Don’t let your domestic staff be at risk in your home
JOBURG - The recent murder of a domestic worker in Parkmore has highlighted the danger for domestic workers working in non-secure homes.
The necessity and reality of the two-income household has meant that domestic staff are often all alone on the property for most of the day.
“On the one hand this offers homeowners a level of security for their homes, but on the other it leaves domestic workers exposed and a risk in their place of work,” said managing director of ADT Central Region, Clive Humphrey.
He added, “I cannot stress enough how vital it is to train your domestic staff about home security and crime prevention.”
The Domestic Watch initiative run by Penny Steyn offers an ideal platform for this kind of training. Steyn, the founder of Making a Difference offers interactive meetings for garden staff and domestic workers about crime prevention.
“Our training sessions are focused on two aspects of safety – how to prevent a crime and how to pass on information without putting your life in jeopardy,” said Steyn.
She added that the lack of information was one of the biggest obstacles for the police and domestic workers provided this by being the eyes and ears of the suburb. Domestic staff should be able to contact the homeowner or call for help from emergency services, added Steyn.
She pointed out that an employer could help by ensuring that their domestic worker had airtime for emergencies. Steyn recalled an incident where a baby was bitten in the face by a dog. “The phones in the house were all locked, and the domestic worker who was out of airtime could do nothing but grab the baby and run up the street looking for a phone so she could get help.”
Humphrey said, “Homeowners should play a role in the safety of their staff by teaching them how to arm and disarm the alarm system, and should have a list of emergency contact numbers including their employers.”
The Domestic Watch meetings have proved successful. There are many examples of domestic workers who have implemented what they have learnt at the meetings by reacting correctly in an emergency and reporting suspicious activity to the police. “We have encouraged residents to support this important suburb initiative,” said Humphrey.”
