Personal Safety of Staff in Veterinary Clinics

Explanation

Because veterinary work can involve veterinary staff having to attend cases alone, at night, or in remote or unsafe places, there may be times when personal safety is at risk. Dealing with members of the public who are under stress can also lead to situations in which veterinary staff feel unsafe.

Under the Health and Safety in Employment Act, the employer is legally required to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of employees while at work.  Hazards are to be identified and eliminated, isolated or minimised, according to the hazard.  The Act also requires employers to involve employees in development of health and safety procedures.  Practice principals or managers should ensure staff are trained in procedures such as money handling and on how to behave in emergencies such as a physical attack or armed robbery.

There are a number of measures that practices can put in place to minimise risks to their veterinary and support staff and to provide back-up systems that allow staff peace of mind in situations that are perceived to be unsafe. 

The following are some suggestions for dealing with situations that may arise in or around the clinic and on farm or house calls, and some advice that can be given to staff. Practices should adopt a risk management approach, and institute measures that are appropriate to the level of risk.

Guidelines

1. House calls should not be conducted to small animal cases after-hours. Veterinarians should insist that the client brings the animal to the clinic unless the client is known and trusted. It is advisable to ensure someone (e.g. family or staff member) knows where calls, especially those after hours, may take a veterinarian.
2. Veterinarians should always carry a readily available operational cellphone when going on calls, with emergency contacts on speed dial.
3. If a veterinarian is uncomfortable with a particular client or situation, s/he should arrange for another veterinarian to take the call, or for another person to accompany him/her on the call.  There may be some clients for whom special arrangements always apply.
4. Walking to and from a vehicle at night may put a person in danger, so clinic outdoor parking areas should be well lit at night and/or have lights that are triggered by a sensor.
5. An indoor parking area may be safer, with allowance for ingress and egress by swipe or sensor card so that there is no need for the driver to get out of the vehicle until inside.
6. Arrangements should be made for staff who feel unsafe to be accompanied from the clinic to their cars at night, and consideration should be given to having a pre-arranged escort (most security firms offer this service, otherwise another staff member or neighbour etc) who can be called by a staff member who has been working alone and feels unsafe. An escort could also be used in other situations in which a staff member may feel at risk.
7. As veterinary visits are usually arranged by telephone, the opportunity exists for screening and any calls that arouse suspicion should be dealt with accordingly (such as by the veterinarian arranging for another person to be present during the visit).
8. Entrance to the clinic at night should be made through the staff entrance, with outside doors locked after entry.  Clients should be assessed before being admitting to the clinic so that, if there is any discomfort, another person (practice manager, another veterinarian, or some other person that has been pre-arranged to act as back-up for security) can be called before allowing entry to the premises.  If a group of people not known to the veterinarian accompanies an animal, consideration should be given to allowing only one into the clinic with the animal, with the door being locked after entry.
9. Monitored ‘panic’ buttons, or cordless remote devices that can be worn on the person, are available, and can be activated to alert a security patrol.
10. In the case of a hold-up when a person is demanding money or drugs, it is advisable to give him/her what s/he asks for and call the police as soon as possible. It is important to record as much detail of the offender as possible.
11. The police should be called on 111 if there are any serious concerns in any situation. Police say they prefer to be called to a false alarm than have to deal with a serious crime later.

Car Security

1. Cars should be kept locked.
2. Valuables and drugs should be kept out of sight.
3. Keys should be carried separately from your handbag/briefcase so that if the bag is stolen, access to the house/car is still available.
4. Keys should be in your hand when approaching the car so that it can be opened quickly. Particularly at night, it is advisable to lock the car once you are inside it.
5. Keys should not be labelled.
6. In the case of a breakdown, after raising the bonnet, the driver should stay inside the car (if practical) with doors locked, windows up and hazard lights flashing. Windows should not be opened if strangers approach.
7. If another motorist appears to be in trouble, it may be preferable to phone for help or drive to the nearest busy place such as a service station to report the problem, rather than stopping to give direct assistance.
8. The petrol tank should be kept at least half full.
9. Hitch-hikers should not be picked up.
10. It is advisable, where possible, to park in busy well-lit areas.

Security systems

Security companies offer a wide range of products and services that can be tailored to suit the needs of the practice and the level of risk.  Listed below are just some of the features that are available; contact a security company for full details. Some of the large nationwide security companies will not have a presence in smaller towns, but frequently have a relationship with a small local security business.

Security patrol officers are licensed (and carry identification to prove it) and trained to deal with a variety of situations. They are not armed, but work closely with the police and will call on them when needed.  Security patrols can:

• visit premises at night;
• act as a deterrent to intruders;
• detect insecure areas of the building;
• attend alarm activations;
• be available to act as escorts to/from carparks etc.

• activation is by motion (+ pet immunity) sensors or glass break detector;
• different levels of monitoring by the security company are available;
• security companies can be advised of the hours that staff may access clinic. If the alarm is  disarmed outside these hours, the company will phone and ask for the password. A ‘panic’ password would dispatch a low visibility security/police response to the scene (This is for the situation in which staff are forced under threat of violence to open the clinic and disarm the alarm);
• the keypad for arming and disarming can have different PINs for individuals so that entries and exits can be recorded;
• alarms can include a panic distress call to the security patrol;
• response to activation of the alarm is by pre-determined procedure (e.g. patrol dispatched, key-holder contacted);
• panic alarm buttons (eg under reception counter, beside safe, worn as remote cordless device such as bracelet) are available. When activated a security patrol is dispatched to the premises.

Security alarm systems should be tested regularly to ensure they are functioning correctly.

Video surveillance

Twenty-four hour recorded video surveillance is a pre-emptive measure that practices could consider.

Policy Files: 

1c - Personal Safety - Mar08.pdf