Don’t let your domestic staff be at risk

The recent murder of a domestic worker in a robbery in Parkmore has highlighted the danger for domestic workers working in non-secure homes.

The necessity and reality of the two income household means that domestic staff, be they working inside the house or in the garden, 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 at risk in their place of work,” Clive Humphrey, Managing Director of ADT Central Region said on 13 August.

“I cannot stress enough how vital it is to train your domestic staff about home security and crime prevention.”

The security suburb initiative named Domestic Watch offers this kind of training. Domestic Watch, a programme run by Penny Steyn, the founder of Making a Difference (MAD), and sponsored by ADT offers interactive meetings for garden staff and domestic workers about crime prevention.

“In our training sessions we focus on two aspects of safety: how to prevent a crime and, how to pass on information without putting your life in jeopardy,” Steyn said.

Steyn said that lack of information is one of the biggest obstacles for the SAPS and that the neighbourhood domestic workers, the eyes and ears of the suburb, need to know how to pass on this information.

Another factor often forgotten is whether your domestic staff will be able to contact you or call for help from emergency services? Do your domestic staff know how to give directions to your home in the event of an emergency?

Steyn points out that employer can help by ensuring that their domestic staff have airtime for emergencies. She 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.”

“Another way for homeowners to play a role in the safety of their staff by teaching them how to arm and disarm the alarm system,” Humphrey said.

“Domestic staff should ideally have their own code and password and panic button. Have a list of emergency contact numbers – including your mobile number – stuck on or near the phone. These numbers should be saved to cell phone memory as well. Discuss any safety concerns or security issues you are aware of with your domestic staff.”