EduCare Advent Care-ndar - Day five

At Christmas time, we are all out a lot more, often in the dark. Whether you are carol singing, late night Christmas shopping, or going out to one of many Christmas parties it is important that you understand the basics of personal safety with information taken from our online Personal Safety training course.

What is Personal Safety?

Personal safety is the protection of one’s physical and mental wellbeing, including awareness of situations, conditions, or events that are potentially harmful or dangerous to one’s wellbeing.

Think – Plan – Act

A method of helping you reduce risk is a simple but effective risk assessment process called Think – Plan – Act, or TPA. Most people can learn to apply this automatically in any situation so it becomes a natural process.

TPA is a preventative process. It has three stages that you can mentally rehearse and perform in seconds before entering any potentially risky situation, whether you are in a work setting or in your own leisure time. It needs you to stop and give thought to your personal safety before you engage in activities that may have risks attached.

Let’s now run through a scenario that uses this three-step TPA process.

Example scenario

It is December and dark outside. You are out late and need to get the bus home. It is unlikely that anything could go wrong, but force yourself to consider what could.

Step one – Think (about potential hazards).

• You could be followed to the bus stop or there may be poor lighting on your route there.
• You could have your purse/wallet/briefcase stolen.
• A threatening person might approach you on the bus.

Step two – Plan (to avoid the hazards).

1. Ensure that you have the exact fare available and easily to hand and make sure that it is separate from your purse or wallet.
2. Keep to well-lit, well-populated roads and avoid shortcuts that take you through less populated or unlit areas.
3. Avoid chatting on your phone or listening to music; it can be distracting and your device could be snatched away by an opportunistic thief.
4. Try to make sure that your bag is across your body rather than hanging on your shoulder. This will make it harder for someone to snatch your bag from you.
5. If you believe that you are being followed, walk to a well-populated place and, if necessary, call the police.
6. If your possessions are snatched or stolen from you, let them go and call the police; your objective is to stay safe.

Step three – Act (put the precautions into place).

Actually carry out the precautions you have devised for your safety. Run through a quick mental checklist and travel safely.

Remember, statistically, you are significantly less at risk from serious crime than you may think, however, if you find yourself in a threatening situation wherever you are, it is important to understand how to minimise the chances of personal harassment, unwanted attention and assault.

#StaySafeAtChristmas

Can your Christmas list get you into trouble? Find out tomorrow when we open day six of our Advent Care-ndar.

 

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