-Carola Mittag
I’m a self-professed Marketplace Fanatic. Usually children take on some of their parents’ habits, but I have become a Marketplace enthusiast after my sons both showed me the things that they scored at almost unbelievable prices. I have always been a believer in reduce, reuse, recycle. This new fixation has taken that belief to a whole new level.
It is not that I need anything; as a matter of fact I should be getting rid of things at this point in my life. However, there is a compulsion to search for that. one. item. that perhaps, I just cannot do without. And I have found some totally frivolous items that are beautifying my home now and were once prized by their original owners. By the same token, I am posting things on Marketplace that are no longer needed, loved or wanted. Having taken over my parents’ house a few years back, I had to give away and sell many items that were not relevant to my lifestyle and design choices.
The process for purchasing an item from Marketplace is to send an offer, or deposit, or full payment to hold the item for the buyer to pick up at an arranged time. The pick-up could be from the seller’s home or at an agreed upon public place. The process for selling an item is to list it on Marketplace, describe the item and post the asking price. When posting an item the seller is asked whether their item will be available for viewing and pick-up at their location or at a pre-arranged location.
This got me to thinking about safety risks. There is the risk to the vendor who lists something for a potential buyer to come and view. In a well-known case in 2013, Tim Bosma listed a pickup truck for sale. An assumed potential buyer came to take it for a test drive with Mr. Bosma. A Hamilton Spectator headline Tim Bosma goes out for a test rive never to return home tells of the tragic outcome that Mr. Bosma was killed by the assumed buyer.
Until now I have had people come to my home when I’ve had something to sell and let them in if it was a larger item they were interested in. I live alone. I have put my safety at risk.
The key here is the word “alone” or “lone”. Lone workers may be at increased risk of confrontations or even violence, particularly if they are on shift during late night hours. Lone workers must be able to get assistance if they are injured or there is an emergency. What can be done to help a lone worker stay safe? Here are some things to help ensure the safety of a lone worker:
- Assess the hazards of your workplace.
- Avoid having a lone worker whenever possible, especially for jobs with a recognized risk.
- Provide appropriate training and education to lone workers and those tasked to respond when there is concern.
- Schedule higher risk jobs to be carried out during regular working hours or when another worker is available to help in an emergency.
- Establish a check-in procedure. Make sure that regular contact is kept with all workers.
- Establish ways to account for people (visually or verbally) while they are working.
For more information on working alone visit the CCOHS information page. CLICK HERE
While it isn’t always hazardous to work alone, it can be when other circumstances are present. Whether a situation is a high or low risk will depend on the location, type of work, interaction with the public, or the consequences of an emergency, incident, injury, etc. The wide variety of possible circumstances makes it important to assess each situation individually.
I’ve come to realize that almost all events in my life must be viewed with an eye to safety; whether, as a marketplace fanatic or as an employee at risk when working alone.
Watch for next month’s Blog published in the first week of May.
Sincerely,
Carola Mittag
Consultant and Editor for Mentor Safety Consultants Inc.