Monday, 6 April 2015

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS FOR TERROR THREATS - Offices and other Buildings




Safety Recommendations while at Offices and other Buildings
The terrorist attacks at West Gate Mall in Nairobi Kenya and the recent one at Garissa University College were terrible, it is so sad that criminals can use religion to kill innocent victims.  At the time of the siege things are literally brought to a stand still with a lot of anxiety.  I believe recommendation number one has appeared in all the articles because it is very crucial.  Check this

Ø  Memorize the locations and phone numbers of possible safe places to go, such as hospitals, police stations etc. 
Ø  When the terrorists are planning to attack a building in most cases they will bring some of the tools they will use earlier enough; for example grenades, other explosives etc.  Therefore if you see something suspicious please report it to the local authorities.
Ø  Always learn where the emergency exits are located, and how to quickly get out of a building.  Be familiar with secondary exiting systems, as primary exits may become clogged or blocked.
Ø  Know the emergency evacuation procedures that are in place for the business or building.
Ø  Know where fire exits are located and be able to find them in the dark.
Ø  Learn where fire extinguishers are located and how to use them.
Ø  In some instances some victims may get trapped for hours or days without anything to eat or drink.  Therefore it is good to know where disaster supplies are located.
Ø  In case of an office, if you realize that some of your office keys are missing please report it and if possible the locks should be changed. Don’t leave the keys unattended or give to unauthorized persons.
Ø  Make sure that all sensitive material/information are secure. This is because if it is an inside job then you wouldn’t want such material or information to get into the wrong hands. 
Ø  Sensitive deliveries should be secured and in a timely manner.
Ø  Secure all areas when not attended.
Ø  Protect access codes, combinations and cards, change codes regularly. Report compromised codes to the person in charge of area. This will help in monitoring unfamiliar persons or visitors to your offices.
Ø  If there is something you have to pick from a shopping mall, please don’t spend so much time there or even take your whole family. 
Ø  Take time out to familiarize yourself with building evacuation plans/routes.
Ø  Let your co-workers beware and report anything that out of place; even unclaimed items.

Be Wary of:
Apart from what I have mentioned above below are also things you should cautious about. 
  • Abandoned Vehicles, in office areas.  Am sure that it is possible for you to identify a vehicle that is not common at your office area.
  • Substances Leaking or Spilling from Vehicles
  • In the process of these terrorists waiting for the exact time to strike, it is likely that some of them could be just near the area monitoring issues, be cautious if you see vehicles parked near buildings or public areas. Some of these vehicles could have been packed around there for long hours. 
  • Unexpected/Unfamiliar Delivery Trucks. These trucks could be containing unusual or suspicious parcels or materials. 
  • Vehicles arriving and being left behind at odd hours
I know if the building is your working area then you have no choice but to report to work unless you have a valid reason not to and since you may not be sure when and where the attack is most likely to take place, all you need to do is be alert and cautious at all times.   In cases of shopping malls some people are ambushed to learn that their friends or relatives were at the place of the incident.

Related Articles
http://www.arrivesafekenya.com/2015/04/safety-precautions-for-terror-threats.html
http://www.arrivesafekenya.com/2015/04/safety-precautions-for-terror-attacks_4.html
http://www.arrivesafekenya.com/2015/04/precautions-for-terror-threats_40.html
http://www.arrivesafekenya.com/2015/04/safety-precautions-for-terror-threats_8.html

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