment and being able to accurately anticipate future problems to enable effective actions.1 Why is this important? This doesn't mean you should be paranoid or stop enjoying your time out in public or at work, it's simply about practicing and mastering situational awareness - a skill that could save your life or someone else's. How is it different from what you see? A man standing a few stores down yelled and asked me for bus money. Any time you come to a place where people may cross or enter your path or one line of traffic meets another, you should look to the left and right sides of your vehicle to make sure no one is coming. Your instincts exist to protect you it is always better to be overcautious than to ignore warning signs that turned out to be legitimate. This technique is done as followed: Inhale the breath. Watch Your Back. However, being aware of your surroundings could save you from ever even having to use the weapon. Your friends can wait. Everyone that drives a car knows that feeling of forgetting what youre doing after continuously driving a few hours. Practice devising alternate methods of escape if your primary exit becomes compromised. Now, that may sound harsh, but to say that its not going to happen here is giving yourself permission to not be aware of whats around you.. Be aware of your blind spots. You should always be looking around and aware of your surroundings. Then, if they spot something out of the ordinary that could be a threat or hazard, they can dial up to a state of focused awareness and take a careful look at that potential hazard or threat. It has been said, your gut feeling is not just a guess, your gut feeling is your body reacting based upon knowledge or experience before your mind can fully process the information it is receiving. Be alert for pickpocketers on crowded elevators. Do not respond to conversation from strangers on the streetcontinue walking. You can, and should, carry all the tools and weapons you need. Look up occasionally to re-scan your surroundings and make note of any changes. Make eye contact with people when walking. Instead of looking over your shoulder, place your back against a surface if possible to remove the possibility of someone getting behind you or in your blind spot. Check the interior of your vehicle for intruders before entering your car. Dont be predictable. The best defense against the active shooter crisis in our country is to reduce the notification time and response time of our law enforcement. Situational awareness is being aware of what is happening around you in terms of where you are, where you are supposed to be, and whether anyone or anything around you is a threat to your health and safety. Also be aware: "Familiarity breeds contempt" 1. 3. Watch for things about to happen, like a ball rolling into the street or a vehicle door opening. That perpetual image could include thinking to push your shopping cart into an attacker or using your stiletto heel to fend off an attack. Smelling smoke, chemicals, or gas might tell you that there is a dangerous situation. Always leave plenty of room between your vehicle and any motorcyclists or bicyclists. With that in mind, the full extent of potentially dangerous body language is beyond the scope of this article. As mentioned earlier, situational awareness is a critical skill. Taking proper precautions covers a wide variety of areas. Make sure if your employer provides training on situational awareness that you attend because you can always improve yourself. Turn and look over your right and left shoulders before you begin backing. A second important element of the proper mindset is understanding the need to take responsibility for ones own safety. Thankfully for us, most people already do a very good job reading body language and have a good understanding of potentially dangerous body language. If you spot a situation in your immediate vicinity that could pose a threat, such as a blind corner on a sidewalk, ask yourself, If there was a threat behind that corner, how would I react? Carry your wallet inside your coat, or in a front pocket. Toolbox Talk: 4 Keys to Effective Safety Communication, Toolbox Talk: Staying Safe While Performing Non-Routine Tasks, Toolbox Talk: Refocusing After a Vacation or the Holidays, University District Gateway Bridge Celebration, Garco Earns AISC Steel Erectors Certification. Also check your mirrors when you are preparing to turn into a side road or driveway and when you are stopping to pull into a parking space. In the same vein as minimizing distractions, you want to identify threats before they become threats. Always stay within a group when possible. 2. Drive far enough behind the car in front of you so you can safely stop; especially in inclement weather, give yourself plenty of reaction time. Ask someone. In this toolbox talk, you can cover ways to develop better safety awareness and how to practice observation skills on the job. Follow these parking lot safety tips whenever you find yourself in a parking lot on foot. For example, when you reach across a table to grab a pencil, you use proprioception to know how much. Are there other factors that can impact the situation? Scanning your surroundings (keeping your eyes moving) includes keeping a safe distance around your vehicle. Most people never see it coming., How much are you willing to sacrifice to be ignorant? asked Lt. Murphy. Avoid hauling weight that exceeds the counterweight of the forklift. Do not be afraid to let your wishes be . Visualize: Play out scenarios in your head beforehand.

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