By: Richard Armen
Submitted: 2010-02-23 13:09:41 | Word Count: 612
Many people think about their personal safety when in their home or when out alone, especially at night, but forget to think about office safety. In the office, employees are vulnerable to attack from outsiders, former employees, and disgruntled clients. Although the types of office violence that make headlines are the types involving former clients or employees who return with guns, this is far from typical. More typical types of office violence include thefts, verbal altercations, and sexual assault, although physical violence is still possible.
Communicating with other employees is crucial when it comes to your collective personal safety. If you work in an office with others, you should have a plan of action, perhaps even including a code word so that an employee can call for safety. Always lock your office doors when you’re not there, even if there are people in neighboring offices, and don’t forget to lock your computer down when you leave to prevent unauthorized use.
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Security cameras, either real or dummy, can do a lot to prevent theft and attacks, particularly when they are placed prominently around the office. In the area open to clients or other visitors, you can place a small sign about your security system, even when you don’t have one. Real or fake cameras will stop any unusual or unwanted activities.
Around the office, you can place personal alarms in discreet locations. These devices emit a loud alarm when pressed, and are commonly kept in desk drawers or other concealed locations. Because they’re only about the size of a garage door opener, they can be kept almost anywhere. Another good self defense device to keep around the office is pepper spray. Many of these canisters are even disguised to look like pens or keychains so that they can easily be placed around the office. Pepper spray pens can even be kept in pencil holders on the top of each desk without looking out of place. These can empower employees to take action to protect their safety than waiting helplessly for assistance to arrive.
If you work in an office, you may already be aware of specific dangers facing your industry. The fact is, some industries are more susceptible to these events than others, although no industry is completely safe from violence. No matter the industry, good customer service policies can actually go a long way towards preventing altercations with unhappy clients.
No matter which devices you choose for your office, be sure that everyone at work knows how to use them and when to use them. What should employees do if someone comes in yelling? To what extent should they try to stop thefts? What should they do after setting off the personal alarm or spraying the pepper spray? These policies should be outlined in advance so that workers aren’t left wondering what to do in the aftermath of such an event. Remember that personal safety in the office extends beyond physical altercations to sexual harassment and other issues; the methods for addressing these should also be clearly outlined in the employee handbook too. If you are an employee and you don’t know what to do in some of these situations, now is the time to find your answers.
Criminal activities can take place anywhere and at any time, including offices and other commercial establishments, homes, and outdoors. By keeping your personal safety in mind wherever you go, you can be prepared for these possibilities. Whether your office is protected by security guards or not, the personal safety of every employee should be ensured through the placement of dummy cameras, personal alarms, pepper spray, and other devices.
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