Workplace and Personal Security

Workplace and Personal Security is something that all of us need to be aware of. Lone working is still an issue whether you are working alone or in an office or away from the office but the risks will be different.  You will need to think about some of the main safety factors you need to consider.

Firstly, if you are working alone in a workplace, you need to make sure you keep your mobile phone with you or a radio or anything that you have got to be able to communicate with people. You also need to make sure people actually know where you are.

Another problem may be that the security guards have locked up certain areas, so make sure you don’t get locked into a certain area and unable to get out.

Have a look around you and start planning what you would do in the event of an emergency. Make sure you have the contact numbers of anyone else you could call should there be any possible problems. If you are working at night alone, having security lighting outside can really help make it a lot safer when walking out to your car. CCTV, this can be a good deterrent as well as helping to find out what happened should anything happen.

Other areas that you need to look at is health and safety when you are working remotely. It may be you go out on site to do a job. All the health and safety considerations at your normal place of work are going to be exactly the same if you are going to working away from work. On risk assessing, some may not apply but there may be new concerns.

Make sure you have adequate first aid equipment in your vehicle, with all the right tools, the right communication equipment, make sure if you are going somewhere new, check the mobile phone signal, maybe you are going somewhere where there is not any signal to make sure someone knows where you are and what time you expect to be back.

Maybe you are working in an area where you meet the public, maybe you are in a shop, you may well be fitted with or given a panic button.

This is a button you can push if you feel threatened in any way. It’s not just looking at people within your workplace that will cause you problems it is maybe outsiders who have come in.

When you return to your car, take extreme care, if you have a handbag, make sure it is safe so no one can snatch it. Take the car keys out so you are ready to approach your car, unlock it and get in straight away. As soon as you get in the car make sure you lock the doors, and then start the engine and drive away. Make sure you are prepared and everything is ready.

Good general advice on security is to plan ahead. Always think of what possible sort of problems can happen and be ready just in case something did happen if you needed to make a quick exit or call the emergency services. Take a few moments now to prepare, and have a look at any possible risks that you would have in your business or workplace.

Look at any possible risks that are there and what you are going to do to avoid it. Just a simple little list now could save you a lot of time and a lot of potential problems later on and if you have any concerns about your personal security or the security of others, you must tell your manager.