Police give domestic workers safety tips in Dainfern

Dougalsdale Community Policing Forum (CPF) hosted a talk on 26 March, with security company Fidelity where they gave tips to domestic workers on what to do in an emergency or if they notice suspicious activities. 

Constable Ntsako Baloyi from the Dougalsdale Police Station asked the group to write down the relevant emergency contact numbers and urged them not to let anyone onto the premises without proper identification or authorisation from the owner of the house.

Dougalsdale police provided some safety tips:

• Ensure your gates are locked at all times and that the keys cannot be reached easily
• For the homeowners, burglar proofing is recommended for all windows
• If you leave the residence, inform your employer or neighbours of your intended destination and the time you expect to be back
• Ensure that tools such as axes, spades, picks, ladders which can be used in an attack are locked away
• Identify relatively safe places of refuge such as a bathroom or toilet
• Never allow strangers to handle keys or look at key numbers.

The police said they too should not be allowed access unless they produce proper identification. Domestic workers were given a police identification card and explained what needed to be checked to confirm difference between a fake and a genuine card.

Baloyi also covered the safety risks of children concerning swimming pools especially in the care of a nanny. Pools should have safety nets at all times and if accessible, there should be safety fences around the pool to prevent access are preferable.

Fidelity also gave a demonstration of how to use a fire hydrant during a fire emergency and how important it is to have one in a household.

Related articles:

Domestic workers empowered at Lonehill Residents Association forum to help combat crime in the area