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OHS&W consultancy and training services for regional
South Australia
| | HOME VISITS SAFETY TIPS
Free safety tips for community workers
Introduction
There are a range of issues faced by community workers who visit client's
homes to provide a homecare service. Nowadays, with concerns surrounding
mental illness, other illnesses, social problems and those who simply want to
take advantage of the situation, community workers can find themselves in a lot
of trouble very quickly.
This page has therefore been developed simply to provide some free personal
safety tips for workers in the community who conduct home visits, usually those
providing healthcare.
Disclaimer
Naturally this page is provided for "general interest" only and is
not comprehensive to cover every situation. It must not be seen as
individual advice or relied upon to conduct your home own visits. It is simply
a set of tips aimed to assist and be considered in complement with your
organisation's procedures. They must not be seen as a substitute for
professional training for your situation.
Further advice about specific situations can be sought from the Police or a
training session suited to your circumstances can be provided by Southern OHS Solutions.
Safety Tips for Home Visits
Here are a range of tips for you to keep in mind, which have been collated
from information provided by Department of Health and SA Police:
 | Lock your car doors as soon as you get in (reasons are car jacking and
people opening passenger doors) - many vehicles nowadays have an ability
to unlock just the driver door / or at least central locking capabilities.
[Yes, a much reduced risk occurs in country areas but we are not immune
to the possibility of this occurring] |
| Where practical do not park in the drive (you could be blocked in) - but
if you need to, think about reverse parking in, so you can simply drive out |
| In a cul de sac, park in the direction of the cul de sac exit |
| If you carry bags, keep your car keys and mobile phone on person
(you can barricade yourself in a room/toilet and use your phone in an
emergency) |
| On your first visit always survey the premises for exits and ways out in
an emergency (also think about fire and that sometimes older people may barricade themselves inside) |
| Before your first visit, ask questions about pets, children, other potential
visitors etc |
| If your client locks the front door (particularly deadlocks) ask them to
leave the key in the lock |
| Be wary of external and internal trip hazards - such as steps
or lifted floor coverings, cords etc |
| Be wary of electrical hazards - try not to use client's electrical
equipment especially if cords are frayed - find out if they have a safety
switch installed |
| If there are dogs or other pets which concern you, be assertive and
decline providing a service until they are secured and pose no threat to you |
| Children can be an unwelcome distraction and can also be disruptive so
ensure your client attends to your reasonable request for children to be out
of the way during the visit (or at the very least ensure you keep an eye
on the gear you bring with you at all times) |
| Before your first visit, make sure that all appropriate risk assessments
are carried out (try and have a two-person visit policy for every first
visit and explain it is part of the routine service) |
| Where there are identified risks for visits and a two-person visit is not
practical, organise for someone to call you on your mobile phone near the
end of your scheduled visit to establish that you are okay (also consider a
code phrase to use in an emergency) |
| Always have procedures for checking on staff who conduct home visits and
ensuring that any concern about any visit is followed up immediately |
| Keep a register or ensure a system in place that clearly documents where
staff will be at any time |
| Follow up every instance where a staff member has not reported back at a
scheduled time after conducting a home visit |
Tips for dealing with Aggression during a Home visit:
Some tips to consider if you are faced with an aggression incident during a
home visit:
| Never enter a house if there is yelling, screaming, breaking glass etc
coming from within - call the police |
| If an aggression incident occurs, remember to try and remain as calm as
possible and think about your organisation's procedure to follow |
| Stay out of rooms such as the kitchen because there are a variety of
weapons that could be used |
| Try and keep a barrier, eg: table, between you and the aggressor where
practical |
| Speak slowly and calmly, take deep breaths, try not to say anything that
could inflame the situation |
| Slowly try to move toward an exit, or consider a room you can barricade
yourself in (most toilets have internal locks) and use your phone to call police |
| Try not to walk backwards as you risk tripping over |
| At the earliest opportunity call the Police, even if it is only the threat
of assault, and follow your organisation's procedures |
| You must inform the police if firearms are produced or implied |
Southern OHS Solutions services
Where can I get more (free) information?
For free advice you should contact your local police station for any specific
information or tips you wish to check. There are also a variety of
websites on the Internet which provide tips for home safety visits.
What can Southern OHS Solutions do to help?
Southern OHS Solutions is a certified provider of Aggression
Management training and can also conduct home visit safety training for
community workers. An audit, general procedure and/or checklists can also be provided as part of our consultancy services.
Mark has industry experience in healthcare and is able to provide quality
services to your healthcare organisation, including coordinating mock exercises
and drills as well as developing procedures to ensure your home visit safety
protocols are in place and likely to work. This experience is also
transferable to other community service organisation.
For further information or assistance please contact us by email.
Disclaimer: This article is published for information purposes
only and contains items of general opinion. It should not be used in place
of individual professional advice. Southern OHS Solutions accepts no
liability arising out of the use of any of the information above.
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