Ask yourself if you have the proper tools, training and PPE to perform the task safely. Your friends can wait. When you are backing out of a parking space: Check in front and behind the vehicle before you get in. Senses: Practice engaging all your senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste) to their fullest extent to increase your personal safety. ASSESS - The effects that the hazards will have upon you, the people you work with, equipment, procedures, pressures and the environment around you. If there are no uniformed people, look for grandparents, women, and people with children who may be able to help. 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. 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. 7. 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. Follow your emergency plan. Your brain goes into auto-pilot and you slowly stop consciously processing your surroundings. What if this was happening to the person in the car next to you? Attend a demo, get a free Raken Carhartt beanie. 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. 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, in laymans terms, is your ability to process your surroundings and notice any changes in those surroundings. Reduce your speed. Keep work areas clean and orderly. Think of how many people you see walking around with their head buried in their iPhone? Suspicious People: This is an obvious one. Keep in mind though that being alert extends beyond reading safety signs. Set the headlines of your day, but leave room in your daily schedule for spontaneity without taking hideous risks. Lose the tailgater as soon as you can. If team members see each other doing it then they will all follow suit eventually. situational awareness for self-defense purposes. 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. Avoid driving directly alongside other vehicles on multilane streets with or without traffic in the opposite direction. Even practicing one of these skills on a regular basis can exponentially increase your situational awareness. What about members of the response team, including law enforcement were they able to carry out the proper procedures successfully? You can pick up lots of information up just from listening. Everything you need is already primed and ready for delivery. For more information about partnering with Raymond Storage Concepts and how we can satisfy your parts needs, pleasecontact ustoday. Are you still searching for toolbox talks on google and then taking that information and re-packaging it for your safety meeting? 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. Reading body language is a huge factor in training your perception of your surroundings. 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. 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. While many choose to reaffirm their commitment to a healthy lifestyle, many overlook the flip side of the same coin: personal safety. Everyone should consider it his or her responsibility to report crime. After youve done this you can more easily avoid those threats and avoid a potentially violent situation. Pirelli Cinturato Strada All Season Review Is It the Tire for You? Practice this in public places, such as seating in restaurants, waiting rooms, or shopping centers. Watching your surrounding can reduce the risk of vehicle collisions, dropping objects, injuries from falling objects and many other accidents. 2023 Garco Construction - General Contractor for Commercial Construction. 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. 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. 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 is what happens when that car you are watching at the intersection ahead doesnt stop at the stop sign and pulls out right in front of you. Assessment of your working environment should occur continually, but especially in the following situations: Why is situational awareness important to us? Check your mirrors often. This website is to be used forinformational purposes only. No more shuffling through papers or tracking down a handbook thats often locked away in a filing cabinet. Carry your wallet inside your coat, or in a front pocket. High alert can be scary, but at this level you are still able to function. If you live anywhere in the world, then its probably just about everyone you see. The extra weight makes it harder to stop. Keep doing this until you start doing it without meaning to. So, go out there, do your job as a government attorney and keep safe. Check your rear view mirrors every two five seconds so you know the position of vehicles near you. In this video, I go over a simple driving lesson on paying attention to your surroundings. Even keeping your sense of smell fully available can help in a dangerous, but not necessarily defensive, situation. This does not just apply to buildings, but can be practiced in cars, public transportation, elevators, and even in outdoor environments. Successful situational awareness requires a proactive and flexible mindset, which can be achieved through regular practice. Look up occasionally to re-scan your surroundings and make note of any changes. 2. 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. Make sure you understand all the policies and procedures before you start a new job. 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. Take one more look to the left in case there is a vehicle or a pedestrian you did not see the first time. Also keep a close eye on the trailer. This ability is relevant in a wide variety of circumstances. This is to be prepared and know how to respond if you are confronted. 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. Keep your car doors locked and windows closed while in or out of your car . If you have done this, then youve experienced being tuned out. What would you do? 5. Some examples practicing situational awareness are: You must have situational awareness when working in a fast-paced work environment such as the construction industry. Finally, if a crime does occurREPORT IT! "If you think about it, the thought of burning to death sounds really terrifying," Klinger said. 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.. When traveling at night always book a taxi or get a lift with someone you trust. hWmo9+YHF]th%@ PV{0`pp8b(/HZQ`4p%&h^ `N'dHT^9-|Qug>>I)%A86pF~ yJME!7Rin>AxY1 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. 73 0 obj <>stream 4. If someone bothers you or makes you feel uncomfortable, change seats. Consider these tips: Keep your distance. Understand and manage fleet and asset maintenance data and costs with iTRACK. Some drivers do not obey traffic signals so before you enter an intersection, look left, right, and ahead for approaching traffic. Be aware of locations and situations which would make you appear vulnerable to crime, such as alleys and dark parking lots. endstream endobj startxref Examples that we see every day include: Talking or texting on a smart phone; Walking around listening to music on ear phones; Daydreaming; Maintaining good awareness of your surroundings helps you stay safe. Consider, whether you need to tell someone or react. Be alert of your surroundings. A few quick tips that might signal potential danger include shiftiness, hands in pockets, and avoiding eye contact. He started yelling at me louder. It is a skill that can save lives, maybe even your own. You should always be looking around and aware of your surroundings. The owner of this website, ZCS Ventures, LLC, is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking defensiveplanet.com reviews to Amazon properties including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. Situational awareness, in layman's terms, is your ability to process your surroundings and notice any changes in those surroundings. Do you know how to learn or improve this skill? Visualize: Play out scenarios in your head beforehand. They were just trained on Friday, and I was there running the drill with them on Monday.. Following large vehicles that block your view ahead. Constantly staring at the road just in front of your vehicle is dangerous. Scanning your surroundings (keeping your eyes moving) includes keeping a safe distance around your vehicle. Getting situational awareness right early on is important when you are working on a construction job site. Basic Safety Tips for Women: Speak Up. 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. Practice looking for exits, barriers, suspicious objects and people, and any other unique elements that could be of importance to your personal safety.