Wednesday 16 December 2015

Safety Requires Effort!

While it may be true that safety is common sense and every one desires to be in a state of safety, happenings around us and researches have shown that there is a great deal of hard work to enjoy and experience safety. It therefore requires concerted efforts and energy to achieve safety goals and objectives at home, road and the general workplaces.

This required effort is the missing link that makes safety elusive to humans and the society. While we all desire and crave for a safe workplace and society, how many have counted the cost of achieving this? If it costs you something to achieve your goals and objectives in life, safety as a goal can only be achieved when the right commitment is provided. This cuts across all aspects of corporate and individual structures.

Safety as natural as it may sound, requires planned and strategic efforts! Structures and systems must be put in place to include all indices that will help in achieving the goals of safety. These indices include money, personnel, facilities, resources, knowledge and skills, willingness, etc. Most corporate entities understand this and consciously develop and implement systems to ensure that their operations are controlled and managed to reduce the effects on persons, environment, assets and productions.  However, individuals have not come to appreciate this, and so leave their safety and that of their families to some other factors, known and unknown including government and society.

It is an known cliche that safety is everyone responsibility. We all say it, sing it, mouth it, etc; but it does not appear we understand the meaning of the statement. Simply put, you are responsible for your safety and the of others around you. So, be responsible, and work out your own safety (and that of others) with committed effort and hard work. The anticipated gains are more than worth it.

So. let's go for it...plan and actualise your safety goals...with concerted and determined efforts. It pays!

Monday 14 December 2015

Security/Safety Tips For The Christmas Holidays
                                     (By Mrs Dominga Odebunmi, culled from Safety Advocates Platform)

While the Christmas season is a time for giving, for thieves and burglars, it is a unique season for taking your hard-earned money, gifts and possessions. They may ultimately rob you of all the joy and sense of goodness that the holidays are all about. We must also be security conscious as there are people out there with a completely different agenda from ours. For this reason, we can never be too careful, too prepared or too aware.

Here are some security tips that can be of great value during this yuletide season.

Vehicles
• Park your cars in a well-lighted area.
• Avoid driving alone especially at night.
• Keep all car doors locked and windows closed while in or out of your car. Also ensure to set your alarm and other anti-theft devices.
• Don’t park your car too far from your destination and always take note of where your car is parked.
• Do not leave packages or valuables on the seat of your car. This creates temptation for thieves. If you must leave something in the car, lock it in the trunk or put it out of sight.
• Keep a secure hold on your purse, handbag and parcels. Do not put them down or on top of the car in order to open the door.
• If there are suspicious people in the area, ask the mall or store security for an escort before leaving your shopping location. Do not approach your car alone.
Using Automated Teller Machines (ATMs)
• Avoid using an ATM in isolated locations.
• If you must use an ATM, choose one that is located in a well-lighted location with people around.
• Do not use your date of birth as your ATM PIN.
• Protect your PIN by shielding the ATM keypad from anyone who is standing near you.
• Withdraw only the amount of cash that you need.
• Do not throw your ATM receipt away at the ATM location.
• Avoid using the ATM after dark unless it is well lit and well secured.
• Watch out for people loitering around the ATM.
• Cancel your transaction, walk away and use a different ATM if you notice suspicious behaviour.
• Have your card out and ready to use before you get to the machine.
• Don’t linger at the ATM to count your cash; leave quickly once transaction has been completed.
• Don’t disclose your card details to anyone. You can hotlist your stolen GTBank ATM card via Internet banking, GTConnect or send HOTLIST to 08076665555.
Children
• If possible, leave small children at home with a trusted babysitter.
• Teach children to stay close to you at all times while shopping.
• Never allow children to make unaccompanied trips to the restroom.
• Children should never be allowed to go to the car alone and they should never be left alone in the car.
• Teach children to immediately inform you if a stranger is bothering them.

Shopping
It is advisable to shop during the day, but if you must shop at night, ensure to go with a friend or family member. 
• Avoid wearing expensive items when shopping. 
• Do not carry a purse or wallet, if possible. 
• Even when in a rush and thinking about a thousand things, stay alert to your surroundings. 
• Avoid carrying cash as much as possible. Pay for purchases with your debit card. 
• Keep available cash in your front pocket. 
• Notify your bank immediately if your debit card is lost or stolen. 
• Beware of strangers approaching you for any reason. 

Home 
• Be extra cautious about locking doors and windows when you leave the house, even for a few minutes. 
• Leave a radio or television on so the house looks and sounds occupied. 
• Increase your home security by installing solid core doors, heavy duty locks and other security devices. 

Identity Theft 
• Avoid promotional scams; fraudsters use them to get your personal information. 
• Keep your purse or wallet in a safe place at work and at home as well as documents containing sensitive personal information. 
• Carry only the identification information and the number of bank cards that you actually need. 
• Don’t use the same password for every transactions.........

Monday 2 February 2015

2nd Lagos Safety Walk - 07/02/2015

Join Us for this walk and stay safe and healthy...see flyers for details. Please come with your families, friends and colleagues...'UBUNTU...I am because We are'

See you there!!!

Saturday 17 January 2015

Safety First OR Safety Always?

This is a question that requires some good thinking because traditionally, safety has been considered the most important aspect of any job, activity or business. As a matter of fact, there are many companies today who use the cliché 'Safety 1st...Safety 2nd...Safety 3rd! Believe me, as a safety consultant, I am very quick to accept this; of course, you don't expect less! I grew up in my career reading, hearing and discussing this. So many posters, flyers, banners, etc with the bold inscription "Safety First"


I clearly remembered a situation where a production manager remarked, "If Safety is 1st, 2nd and 3rd, then why are we here"? You safety people should just take charge and produce all for us...Of course, we all laughed, but the production man has a point, which the safety team waved aside!


However, looking at reality that beckons on businesses and projects in recent times, I am having a rethink...perhaps you may call this modern safety, but can safety be 1st, 2nd and 3rd? What will be the last? Production? Quality? Just my thoughts though, hence this post.


What do you think should be the cliché ,'? Safety First or Safety Always or Safety First, Last & Always?


Let's get a go at this and make your comments known. We may just be birthing another reality in our modern day management of safety...we have the opportunity to change the way safety is communicated to others...otherwise, confrontations and repulsions won't stop.


I await your comments....enjoy!

Sunday 4 January 2015

Vote Safely

We are in the season of elections in Nigeria and the long awaited 2015 is now here...with anxieties and fears of unknown! There are several reasons to be weary at this time, especially because of what has characterised election years in the history of Nigeria.

Under this discussion, I am focusing strictly on the safety of lives and properties of the voters and the general citizens of Nigeria.

Voting is a fundamental and civic right and we have all been encouraged by various agencies to exercise this right and make our votes count. However, while doing this, we should also be very careful to avoid risks that may come with this exercise. While we are hoping and trusting that the security agencies will ensure that voters are protected from harassment, abuse and violence; it is also a personal safety sense to assess the risks of your polling booth and the surrounding and put in place adequate control measures to reduce the risk and/or mitigate the effects of the risks.

We owe ourselves duties to stay alive and enjoy the opportunities of the new year, 2015. Remember, life is precious and irrespective of the conditions you may think exist around you now, once there is life, there is HOPE!

So Vote Safe, Live Safe and Work Safe!!!