Situational Awareness: Staying Safe While Working from Home

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on everybody around the world. In the UK, at current time of writing, there are no national lockdown restrictions in place. That said, the virus is still present in our lives, and it’ll likely remain that way for the foreseeable future.

This means that staff who were working remotely where possible can now return to a familiar office environment. With no limits on social contact, offices are deemed safe considering the vaccine rollout and the ever-decreasing threat from the virus infection. However, some employers are still exercising caution in response to the presence of coronavirus and have been given liberties to allow remote working to continue. For some, productivity has improved, and they find it easier and preferable to work remotely, but some feel differently. 

Situational Awareness and being Hyper-Vigilant

For those employers that are still operating remotely on a flexible or permanent basis, you should approach your remote working environment safely, as you should have been doing from the beginning. Just because most people in the UK have received both doses of the vaccine now, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t tread lightly given the lack of tight restrictions in place. 

You should use basic principles of situational awareness when working from home, as you would when outside in public. 

To recap, the meaning of situational awareness is “complete awareness of everything in your immediate surroundings, having spotted potential hazards, threats and exit points in the event something doesn’t feel right.”

While the idea of this necessity applying in a safe, secure home office environment might sound far-fetched, the importance of situational awareness skills and processes cannot be understated.

What to Consider When Working from Home in 2021

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, many employers have introduced home working policies and procedures for all staff to help prevent or minimise the spread of the virus. As an accredited situational awareness training provider, as well as licensed trainers of first aid, close protection, conflict management and much more, Advanced Tactical Resources have outlined how you can remain as safe as possible while continuing to work remotely. 

As training providers, we recognise employers’ commitment to adapting to transitional working conditions and how they help their staff adjust. We help organisations comply with all health and safety requirements while simultaneously aiding their team to recognise any hazards and dangers in the home while working remotely. Even if their home is a safe space, no environment is ever risk or hazard-free.

In a seemingly ordinary and run-of-the-mill home environment, small indicators can trigger a response internally that tells you something isn’t right. This is where situational awareness courses and strategies can be helpful, as they teach you the presence of the abnormal and the absence of the normal. With this training from Advanced Tactical Resources, you can enhance your perception of your surroundings to keep yourself as self-aware, vigilant and safe as possible.

Situational Awareness Skills, Strategies and Advice

Here are some essential things to remember as a remote-working employer:

• Safety should remain your #1 priority, and your employees should carry out risk assessments where appropriate.
• Be mindful of staff’s stress levels, equipment, comfort, and communication, as a sudden shift to remote working can feel different to a busy office. Some may take longer than others to adjust.
• First aid arrangements and accident reporting procedures should be clearly outlined and aim to reduce hazards as much as possible.
• People should take adequate rest and breaks between working periods, as they would in an office setting.
• Be cautious of security risks and concerns with remote infrastructure and setups, ensure your equipment is fit-for-purpose and will not pose a security concern for staff that use it. Equally, make sure your team know how to use it correctly!
• Communication is crucial, as it decreases the feelings of isolation for those that are alone. It also increases productivity in the office, and while it’s not an explicit Health & Safety at Work legislation requirement, it’s crucial. 
• If anyone working from home has children, please be cautious of wires taking up space as children can easily suffer accidents due to tripping or falling. 

Improving Workplace Situational Awareness for Employers:

• Upskill managers to discuss employee wellbeing confidentially and confidently, so they can prevent any potential accidents.
• Establish clear routines and boundaries while encouraging staff to balance work with rest and other duties at home.
• Using situational awareness techniques to spot signs of overwork, stress and fatigue, through staff’s actions, words, eye contact and body language.
• Ensure all your professional and personal goals are outlined and communicated, so there is complete clarity in the workforce.
• Calibrate your frequency of communication to ensure their personal needs are met, and you can get a sense of where things are each day.

Situational Awareness Training Courses

It’s clear to see that even while still remotely-based, employers need to learn situational awareness skills so they can ensure their employees are safe. If employees are not looked after and given the tools, resources and training they need, it can impact business performance, which is crucial during uncertain times such as this pandemic.

Advanced Tactical Resources offer various bespoke situational awareness training sessions tailored to your organisation and specific requirements. We have majorly incorporated themes from hostile environment awareness training for this training but have since adapted to teach you valuable processes, skills and strategies for everyday situations. 

For more information, please contact us today.