In walking | In your vehicle | In your residence hall | Running and walking safety | Safety in the office

Going to college is an exciting time in your life. Time with friends engaging in fun activities will less likely turn into an unsettling situation if you follow some simple rules and use common sense.

In walking

• Try to walk in groups whenever possible or ask for an escort from campus security.
• Avoid secluded and/or poorly lit areas. If lighting is out, report it to campus security.
• Think about the routes you walk frequently. Where are the safest areas? 
  Develop a plan in advance. Statistics show that you will react the way you train yourself to act.
• Be aware that using headphones may increase your vulnerability.
• Look assertive and be aware of your surroundings. The fact is that if you look like you are aware of what is going on around you, look at people directly and keep your head up, you are less likely to become a victim. 
• If a vehicle is following you, turn around and walk away quickly or call out to someone nearby like you know him or her.
• Trust your instincts. If you are in a situation that makes you feel uncomfortable, get away from it.
• Wear comfortable clothing and shoes in case you have to run.
• Do not overload yourself with packages, books or large bags. Be prepared to drop everything in an emergency. 
• Consider carrying a whistle or hand-held alarm. 
• Do not hitchhike.
• Call the Safety Office for a ride on campus.
• If you are attacked and choose to resist, remember the goal is to engage the attacker vigorously with the purpose of getting free, then running away.
• Do not drive directly home if you think you are being followed. Know what 24-hour store is nearby or go to the local police station and start honking the horn.
• Keep keys accessible and ready to use when you approach your building or car. 

• Keep car doors locked when driving.  
• Always lock your car when you leave it unattended. Use the "club" or similar device. It is a good visual deterrent to theft.  
• Use your car alarm if you have one installed.   
• Don't leave your car running or the keys in it, even for a minute.   
• Don't leave valuables (cell phones, packages, etc.) in plain view inside your vehicle.   

In your residence hall  

• Be alert! Do not leave your property unprotected while moving into or out of your residence.  
• Have someone watch your property if you have to leave it on the sidewalk or in the parking lot while you load/unload your vehicle.  
• Keep your vehicle locked while you return to your room.   
• Unattended items should not be left in the hallway.  
• Engrave your tape decks, TV's, stereos and CD players.   
• Lock your bicycle to a fixed object as soon as you unload it. Use a heavy-duty lock.

Top

Running and walking safety

Before You Leave

• Plan your outing. Tell someone where you're going and when you'll return. Tell friends or family of your exercise routes.
• Know where telephones are located along the course.
• Wear an identification tag or carry a driver's license. If you don't have a place to carry your ID, write your name, phone number, and blood type and other medical information on the inside of your athletic shoes.
• Don't wear jewelry or carry cash.
• Wear reflective material.

On the Road

• Stay alert at all times.
• Run or walk with a partner or a dog.
• Don't wear headsets. If you wear them you won't hear an approaching car or other person.
• Listen to your surroundings.
• Consider carrying a cellular phone. Program with 9-1-1.
• Exercise in familiar areas. Know which stores are open.
• Vary your route.
• Avoid unpopulated areas, deserted streets, and overgrown trails. Especially avoid poorly lighted areas at night.
• Run clear of parked cars or bushes.
• Ignore verbal harassment. Use discretion in acknowledging strangers. Look directly at others, but keep your distance.
• Run against traffic so you can observe approaching automobiles.
• Trust your intuition about a person or an area. React based on that intuition and avoid areas you feel unsure about.
• Be careful if anyone in a car asks you for directions-if you answer, keep at least a full arm's length from the car.
• If you think you are being followed, change direction and head for populated areas.
• Have your door key ready before you reach your home.
• Call the Lakeland Police Department immediately if something happens to you or someone else, or you notice anyone out of the ordinary.

Stay Alert

Sometimes runners and walkers get lulled in a "zone" where they are so focused on their exercise and they lose track of what's going on around them. This state can make runners and walkers more vulnerable to attacks.

Top

Safety in the office

Accidents do happen in the office. Few office workers realize that they are twice as likely to be injured in a fall as a non-office worker. Nationally, only automobile accidents out number falls as the leading cause of all accidents. In the office slips, trips and falls are the number one cause of and working safely can prevent most accidents. You can become aware of the most common hazards in the office environment. The following are some examples of common hazards disabling injuries. Thinking and what you can do to prevent them from becoming accidents. 

• Don't lean back in your chair. Keep all legs on the floor so that you do not end up on the floor. Take time to reach out and hold on to the chair as you sit down. Be sure that the chair is beneath you as you sit.
• Keep the floor and walkway clear of electrical, telephone and computer cables, boxes, etc. They are tripping hazards waiting to happen.
• Close one drawer in a filing cabinet before opening another. This prevents the file cabinet from tipping over on you.
• Close the drawer in your desk before getting up and close file drawers before walking away from the file cabinet. This prevents the danger of people walking into an open file drawer or desk drawer.
• Store supplies inside cabinets, not on top of them. Store heavy items in lower drawers or on low shelves. 
• Watch out for slippery surfaces. Spilled drinks or water from umbrellas are typical hazards and need to be cleaned up/or identified immediately .
• Look where you are going. Don't block your view by carrying loads higher than eye level.
• Don't read while walking. It doesn't save enough time to justify the risk.
• Walk, do not run. Please slow down.
• Don't climb on chairs, desks or boxes. Use a step ladder instead.
• Hold onto handrails when using stairways.
• Use elevators when carrying boxes if they are available.
• Don't throw matches, ashes or cigarette butts into wastebaskets. If the building has been designated as a smoke free building - DO NOT smoke in the building.
• Don't overload wall sockets and extension cords.
• Don't touch electrical switches, sockets, plugs, etc with wet hands.
• Don't eat or drink at a computer station. It could result in malfunction of the computer and void the warranty.
• Watch for unsafe conditions such as defective equipment, burned out lights, loose steps, torn carpet, etc and report them to your supervisor immediately. 

Top