Personal Safety and Distracted Driving

Annual Education 2013

Personal Safety

Personal Safety

Protecting Yourself From Crime

• When out at night, try to have a friend walk with you.

• Carry only the money you’ll need on a particular day.

• Don’t display your cash or any other inviting targets such as pagers, cell phones, hand-held electronic games, or expensive jewelry and clothing.

• If you think someone is following you, switch directions or cross the street. If the person continues to follow you, move quickly toward an open store or restaurant or a lighted house. Don’t be afraid to yell for help.

• Try to park in well-lighted areas with good visibility and close to walkways, stores, and people.

• Make sure you have your key out as you approach your door.

From the National Crime and Prevention Counsel

Personal Safety

Protecting Yourself From Crime

• Always lock your car, even if it’s in your own driveway; never leave your motor running.

• Do everything you can to keep a stranger from getting into your car or from forcing you into his or her car.

• If someone tries to rob you, give up your property —don’t give up your life.

• If you are robbed or assaulted, report the crime to the police. Try to describe the attacker accurately. Your actions can help prevent someone else from becoming a victim.

From the National Crime Prevention Counsel

Personal Safety

Hospice Personnel Safety

• Be aware of your environment.

• Pay attention to your instinct. If it feels unsafe leave immediately and call your supervisor.

• If you are going into a home that gives you concern, consider taking the following steps – Make a co-visit with another team member – Call your office staff prior to visiting to let them know your location and make a plan to call the office staff after your visit

Personal Safety

Self Defense – 3 basic principles

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– – – Avoid dangerous people and dangerous places This is your first and best line of defense Never threaten your opponent Trust your feelings of apprehension and intuition ‒ Do not defend your property If someone demands personal property, hand it over without hesitation and run.

‒ ‒ ‒ Respond immediately and escape Do whatever you can to avoid a physical confrontation and act for the purposes of escape Don’t waste time imagining that you can reason with a criminal By escaping and running, you make yourself harder for the criminal to harm you ‒ Your best defense is always to escape Sam Harris – samharris.org

Personal Safety

Security Management

• Threatening person - move staff, students and others away from the danger.

• If the person is outdoors, lock the doors and secure the building.

• Call 911 if it is truly a threatening situation.

• Notify hospice administration.

• Fill out an variance report.

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Personal Safety

Anger Management: Control, Redirect & Change

• • • • • • • • • • • • Controlling your anger admit that you’re angry Deal with it (take deep breaths and count to 10) Don't brush it off – don’t ignore your feelings Identify & understand the cause – figure out the exact reason you’re angry Walk away Get a new perspective – try to understand the other person’s perspective Vent to someone you trust Redirect the anger Find a cause – throw yourself into something, such as volunteering Find a hobby – lean something new Exercise Change things!

Utilize the Employee Assistance Program Educate yourself - Attend anger management classes National Crime Prevention Association

Distracted Driving

Distracted Driving

Distracted Driving – what is it?

• Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person's attention away from the primary task of driving. include: – Texting – Using a cell phone or smart phone – Eating and drinking – Talking to passengers – Grooming – Reading, including maps – Using a navigation system – Watching a video distraction.

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distractions endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety. These types of distractions – Adjusting a radio, CD player, or MP3 player • But, because text messaging requires visual, manual, auditory and cognitive attention from the driver, it is by far the most alarming distraction.gov and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

Distracted Driving

4 types of driving distractions

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• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Visual - taking your eyes off the road occurs often pulls your eyes away from the road hard to avoid: billboards, road signs, windshield wipers, weather able to avoid: checking a cell phone display, looking at a map, reading email Auditory - hearing sounds or noises occurs often pull your mind and often your eyes away from the road hard to avoid: traffic noise, car noises, music able to avoid: loud music, conversation Cognitive - taking your mind off driving thoughts, emotions or mental activities pull your mind away from driving hard to avoid: daydreaming, stress able to avoid: heated discussion with a passenger, talking on a phone, reading the paper, texting Physical - taking your hands off the wheel involves a sense of touch pulls your eyes and mind away from the road hard to avoid: changing climate controls or stereo volume able to avoid: eating, drinking, dialing a phone, iPods

Distracted Driving

Did you know?...

• Writing or reading a text message takes your eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. At 55 MPH, that’s like driving the length of a football field – blindfolded! • If you text while you’re behind the wheel, you’re 20 times more likely to be involved in a crash than a non-distracted driver. • Talking on a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity devoted to driving by 37%.

Personal Safety and Distracted Driving

Gas station theft prevention

• Pick stations that are well-lit and have video surveillance cameras at the pump • Always remove your keys and lock the doors while you are pumping gas • Keep valuables out of plain view in your vehicle and lock the doors even if you are going inside for a moment • Pay attention to your surroundings • Don't let your cell phone distract you National Crime Prevention Association

Personal Safety and Distracted Driving

Remember to Ask

• For questions regarding safety in the workplace or while serving patients and families, ask your supervisor or someone on the Safety Committee

Personal Safety and Distracted Driving The End

Thank you