be aware of your surroundings safety talk

Many hazards are obvious to those who open their eyes and minds to see them. In the city, 1015 seconds is about one block. Training workers to watch their surroundings reduces the risk of workplace accidents and injuries. The best course of action would be to err on the side of caution and avoid directly passing in front of the man. If the answer is yes, great! Understanding Your Surroundings While Driving, refer to the Basic Speed Law in the Speed Limits section. Watch Your Back. The recent news of the murder of the Texas District Attorney and his wife in their home makes everyones heart skip a beat and wonder. Make sure you communicate until everyone involved understands what is going on. If youre already thinking about it, then you are more likely to do it in a defensive scenario. When you know your surroundings, you can take better notice of the things that are out of the ordinary. Look inside your vehicle before you get in, especially when it has been parked in a parking terminal or lot. Be alert of your surroundings. Keep all electronic devices in an inside jacket pocket. Your friends can wait. Have an exit plan. Watch for large vehicles because they can gather speed very quickly. That perpetual image could include thinking to push your shopping cart into an attacker or using your stiletto heel to fend off an attack. ASSESS - The effects that the hazards will have upon you, the people you work with, equipment, procedures, pressures and the environment around you. Your aggressor will be surprised at your response, take advantage of that. Go to the store on a different day. In this post, Ill discuss a number of techniques and tips that can help you learn how to increase awareness of your surroundings. Situational awareness is the opposite of being distracted. When I was checking out, I noticed he was now standing in front of the store I had entered. 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. This does not just apply to buildings, but can be practiced in cars, public transportation, elevators, and even in outdoor environments. Be aware of locations and situations which would make you appear vulnerable to crime, such as alleys and dark parking lots. Such awareness permits some hazards to be avoided and others to be safe-guarded against. Just because you are at home, in your world, does not mean you can let your guard down. One of the best ways to become more aware of your surroundings is to practice identifying the objects around you. The extra weight makes it harder to stop. There are a lot of blind spots, corners, turns, and on the equipment itself. 441 Likes, 46 Comments. Notice other people their body language, eye contact, posture, stride. Stay safe this spring break by following safety tips from the Institutional Access and Compliance Office. 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. Towing a trailer or carrying a heavy load. These people walk into telephone poles. Situational awareness: Understanding the current environment and being able to accurately anticipate future problems to enable effective actions.1 Why is this important? Finally, if a crime does occurREPORT IT! Situational awareness, in layman's terms, is your ability to process your surroundings and notice any changes in those surroundings. Consider, whether you need to tell someone or react. Check your mirrors frequently and scan conditions 20 to 30 seconds ahead of you. endstream endobj 50 0 obj <> endobj 51 0 obj <> endobj 52 0 obj <>stream If you pass the same point before you finish counting, you are following too closely. Wonder what if? Be aware of your surroundings. BY looking with your ears, you simply are following the environment and what it wants you to see, rather than everything else that may matter that is going on simultaneously. Check the interior of your vehicle for intruders before entering your car. 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. Training Always be aware of your surroundings, vigi-lant of activity around you and attentive to individuals approaching, walking purposely and with confidence. 2. Of course they wont. Be aware of your surroundings. No one can predict disaster, and situational awareness can be the determining factor between life and death. Emergency situations can and often do escalate quickly due to panic. Back up. The load should be carefully checked to ensure it's suitable, undamaged and stable for the forklift - avoid lifting anything that isn't safe . Avoid using an electronic device while walking or performing other tasks. Ask someone. 5. 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. The best way to be safe is to know your surroundings and pay attention to everything and everyone around you. Avoid driving directly alongside other vehicles on multilane streets with or without traffic in the opposite direction. Facebook can wait. 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. Safety is a way of life and should be thought about so often that it becomes second nature. Stop and Pretend: If you feel like you are being followed, either on foot or in a vehicle, stop and turn around, pretending as if you went the wrong way. Keeping all your senses on full alert is a good start to increasing your awareness. I was part of the response team during the active shooting at Sikh Temple in 2012, said Lt. Murphy. It is a smart way to cultivate safer practices in your everyday life. By being mentally prepared, you can have the upper hand. It requires you to stay alert and draw upon your unique set of experiences and skills to evaluate your environment. Although a purse-snatcher's intent is to steal the purse, your personal safety may depend on not clinging to it. The best way to be safe is to know your surroundings and pay attention to everything and everyone around you. This situational awareness process also demonstrates the importance of all of us being familiar with our environment and the hazards that exist there. Schools and businesses MUST be prepared for an act of terrorism and they MUST act quickly when faced with it. This is how your strengths and opportunities for improvement can be identified. With that in mind, the full extent of potentially dangerous body language is beyond the scope of this article. Exits: Always be aware of your exits, and have an exit strategy. To avoid last minute moves, scan the road 1015 seconds ahead of your vehicle so you can see hazards early. Some examples practicing situational awareness are: You must have situational awareness when working in a fast-paced work environment such as the construction industry. Ignorance or denial of a hazard make a persons chances of quickly recognizing a threatening situation and avoiding it highly unlikely. 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. Login. No. 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 Surroundings. Most rear end collisions are caused by tailgating. How Situationally Aware People Create a Resilient Organization Situational awareness is not some magic pill that will automatically prevent an attack. The reason? Attend a demo, get a free Raken Carhartt beanie. To minimize the risk of injury while on the job, keep the following safety practices in mind: 1. Thats the most important question in self defense, in my opinion. This can cause injury to personnel and damage to the equipment and materials. Required fields are marked *. If you work late, try to find another worker or a security guard to walk out with you. International Journal of Cognitive Informatics and Natural Intelligence, The newsletter of the ISBAs Standing Committee on Government Lawyers. 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. Remind them to be aware everywhere they are. Practice this in public places, such as seating in restaurants, waiting rooms, or shopping centers. Every single day for the past 30 years, at least three workers don't make it home and thousands more experience a serious injury. If there are no uniformed people, look for grandparents, women, and people with children who may be able to help. How is it different from what you see? Stay in well-lighted areas as much as possible. Studies have shown that a company's safety performance directly impacts productivity and financial results. In this toolbox talk, you can cover ways to develop better safety awareness and how to practice observation skills on the job. Moak says this is a great practice and encourages everyone to be aware of their surroundings when leaving a mall or grocery store. Be aware of your surroundings and observe all signs, especially those for maximum permitted floor loadings and clearance heights, and check for any overhead objects before lifting or stacking loads. Carry your wallet inside your coat, or in a front pocket. If you live anywhere in the world, then its probably just about everyone you see. On the highway, 1015 seconds is about a quarter of a mile. 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. -Be aware of your surroundings -Keep your cell-phone charged and with you at all times -Use good judgment on social media before publicly sharing information or a location. It is important that each individual is looking out for his or her own safety as well as looking out for their workmates. Body language plays an extremely important role in how you are perceived by others. Check the blind spots. Always look to each side of your vehicle at intersections, crosswalks, and railroad crossings. Regardless of the time of year, making a commitment to ones personal safety is always an excellent idea. Do not rely on traffic signals. *bgv&bT!zv~[a ? First, notice your surroundings. As living conditions get better for everyone around the world, however, we tend to become less aware of our surroundings. Look both ways even if other traffic has a red light or a stop sign: Look to the left first, since vehicles coming from the left are closer to you than vehicles coming from the right. Report all suspicious persons and activities to the proper authorities (office manager, building security, law enforcement). The US Department of Homeland Security reminds us to be aware of our surroundings, if you see something, say something.Lawrence Tech is a private, accredited. Try these personal safety drills at work or in public to form good habits and determine your best response to potential threats. Relaxed awareness is not tiring, and it allows you to enjoy life while rewarding you with an effective level of personal safety. Stay Aware-Whenever you are walking in a parking lot (or anywhere else that cars typically drive), you should remain hyper-aware of your surroundings. On the freeway, be ready for changes in traffic conditions. So, the question becomes, what can we do to be safer? This means that everyone's situational awareness is individual and potentially different. 16. Scan: Most people automatically scan new situations or environments, but dont always focus on the most useful information. Accidents don't come with a warning - prioritize safety in the workplace and avoid preventable injuries. Visualize: Play out scenarios in your head beforehand. Public officials have records of where you live for tax and property ownership purposes. It is important to note that situational awareness, being aware of ones surroundings and identifying potential hazards and dangerous situations, is more of a mindset than a skill. Inform the driver of the situation. So put the phone down. Panicking adds to the chaos and breeds knee-jerk reactions, causing people to abandon all protocol and enter a fight-or-flight mentality. Tell your customer, supervisor, and workmates. 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. Recognizing hazards is an important part of keeping you and your co-workers safe . Slow down gradually or merge into another lane to prevent being hit from behind by the tailgater! Situational awareness is often discussed, but it's acknowledged how so few people know what it truly represents and why it's tremendously important. Allow other coworkers to give you ideas of what could and could not work in situations. Operators should yield the right of way to pedestrians: This is an OSHA recommendation that all forklift drivers should be aware of. Our situational awareness is only as accurate as our own perception or reading of the situation, so what we think is happening may not accurately reflect reality. Next, breathe deep through your nose. Any person wishing to rely on the information present on this site should consult with competent legal counsel before doing so. We use our situational awareness to make decisions at home and at work. Some drivers do not obey traffic signals so before you enter an intersection, look left, right, and ahead for approaching traffic. 5 Tips to Stay Safe While Welding. 3. Be aware of pedestrians in your surroundings. A consistent and structured daily toolbox talk will save lives and reduce injuries. ]dXa78Gr5Ye}J(tvW8(:wT7. The most common thing that reduces aware is distraction. Situational awareness is a great tool to use to prevent injuries and after all, you are the best resource to prevent injuries from happening. Always leave plenty of room between your vehicle and any motorcyclists or bicyclists. Questioning without judgment is a key factor in successful situational awareness. If you are doing this to make tasks safer for you and others and to get the task done more efficiently you are showing situational awareness. 4. Pay attention to your surroundings, minimize the amount of time you talk on your cell phone in public places. First, they should try to find a person in uniform, like a police officer, security guard, or store employee. There is nothing to worry about. Here are some ways you can increase your awareness and have a higher level of security while shopping or dining out. (In other words, be just a little paranoid.) Situational awareness may protect us. Using an effective drain cleaner can help prevent blockages that can lead to plumbing problems down the line. 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? An enhanced sense of your surroundings allows for better preparation should a crisis event unfold. You probably already take precautions in your daily life. This ability is relevant in a wide variety of circumstances. Give yourself this time by keeping a space cushion on all sides of your vehicle. Be aware of escape routes for emergencies and post the police and fire department numbers near telephones. No more shuffling through papers or tracking down a handbook thats often locked away in a filing cabinet. It is a skill that can save lives, maybe even your own. Here are some of my take-aways (expanded with some of my own thoughts and comments) that may be useful to you: 1. Lose the tailgater as soon as you can. Understand and manage fleet and asset maintenance data and costs with iTRACK. Situational awareness is a skill that can be learned and improved constantly. Keep your workplace clear from clutter Everyone that drives a car knows that feeling of forgetting what youre doing after continuously driving a few hours. The other driver may not see your vehicle and could change lanes and hit you. 3. This is one of the easiest ways to increase your awareness. Falken Ziex ZE-329 Review Should You Get this Tire? In one district, one elementary school passed the exercise while the high school failed. The third level of awareness, focused awareness, is like driving in hazardous road conditions. Be prepared. Where and when should situational awareness techniques be used? Think of how many people you see walking around with their head buried in their iPhone? This technique is done as followed: Inhale the breath. As an example, imagine walking down the street and you observe a shifty man with his hands in his pockets hiding in a dark alleyway as he watches you walk toward him. Always be aware of what's going on all around the vehicle. They were just trained on Friday, and I was there running the drill with them on Monday.. Senses: Practice engaging all your senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste) to their fullest extent to increase your personal safety. If you think you are being followed, drive to a public place or a police or sheriff station. While many choose to reaffirm their commitment to a healthy lifestyle, many overlook the flip side of the same coin: personal safety. Do not be afraid to let your wishes be . 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. 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. Not looking down at your phone the entire time youre in public fits with point number one, but it warrants its own recognition. 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 . Lt. Murphys experience during these exercises is just one example of why consistent training and drills in schools, offices, and places of worship are so important. Dont presume changes in your surroundings are innocent or fine. Peripheral Vision: Attempt to focus on something while also observing whats happening at the edges of your vision. Apathy, denial and complacency can be deadly. Situational awareness, in laymans terms, is your ability to process your surroundings and notice any changes in those surroundings. Prioritizing the critical nature of active shooter training and drills is part of that preparation. Tap your brakes lightly a few times to warn the tailgater you are slowing down. Be alert of your surroundings at all time - Teens can be especially guilty of being oblivious to their surroundings. Additionally, be sure not to get complacent in familiar environments, such as your workplace or a regularly frequented lunch spot. Environmental Health and Safety provides services and support for efficient, effective, and compliant work practices, while promoting a culture of shared responsibility by students, faculty, staff and visitors for a healthy, safe, and environmentally soun Votes: 2 Mike Crapo That feeling doesnt only happen while driving. 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. Check out the new logo that I created on LogoMakr.com https://logomakr.com/8SX1NH. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Whenever possible, travel with a friend. When beginning work on a new project/contract/customer location. Preparing properly for them and taking safety seriously are essential actions to save lives and mitigate damage. We use cookies to manage and improve your website experience. Having situational awareness can keep you and your coworkers safe. Even keeping your sense of smell fully available can help in a dangerous, but not necessarily defensive, situation. 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. 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. 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. Keep work areas clean and orderly. Beware electronic distractions. . 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. Watch for things about to happen, like a ball rolling into the street or a vehicle door opening. 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. Why is this important to a government attorney? Guard911 is here to help. Blind spots can hide a motorcyclist, a vehicle or a bicyclist. Make eye contact with people when walking. Even practicing one of these skills on a regular basis can exponentially increase your situational awareness. Reduce energy consumption, increase worker productivity and safety with our loading docks and commercial doors. Not playing on your phone might improve your chances of thwarting an attack. It has to be a conscious effort for everyone to have a 360-degree view of situations and show others the importance of doing so. You can, and should, carry all the tools and weapons you need. Everything you need is already primed and ready for delivery. Our situational awareness can be further reduced in times of high workload or when under pressure to get a job done on time. This article will delve into some of the key health and safety considerations when it comes to plumbing work. But how many people truly know what it means to be aware of your surroundings? Be aware of who you are in the electronic world. For example, when you reach across a table to grab a pencil, you use proprioception to know how much. As you scan ahead, be alert for vehicles around you. Stopping work to make adjustments- Sometimes things do not go as you planned and thought they would. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Report hazards immediately to your customer or manager/spervisor. How SchoolGuard Panic Button Helps Protect 6500 Students, Guard911 & Lt. Col. Grossman on Stopping Killers. All of these elements should be part of the risk management strategy on a job site. Give yourself this time by keeping a "space cushion" on all sides of your vehicle. U.S. Pat. hbbd``b`Z$C`]$ ba`bd8 RH9q' `= Be aware of your surroundings. Take a quick glance in your mirrors. Leave a little later. For active shooters and those with intent on harm, its like shooting fish in a barrel. Not sure? endstream endobj startxref In this video, I go over a simple driving lesson on paying attention to your surroundings. Be aware of your surroundings, and be alert to who is near you. Toyo NanoEnergy A29 Review Is This the Tire for You? The more space you allow between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead, the more time you will have to see a hazard, and stop or avoid that hazard. Failure to observe your surroundings before welding can drastically increase the risk of fire . It can happen with any repetitive task. 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. Practice devising alternate methods of escape if your primary exit becomes compromised. A lot of information is out there about you. Situational awareness: Preparing your team for the unexpected. Check your mirrors often. 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. Being alert and aware of potential hazards and safety issues is the first way to avoid workplace injuries. If you work alone or after business hours, keep the office door locked. Scanning your surroundings (keeping your eyes moving) includes keeping a safe distance around your vehicle. 4. Use proper fall protection equipment and 100% tie-off when working in elevated positions. How to increase awareness of your surroundings. Be cautious and aware of your surroundings, And . 6. "If you think about it, the thought of burning to death sounds really terrifying," Klinger said. Raken's toolbox talk app makes it easy to choose from a pre-loaded library (or upload your own), then schedule and assign topics for any project. Make a phone call requesting help for them. The first level, tuned out, is similar to when you are driving and are engrossed in thought and arrived somewhere in your vehicle without even thinking about driving there. What about members of the response team, including law enforcement were they able to carry out the proper procedures successfully? Did you leave yourself enough room to maneuver away? To maintain a space cushion on each side of your vehicle: It is very important to check behind you before you: Check traffic behind you often to know if you are being tailgated (another driver is following too closely). Proprioception refers to your awareness of your body and limbs in your surrounding space. You should learn to look at things with a 360-degree focus, not just from your view. When walking, stay in well-lit areas and walk in numbers, if possible. Be alert to pickpocketers on crowded buses; check your purse or wallet if someone is jostling, crowding or pushing you. Do not respond to conversation from strangers on the streetcontinue walking. If team members see each other doing it then they will all follow suit eventually. 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. During off hours, ride as near to the bus operator as possible. Someone may step out from between them, a vehicle door may open, or a vehicle may pull out suddenly. Everyone should consider it his or her responsibility to report crime. 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. 2. In this guide, well cover some tips and tricks for being aware of your surroundings while driving. Truckers should be constantly checking their mirrors to keep an eye on the traffic around them. Exits:Always be aware of your exits, and have an exit strategy. Personal safety begins with an individuals awareness to their environment no one can defend against danger they couldnt see coming. Since this is learned behavior, anyone can improve their situational awareness. Arrowhead General Insurance Agency, Inc. - Program for Sovereign Indian Nations. Surroundings -Safety Talk Pay attention to your surroundings, It might prevent an injury. Do you have time and distance to respond? Look up occasionally to re-scan your surroundings and make note of any changes. 49 0 obj <> endobj Most people never see it coming., How much are you willing to sacrifice to be ignorant? asked Lt. Murphy. Backing up is always dangerous because it is hard to see behind your vehicle. Every time we do a task, our mind creates a script. 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. However, being aware of your surroundings could save you from ever even having to use the weapon. Do not depend only on your mirrors or only looking out a side window. Practice looking for exits, barriers, suspicious objects and people, and any other unique elements that could be of importance to your personal safety. Your instincts exist to protect you it is always better to be overcautious than to ignore warning signs that turned out to be legitimate. If something is in your path, you need to see it in time to stop. Let us take the example of you repeatedly hitting the snooze button and look at it as a bad habit you want to break. Second, if anything does happen, you'll know where you can run for help. This space cushion will give you room to brake or maneuver if you need the space. If you have done this, then youve experienced being tuned out. These are all useful questions to start the conversation around training drills. Drive strategically. #1 Be Aware of Your Surroundings Every job site has inherent dangers whether that's heavy machinery, conveyor belts, or even tripping over items in the office. Be aware of your surroundings. The level of concentration required for this type of driving makes it extremely tiring and stressful. 73 0 obj <>stream What would you do? Also be aware: "Familiarity breeds contempt" 1. Be aware of your surroundings and watch for small mistakes. If possible and when safe, make room for vehicles entering freeways even though you have the right-of-way.

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