Know where your kids are. Backing up is always dangerous because it is hard to see behind your vehicle. Login is Emory's authentication tool for logging into multiple web systems and applications. Situational awareness is only as good as your perception. Are you still searching for toolbox talks on google and then taking that information and re-packaging it for your safety meeting? However, when was the last time there was a drill to ensure every person in the establishment knows what to do? Neo-Symbiosis: The Next Stage in the Evolution of Human Information Interaction. International Journal of Cognitive Informatics and Natural Intelligence 1(1):39-52. The following topics are some simple ways to increase your situational awareness. Make sure they are away from your vehicle and in full view before moving your vehicle. Your email address will not be published. The best way to be safe is to know your surroundings and pay attention to everything and everyone around you. That feeling doesnt only happen while driving. If you want to stop searching for safety meetings, improve incident rates to lower insurance premiums, or even help crews and managers understand the importance of safety and reduce the number of safety violations, then you need SafetyTek Toolbox Talks. We use our situational awareness to make decisions at home and at work. But how many people truly know what it means to be aware of your surroundings? Like if a job is too risky for one person to do it, or if a machine seems faulty. Required fields are marked *. Regularly inspect your normal work area. There is a tendency to overlook hazards in familiar work settings. Personal Space: If someone is crowding you, seems suspicious, or is displaying threatening body language, scan them for subtle signs of violent intent or a hidden weapon. Avoid using an electronic device while walking or performing other tasks. Being able to communicate with others your perception of the risks is a vital part of the awareness strategy. If you participate in any type of social media, are your settings the most secure they can be? Reduce your speed. Use things like doors, walls, file cabinets as protection from being hit by moving objects around you (e.g. Everyone should consider it his or her responsibility to report crime. Training You also want to avoid looking like you work from the inside of a cave because of bad lighting. Use your mirrors. 57 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<94B21628CD0A253A4D83801808161FB6>]/Index[49 25]/Info 48 0 R/Length 60/Prev 70674/Root 50 0 R/Size 74/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream "But we're able to talk to kids about 'stop, drop and roll,' and it doesn't cause the chaos, fear and . Practice looking for exits, barriers, suspicious objects and people, and any other unique elements that could be of importance to your personal safety. Situational awareness is often split into three elements: These three elements basically mean you not only need to understand what is going on around you, but also be able to communicate and act on situations that put you at risk. Be alert for pickpocketers on crowded elevators. It is important that you know how many problems you face and how serious they are. The driver behind you wants to pass. The extra space allows you to see around the vehicle. Check the interior of your vehicle for intruders before entering your car. If the answer is no, offer to help create one or start a campaign to get a safety response plan in place with the help of your local law enforcement as soon as possible. It's essential to understand situation awareness in the context of everyday life not just hostile environment awareness training (HEAT), travel safety and first aid training.Thinking proactively and understanding what to look out for can be . Everything you need is already primed and ready for delivery. If someone stops to help, stay in your locked car and ask them to call the police, sheriff or a tow truck service. Being safe is a prerequisite for many to return to, or remain in, their job, and they regard this as their employer's non-negotiable obligation. When you report all the facts about a crime, it helps the police assign officers in the places where crimes are occurring or where they are most likely to occur, and your report may help prevent a crime from reoccurring. In these situations, it is essential to maintain a high level of situational awareness to stop accidents and near misses. Be alert to your surroundings and the people around you. This means that everyone's situational awareness is individual and potentially different. The reason? Watching your surrounding can reduce the risk of vehicle collisions, dropping objects, injuries from falling objects and many other accidents. It can make you more aware of your surroundings, it can give you a different perspective on things, and can also make you see risks. (In other words, be just a little paranoid.) Practice devising alternate methods of escape if your primary exit becomes compromised. In this toolbox talk, learn about situational awareness and how being aware of your surroundings can be an important safety precaution to preventing accidents on the construction site. To avoid tailgating, use the three-second rule: when the vehicle ahead of you passes a certain point such as a sign, count one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two, one-thousand-three. Counting these numbers takes approximately three seconds. You are relaxed and enjoying your drive, but are still watching for road hazards, maintaining a safe following distance and keeping an eye on the behavior of the drivers around you. This principle can also be applied to travel routes, and being conscious of obstacles, choke points, alternate routes, and so on. Your aggressor will be surprised at your response, take advantage of that. You dont need specialized training like a CIA agent or to be a born natural to have good awareness. Any person wishing to rely on the information present on this site should consult with competent legal counsel before doing so. A script is a memory that helps us get things done. Keep your head on a swivel looking for potential hazards. First, stop talking so you can be aware of your surroundings rather than verbally reacting. 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. 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. Safe driving demands more than just staring out the front window. You should allow a four-second or more cushion when: If you follow too closely and another driver cuts in front of you, just take your foot off the gas. Keep work areas clean and orderly. Situational awareness is the opposite of being distracted. This is the level that induces an adrenaline rush, a prayer and a gasp for air all at the same time. 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. In the 21st century your biggest distraction is your smartphone. Although a purse-snatcher's intent is to steal the purse, your personal safety may depend on not clinging to it. 4. High alert can be scary, but at this level you are still able to function. If a vehicle is showing signs of aggressive driving, slow down or pull over to avoid it. 2. You see a bus, school bus, or a placarded vehicle at railroad crossings. *bgv&bT!zv~[a ? While many choose to reaffirm their commitment to a healthy lifestyle, many overlook the flip side of the same coin: personal safety. Set the headlines of your day, but leave room in your daily schedule for spontaneity without taking hideous risks. However, combining great awareness with a weapon might increase your odds of fending of an attack. Vigilance is not paranoia, its just understanding and being able to process whats going on around you its a skill and a habit that takes practice something that shouldnt be ignored. Lt. Murphy. If you are driving a car, then your main focus should be on the road, but the fact of the matter is. 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. 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. However, we do know this man is acting like a mugger. This means you must be proactive about being aware of your surroundings. At 35 mph, it takes about 210 feet to react and bring the vehicle to a complete stop. Additionally, be sure not to get complacent in familiar environments, such as your workplace or a regularly frequented lunch spot. 6. 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. Always be aware of your surroundings #WorkSafe #SafetyFirst. Turn and look over your right and left shoulders before you begin backing. What if this was happening to the person in the car next to you? endstream endobj startxref If you think you are being followed, drive to a public place or a police or sheriff station. Consider these tips: Keep your distance. 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. Taking your safety seriously doesnt just help you, but can benefit others as well. Tell your customer, supervisor, and workmates. Cars, motorcycles, bicyclists, and people that may be in the road by the time you reach them. Our knowledge, experience and education enables us to understand what is going on around us and helps us to determine if it is safe. Situational awareness: Understanding the current environment and being able to accurately anticipate future problems to enable effective actions.1 Why is this important? My office recently participated in a safety training class. Precautions generally fall into defensive precautions and offensive precautions. When working with new or different workmates. 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. Make the balance, take it easy, and don't schedule every minute of every day. Avoid the temptation to check your phone by turning it off or leaving it in your locker. hWmo9+YHF]th%@ PV{0`pp8b(/HZQ`4p%&h^ `N'dHT^9-|Qug>>I)%A86pF~ yJME!7Rin>AxY1 If someone is suspicious take action to notify others and remove yourself from his or her direct path. Lacking or not having adequate situation awareness has been identified as one of the primary factors in accidents related to errors or mistakes. No one can predict disaster, and situational awareness can be the determining factor between life and death. Situational awareness is often discussed, but it's acknowledged how so few people know what it truly represents and why it's tremendously important. Always leave plenty of room between your vehicle and any motorcyclists or bicyclists. Votes: 2 Mike Crapo 5 Tips to Stay Safe While Welding. Use proper fall protection equipment and 100% tie-off when working in elevated positions. A short poem on safety. Safety beings with awareness. 2. We will discuss the habit by looking at Duhigg's habit loop. Becoming carefree on the job can be disastrous due in no small part to becoming complacent, as stated earlier. Be aware of your surroundings and watch for small mistakes. Thankfully for us, most people already do a very good job reading body language and have a good understanding of potentially dangerous body language. For our purposes well focus on situational awareness for self-defense purposes as it is a very important self-defense skill. Allow enough space between you and the vehicle ahead to give yourself an out. Mistakes cause collisions. Even if there is not currently a dangerous situation or nobody has been injured, if there are elements that could lead to either of these things, the person in charge should be made aware so that they can take the appropriate action. Keep in mind though that being alert extends beyond reading safety signs. Think of how many people you see walking around with their head buried in their iPhone? Check your mirrors frequently and scan conditions 20 to 30 seconds ahead of you. Don't open your purse or wallet while boarding the bushave your pass or money already in your hand. Give yourself this time by keeping a "space cushion" on all sides of your vehicle. Following motorcyclists on wet or icy roads, on metal surfaces (e.g., bridge gratings, railroad tracks, etc. Go to a different store. You talk with others about safety. Cooper CS4 Touring Review Is It Worth Buying? Failure to observe your surroundings before welding can drastically increase the risk of fire . If the answer is yes, great! Try these personal safety drills at work or in public to form good habits and determine your best response to potential threats. Griffith D, and FL Greitzer. Watch yourself when you would be most vulnerable down the hall to the bathroom which is tucked way back in the corner or in the parking lot when no one else is around. 38 views, 1 likes, 0 loves, 0 comments, 2 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from DynamiQ Safety&Health Ltd: Accidents don't come with a warning . The level of concentration required for this type of driving makes it extremely tiring and stressful. We use cookies to manage and improve your website experience. Pay close attention during job training sessions. This is one of the easiest ways to increase your awareness. Learn how your comment data is processed. First, you'll start noticing more. Dont be predictable. Do not use or wear anything that will impede your vision or hearing (i.e. Taking fifteen minutes to disconnect can help you to be more connected during the rest of the day with life offline. Vq&e-t\U>?tql/;EhYt+h\geB7YZ U[>8%F](]d[mwil2 !b~J3u8.Y1C_O Before changing lanes, look into your rear view mirror for nearby vehicles and also over your shoulder to check for blind spots. Keep an eye out for a flat tire, smoke emerging from underneath the trailer. Lt. Murphy has been onsite at several schools during active shooter drills. Did you leave yourself enough room to maneuver away? Assuming you have good tires, good brakes, and dry pavement: Adjust your driving speed to the weather and road conditions (refer to the Basic Speed Law in the Speed Limits section). When you know your surroundings, you can take better notice of the things that are out of the ordinary. Your instincts exist to protect you it is always better to be overcautious than to ignore warning signs that turned out to be legitimate. Brake slowly before stopping. Being aware of potential hazards is the best way to turn an incident into a near miss. When you go shopping, to work, to school, or simply take a walk in nature, you cannot be too careful when it comes to your personal safety. A few quick tips that might signal potential danger include shiftiness, hands in pockets, and avoiding eye contact. Exits:Always be aware of your exits, and have an exit strategy. For example, when you reach across a table to grab a pencil, you use proprioception to know how much. If youre using headphones, consider using only one, or keeping the volume as low as possible in order to still be able to hear what is going on around you. It is easy to get wrapped up in the task at hand and lose track of your surroundings. Always be aware of your surroundings, vigi-lant of activity around you and attentive to individuals approaching, walking purposely and with confidence. Everywhere you go, people have their heads down while looking at their phones, which means they cant be looking up to notice whats going on around them. Do they talk with you and then everyone can see? Our knowledge, experience and education enables us to understand what is going on around us and helps us to determine if it is safe. Reclaim your calendar, quit searching for your next safety meeting. What about members of the response team, including law enforcement were they able to carry out the proper procedures successfully? 1. During the drill, we knocked on doors and people answered them! One of the best ways to become more aware of your surroundings is to practice identifying the objects around you. The best defense against the active shooter crisis in our country is to reduce the notification time and response time of our law enforcement. 0 Take safety and emergency drills seriously. Since this is learned behavior, anyone can improve their situational awareness. Watch for things about to happen, like a ball rolling into the street or a vehicle door opening. 15. Do not be a tailgater! Ask yourself if you have the proper tools, training and PPE to perform the task safely. people pushing trays of items in a cafeteria), be alert when using stairs or ladders, while walking along corridors etc. A basic breathing practice that can be used throughout the day, especially during times of stress, is the Four Square Breathing Technique. Many of these situations can involve your health, your safety, and your job performance. Next, breathe deep through your nose. Thats the most important question in self defense, in my opinion. It is a smart way to cultivate safer practices in your everyday life. 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. Reflective Surfaces: One of your biggest advantages in a dangerous situation is being able to see the danger coming with enough time to react appropriately. Watch for hazardsLook beyond the vehicle ahead of you. In this safety talk, we will go over what situational awareness is and ways you can improve on it in your daily lives including at work. Scan: Most people automatically scan new situations or environments, but dont always focus on the most useful information. Carefree yet cautious. Reading body language is a huge factor in training your perception of your surroundings. Situational awareness is a critical foundation for successful decision making in most situations that you can be put in at work. Using an effective drain cleaner can help prevent blockages that can lead to plumbing problems down the line. {"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}. The response plan feature, one of the most overlooked of the Guard911, SchoolGuard, and CampusGaurd911 mobile apps, is a dedicated space to upload customized response plans. 14. You need to be aware of your surroundings, and you need to have an idea of how you will respond if you are faced with a threatening situation. 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. The proper safety gear in your workplace could be reflective gear, fire-retardant clothing, industrial workwear or something as simple as nonslip shoes. 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. Our situational awareness can be further reduced in times of high workload or when under pressure to get a job done on time. Recognizing hazards is an important part of keeping you and your co-workers safe . Consider, whether you need to tell someone or react. Inform the driver of the situation. Whether you're at home or at work, following an emergency plan will help you keep the situation in control as much as possible. 49 0 obj <> endobj Look over your shoulder to make sure you are not getting in the way of vehicles in the lane you want to enter. Report all suspicious persons and activities to the proper authorities (office manager, building security, law enforcement). It is important that each individual is looking out for his or her own safety as well as looking out for their workmates. When walking, keep to commonly traveled routes. Do not develop a fixed stare. Keep scanning. Blind spots can hide a motorcyclist, a vehicle or a bicyclist. Be aware of pedestrians in your surroundings. Schools and businesses MUST be prepared for an act of terrorism and they MUST act quickly when faced with it. This technique is done as followed: Inhale the breath. How can you improve your situational awareness? Contrary to popular belief, situational awareness is a skill you can learn with enough practice. When traveling at night always book a taxi or get a lift with someone you trust. Manage - If you feel that the operation is unsafe, stop working. Dont make yourself vulnerable. We both know they arent going to notice a potentially dangerous situation. Proceed With Caution A warehouse is a busy place, with many different things going on at once. Senses: Practice engaging all your senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste) to their fullest extent to increase your personal safety. 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.. Make a phone call requesting help for them. 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. Being alert and aware of potential hazards and safety issues is the first way to avoid workplace injuries. 16. Choose a product which is designed specifically for use on toilets, sinks, bathtubs and showers in both . Where and when should situational awareness techniques be used? The best way to keep yourself and others safe is to identify the hazards in your workplace and be aware of your surroundings. I asked the clerk for someone to escort me out. 9,905,117. We'd love to show you how in a demo, and get you started on a free trial. LOOK - At your work area and find the hazards that are present to you and your workmates. Advocates As you are taking your different route to work, ask yourself, what if that car pulls right out in front of you where will you go? Don't leave cash or valuables at the office. Carry your wallet inside your coat, or in a front pocket. Does it matter that the light is red? Situational awareness is the ability to identify, process, and understand what is happening around you, while thinking ahead to prevent or mitigate potential safety incidents. When you are backing out of a parking space: Check in front and behind the vehicle before you get in. Take a quick glance in your mirrors. These people walk into telephone poles. Surroundings -Safety Talk Pay attention to your surroundings, It might prevent an injury. On the freeway, be ready for changes in traffic conditions. However, being aware of your surroundings could save you from ever even having to use the weapon. Just because it is safe one day does not mean it will be safe every day. It's being aware of what is going on around you in terms of where you are, where you should be, and what in your surroundings could potentially be a threat to your health or safety. Tap your brakes lightly a few times to warn the tailgater you are slowing down. Welders should always be aware of their surroundings before starting a weld. Be sure to always wear a breathing mask if your space has debris or dust, or if you have to deal with toxic or dangerous chemicals or fumes. Keep jewelry out of sight; don't flash jewelry; turn rings around so the stones don't show. Because of the size and power of the forklift, operators should stop and wait for pedestrians to clear the area before proceeding along their route with caution. Jamey Noel. Do not be afraid to speak to someone to ask them to not come closer if approaching you in a parking lot. This gives you space between your vehicle and the other driver, without having to slam on your brakes or swerve into another lane. How many Martial Arts schools are there in the US. Street Precautions Be alert to your surroundings and the people around youespecially if you are alone or it is dark. Finally, if a crime does occurREPORT IT! Staying safe goes hand-in-hand with being observant. Following these quick tips can improve your awareness. Such awareness permits some hazards to be avoided and others to be safe-guarded against. As a safety measure, also look over your right and left shoulders again while backing. An effective strategy requires that everyone be on board and the best way to achieve this is to be able to communicate with each other. Body language plays an extremely important role in how you are perceived by others. 2007. Following large vehicles that block your view ahead. Below are some tips that can improve your situational awareness. "If you think about it, the thought of burning to death sounds really terrifying," Klinger said. So tell the police as much as you can; no fact is too trivial. Electronic Distractions: Whether its staring down at your phone or listening to music, using electronic devices can seriously impair your ability to be aware of what is going on around you. Never leave your purse or wallet in plain view or in common accessible areas. But, the points that I took away from the training session were that you can protect yourself. This means you shouldn't be looking down at your phone, and you should also avoid wearing headphones. If you suspect you are being followed, go into an open store or a Public Safety Safe Haven and have the clerk call the Police or Public Safety right-away. Someone may step out from between them, a vehicle door may open, or a vehicle may pull out suddenly. This is to be prepared and know how to respond if you are confronted. 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. It is important if you have a management role or even the role of a team leader that you practice situational awareness. Meditate for 15 Minutes a Day. Should you have questions about how this pertains to your job talk to your supervisor or foreman. Educate yourself concerning prevention tactics. Stay focused at all times. There are hazards and risks every day on the job site and to keep yourself and your coworkers safe you have to be aware of them. For you to effectively engage in situational awareness, to make logical decisions, and look to the future with a strategic focus, the subconscious must be engaged and assessed. When your range of vision is limited, get creative about ways to expand it and give yourself an advantage practice utilizing store windows, car windshields, or even other peoples sunglasses to detect threats you wouldnt be able to see otherwise. Mentally prepare yourself, believe and know that you can protect yourself and your family if you need to. Would you go through it anyway? Scanning your surroundings (keeping your eyes moving) includes keeping a safe distance around your vehicle. Practice devising alternate methods of escape if your primary exit becomes compromised. Do not be afraid to let your wishes be . Remember that we all want to go home safely the way we came to work safely. Understand and manage fleet and asset maintenance data and costs with iTRACK. By being mentally prepared, you can have the upper hand. A consistent and structured daily toolbox talk will save lives and reduce injuries. Be aware of your surroundings. It requires you to stay alert and draw upon your unique set of experiences and skills to evaluate your environment. As you scan ahead, be alert for vehicles around you. When another driver makes a mistake, you need time to react. What about your friends? Do not be afraid to yell for help if they don't stop. 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.