The second level of awareness, relaxed awareness, is like defensive driving. If youre already thinking about it, then you are more likely to do it in a defensive scenario. A few quick tips that might signal potential danger include shiftiness, hands in pockets, and avoiding eye contact. 10,433,143. In other terms, this could mean simply instructing workers on the safest way to do things or telling your supervisor about health and safety hazards you see on a job site. Second, if anything does happen, you'll know where you can run for help. Your instincts exist to protect you it is always better to be overcautious than to ignore warning signs that turned out to be legitimate. Have your car keys in your hand so you don't have to linger before entering your car. Be alert of your surroundings. However, after enough practice it becomes second nature. Safety Awareness Construction Center of Excellence After youve done this you can more easily avoid those threats and avoid a potentially violent situation. For example, when you reach across a table to grab a pencil, you use proprioception to know how much. Not looking down at your phone the entire time youre in public fits with point number one, but it warrants its own recognition. Apathy, denial and complacency can be deadly. Facebook can wait. Your email address will not be published. Backing up is always dangerous because it is hard to see behind your vehicle. Situational Awareness Toolbox Talk - Raken At freeway exits, do not drive alongside other cars. OFFICE 4114 E BROADWAY AVE | SPOKANE, WA 99202, 1145 BROADWAY PLAZA, STE 1340 | TACOMA, WA 98402. But, the points that I took away from the training session were that you can protect yourself. Frequent practice is vital, as no two situations are the same, and every environment provides unique conditions that will challenge your adaptability. new year! How is it different from what you see? Proceed With Caution A warehouse is a busy place, with many different things going on at once. Be aware of who you are in the electronic world. Leave a little earlier. First, notice your surroundings. A man standing a few stores down yelled and asked me for bus money. For our purposes we'll focus on situational awareness for self-defense purposes as it is a very important self-defense skill. Contrary to popular belief, situational awareness is a skill you can learn with enough practice. Peripheral Vision: Attempt to focus on something while also observing whats happening at the edges of your vision. Emergencies and mass shootings happen all the time. Use things like doors, walls, file cabinets as protection from being hit by moving objects around you (e.g. If you work at a school, on any type of campus, or if your workplace needs an active shooter plan, Guard911 apps are a one-of-a-kind active shooter mobile safety alert technology that facilitates adoption of these safety tips. My office recently participated in a safety training class. Think of how many people you see walking around with their head buried in their iPhone? As a safety measure, also look over your right and left shoulders again while backing. Basic Safety Tips for Women: Speak Up. In many cases, it is the information provided by victims and witnesses that leads to the arrest of a criminal. View each new setting as an opportunity to practice when these tips become second-nature, you greatly increase your ability to keep yourself safe. Always be aware of your surroundings #WorkSafe #SafetyFirst. Staying safe goes hand-in-hand with being observant. This situational awareness process also demonstrates the importance of all of us being familiar with our environment and the hazards that exist there. This does not just apply to buildings, but can be practiced in cars, public transportation, elevators, and even in outdoor environments. Report hazards immediately to your customer or manager/spervisor. The best way to avoid complacency is to consciously remind yourself to stay alert. Change lanes and allow the tailgater to pass you, or slow down to allow enough cushion between you and the car in front of you. Of course they wont. This technique is done as followed: Inhale the breath. Many drivers follow too closely (tailgate) and are not able to see as far ahead as they should because the vehicle ahead blocks their view. Situational awareness is important to everyone - it is important that everyone is aware of their surroundings and the potential hazards they face. iPods). Vq&e-t\U>?tql/;EhYt+h\geB7YZ U[>8%F](]d[mwil2 !b~J3u8.Y1C_O Notice other people their body language, eye contact, posture, stride. Always lock your car doors after entering or leaving your vehicle. No. Keep It All Clean. Arrowhead General Insurance Agency, Inc. - Program for Sovereign Indian Nations. 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. 1. In today's market, having a poor safety record can mean all the difference between winning or losing a deal. Personal Safety Tips | Police Department Watch for large vehicles because they can gather speed very quickly. Check your mirrors frequently and scan conditions 20 to 30 seconds ahead of you. Check the interior of your vehicle for intruders before entering your car. Are there other factors that can impact the situation? Questioning without judgment is a key factor in successful situational awareness. The habit of staying calm in chaotic situations takes practice. Give yourself this time by keeping a "space cushion" on all sides of your vehicle. 441 Likes, 46 Comments. hb```f``R``b`ag@ ~081g I +&& , @;PM R;4Hl_Ww`g6aKXN1YH3q20% rD- We both know they arent going to notice a potentially dangerous situation. With that in mind, the full extent of potentially dangerous body language is beyond the scope of this article. 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. Situational awareness is a critical foundation for successful decision making in most situations that you can be put in at work. Everyone that drives a car knows that feeling of forgetting what youre doing after continuously driving a few hours. Be careful when driving near motorcyclists or bicyclists. So tell the police as much as you can; no fact is too trivial. Situational awareness, in layman's terms, is your ability to process your surroundings and notice any changes in those surroundings. Crime Prevention Tips | Public Safety - Columbia University Self-Defense Advice for Women: 10 Basic Safety Tips - Mom with a PREP 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. For example, your mind has created a script for driving to the grocery store. Follow your emergency plan. Situational awareness: Preparing your team for the unexpected. I know this sounds extremely difficult, but I can assure you that it is not as hard as you think. Keeping all your senses on full alert is a good start to increasing your awareness. This is how your strengths and opportunities for improvement can be identified. Look inside your vehicle before you get in, especially when it has been parked in a parking terminal or lot. Become a Hard Target: Those with malicious intent generally single out individuals that seem meek, vulnerable, or unaware of their surroundings. Technology draws us in and makes it harder to observe the vital things around us. We use our situational awareness to make decisions at home and at work. Ensure all . Not playing on your phone might improve your chances of thwarting an attack. 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 a state in which you are relaxed but are also watching other cars on the road and looking ahead for potential hazards. I tell this to law enforcement officers all the time when Im speaking, said Lt. Murphy. 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. How is workplace safety evolving in 2022 and beyond? The level of concentration required for this type of driving makes it extremely tiring and stressful. Many criminals develop favorite areas for committing crime, as well as predictable methods of operation. Update: Be Safe, Know Your Surroundings | Top 5 Safety Tips - Guard911 Does it matter that the light is red? Stopping work to make adjustments- Sometimes things do not go as you planned and thought they would. Keep work areas clean and orderly. Look up occasionally to re-scan your surroundings and make note of any changes. Toolbox Talk: Situational Awareness - Garco Construction Be vigilant. original sound - tarryncarla. Engage your workers with modern technology and content that they can easily consume. 6. Watching your surrounding can reduce the risk of vehicle collisions, dropping objects, injuries from falling objects and many other accidents. Be aware of who you are in the electronic world. Following these quick tips can improve your awareness. Pay attention to your surroundings, minimize the amount of time you talk on your cell phone in public places. While wearing headphones, can you hear foot steps behind you? I went into the store. Dont presume changes in your surroundings are innocent or fine. 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. Avoid doorways, bushes and alleys where someone could hide. Yes, that is difficult at first. Being crowded by a tailgater. Consider, whether you need to tell someone or react. How we read a situation can be influenced by many things such as the type of information we have been given, our own experience and distractions in the workplace.