Safety First & Foremost Taking Care of Yourself Newspaper headlines and TV newscasts tell us it is a dangerous world out there. People take precautions to avoid trouble on the street and at home. Think about it. Are you cautious about where you walk or park your car? Have you installed a security system in your house and do you ask a neighbor to look after newspapers and mail when you are away? What about Safety at Work? How about at work? Are you confident that it is a safe place? Do your co-workers agree with you? If it is not a place where you feel safe, what must be done to make it safer? Are you willing to talk to your supervisor or manager about precautions - BEFORE there is a harmful incident? The best precaution is for you to speak up. Share Information If you see someone in your office building or parking area who is acting suspiciously, pay attention. Make note of the time you saw the person. What is he or she doing which has made you aware of their presence? Do you think it might be a friend of a co-worker or a stranger? Call your security guard or the police just in case it is someone who should not be there. Just Suppose What if one of your co-workers is being harassed by a former spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend? Or have you noticed a co-worker who seems irritable, defensive, angry? Are you concerned? Have you overheard threats of harm to someone in your workplace or of harm to the workplace itself? Would You Speak Up? Why might you not speak up?
Do You Have A Responsibility to Speak Up? Yes, you do because:
What Must You Do? Report the problem to a supervisor, Human Resources, your EAP, a security guard or somebody who can help head off a crisis. Protect yourself and your workplace. SPEAK UP! Written by Helene W. King,
Ph.D. This material may be reproduced without permission provided that it is not modified or altered in any way and acknowledgment is made to COPE, Inc. © Copyright 1998 COPE, Incorporated. |