STAFF SAFETY
Show self care by being situationally aware this Christmas
FOMO (fear of missing out) is a ‘no-no’ according to RISC Associates, who argue it’s smarter to avoid smartphone ‘trances’ and victim vulnerability.
Christmas is a time of giving and sharing, and advice around maintaining our own safety and that of our colleagues during the seasonal festivities and beyond is top of the gift list for national security consultants and conflict resolution specialists RISC Associates.
The West Midlands-based business is focussing upon switching on greater awareness of our own behaviours and that of others at a time when shorter days can result in even shorter tempers for workers in the retail space.
Commuting to and from work
RISC Associates argues that our love affair with smartphones and FOMO could form part of a broader safety challenge for people commuting to and from their place of work during the darker winter months, as screen addiction and use of air pods or earphones reduces our spatial and safety awareness and singles individuals out as vulnerable victims.
Avoiding the ‘trance-like’ state that those wedded to social media during the daily commute experience, is a key message around commuters taking extra care.
“Staff travelling to and from work, particularly if you are opening or locking up a store, need to be extra vigilant. Ideally, businesses would ensure that they are not alone during this process, but there is always a need for individuals to have a heightened level of awareness of what’s around them, so that they are never surprised,” said managing director Ed Dunne.
“It’s a broader lesson for any time of year when we are moving about in society. We all need to have a healthy situational awareness rather than gazing at our mobile phones or being zoned out through headphones or iPods and in a trance-like state.
“It’s even more important during the darker winter months, so we need to make ourselves look less of a victim. This means acting confidently and projecting assertiveness and purpose in your walk.
“If you think you are being followed, walk into a shop that may have surveillance cameras and don’t leave until you are sure the coast is clear. Also, don’t make use of any shortcuts that take you into less populated areas and ideally travel with other people,” he said.
He said that those who are zoned out are those singled out by attackers as part of their ‘process of selection'.
“They are displaying characteristics of ideal victims and easier pickings,” said Ed whose business advises and trains many leading retailers and holiday resorts on conflict resolution and personal safety across the UK.
“If you are driving into work make sure you avoid parking in remote or unlit areas and when stopping at traffic lights make sure the vehicle doors are locked. If on public transport, sit close to the bus driver, for example or on a train avoid unoccupied carriages.
“This may seem like common sense, but it is not for many. Equally, it certainly is not a sign of paranoia, but a display of greater awareness which is healthy and less likely to attract the attention of those undesirable elements of society,” added Ed.
In-store violence
As well as commuter safety, a sign of the times is the higher level of threat to retail staff from customer violence and aggression, a factor that has triggered calls for greater legal protection for store colleagues and a counter claim from the policing minister Chris Philp for the greater use of ‘Citizens Arrests’ in lieu of police attendance from over-stretched officers during what many retailers see as a store theft epidemic.
All these calls require the correct approaches according to Ed Dunne whose business specialises in bespoke conflict management.
“Shoplifting has increased exponentially, and it is likely to increase further over the Christmas period as a result of more items on sale and the cost-of-living crisis.
“Even when it comes to the use of technologies such as body worn cameras, the behaviour of the colleagues using them could exacerbate what is already a tense stand-off.
“Staff should be trained in de-escalation, being assertive but empathetic at the same time – this is the approach that can prevent verbal abuse becoming violent assault. It is about having the awareness of body language and when the warning signs become more dangerous when customers are becoming increasingly agitated.
“Firstly, staff should not be afraid to seek the help of other colleagues through a code word, for example, or the use of panic buttons that are not going to trigger sudden moves. Many staff have previously not pressed them because of fear of further antagonising the situation.
“Body worn cameras can provide a great means of de-escalation but only if they are handled and introduced into the conversation correctly. If, for example, the colleague says something like "if you don’t calm down, I’m going to switch on my camera", this can be perceived as a threat and may further agitate the situation,” said Ed.
“If instead you suggest that the camera is going to be activated because you are concerned about their behaviour that is making you feel vulnerable, this is a better approach.
“This may not play into the male ego very well when talking about vulnerability, but it can have a more positive outcome than one of ongoing confrontation.”
Domestic abuse
RISC Associates' work with retail and holiday resort colleagues does not exclusively focus upon the workplace but also into the home in terms of protecting colleagues who live in daily fear around the taboo subject of domestic abuse.
“Christmas is a time of increased tension, and mixed with alcohol or drugs can introduce a lethal cocktail of risk over the holiday period,” said Ed whose business also provides self-defence training.
“When we talk about self-defence people assume we are referring to the stereotypical incidence involving unknown muggers, for example. In reality there is a greater risk from violence in and around the home particularly at this time of year,” he added.
For more information around protecting colleagues at work or home, contact RISC Associates by clicking here.
