fall Edition
october 2022 • Volume II
Employee Safety Awareness
Safety First!
Parking lots can sometimes be a threatening place at work, shopping centers, restaurants, concerts, etc. This is especially true if you are not diligent about being aware of your surroundings. When you leave the office for the day, or walk to your car after a shopping trip, you are at your most vulnerable. Being aware of your environment at all times can be critical for your safety while walking through a parking lot alone at any time of the day or night.
Your safety at work is of utmost importance. Here are some safety tips for Horizon employees to consider about what to do and what not to do when arriving to or leaving from work.
Always:
• Stay aware of your surrounding at all times. Watch for suspicious people or activities. If anything seems off, turn around and go back inside the building or seek help.
• Stay off of technology. It’s easy to get distracted by technology like your phone, GPS, or infotainment system when you’re walking or driving in a parking lot.
• Look both ways before walking and driving in the parking lot.
• There is safety in numbers. Always try to walk with a co-worker or in groups.
• Have your keys in your hand before walking to your vehicle.
• Look around and inside your vehicle before entering. If suspicious, walk away.
• Lock the doors and roll up windows when you exit and enter your vehicle.
• Slow Down. The slower the speed, the better. 5 to 10 mph is sufficient.
• Have a whistle or other personal alarm on you.
• Use your smartphone’s built-in emergency system. Every iPhone and Android device has an emergency SOS system already built-in for easy access in the event of an emergency. A simple command can access this feature.
• At least two people should open up and lock up the business. Again, there is safety in numbers.
• Make sure there is always another staff member in the building if you are working late, so that no one is alone in the building or has to walk to the parking lot alone. Horizon’s Environment of Care (EC) 210 Security Management Plan states: “Individual staff members will not be alone in an Agency facility with patients.”
Do not:
• Do not assume that drivers can see. Vehicles have blind spots.
• Do not wear AirPods or headphones or become distracted by cell phone conversations.
• Do not dig in your purse or bag and be distracted.
• Do not approach someone if they are loitering in the parking lot. Walk back to the building or another safe place. Call the police.
• Do not park next to large vans, SUVs, or tall trucks where it might be hard to back out safely and where strangers might hide.
Remember:
• Be aware of your surroundings, take precautions, and drive safely.
• Trust your instincts. If a situation feels unsafe, get to safety as soon as possible and call for help.
• Always, always, always report suspicious behavior immediately to your manager, Risk Management, or the police. You could be keeping others safe in the future. Managers who get such reports should take appropriate steps to ensure the safety of all employees.
• Report suspicious activity to Risk Management and the police, if appropriate.
‣ Marsha Ashcroft, Director of Risk Management – (520) 876-1849, marsha.ashcroft@hhwaz.org
‣ Taylor Moore, Risk Management Program Assistant – (520) 876-1792, taylor.moore@hhwaz.org
Don’t allow a false sense of security to avert your attention from your surroundings. Keep your head up, walk with confidence, stay off your phone and keep your eyes peeled and ears open for any signs of suspicious activity. Intuition is everything! Always listen to your gut. If you’re alone and something is telling you to turn back, follow your instincts.
Stay alert and stay safe!
