Household safety awareness in isiZulu

It is important to empower your domestic workers with the skills, knowledge and resources in order to keep them safe. Not only when they are on your property but also when they are in their own homes.
Here are the following household safety tips for domestic workers:

• Never leave keys in a gate or lock.
• Keep security gates or doors locked at all times.
• If a delivery person arrives unexpectedly, call your employer first to check if they are expecting a delivery.
• Before opening the door to hang up washing or sweep veranda’s, have a look through the windows to make sure there is no one outside waiting to pounce.
• Always leave internal door keys on the inside of the door. If an intruder tries to break in you have time to lock yourself in a room and call for help.
• If you lose or misplace keys, inform your employer, so they have an opportunity to change their locks.
• If you answer the phone or gate don’t say your employer is not at home, rather that your employer is not available and take a message.
• When walking from the bus or taxi, meet with other domestic workers and walk together – safety in numbers.
• Don’t talk to other domestic workers about the whereabouts of your employer or the valuables they own. Someone may hear your conversation and target the house you work at putting your safety in danger.
• Be sure to save your employer’s security company and SAPS contact numbers to put on your phone.

Nazi izinto ezimbalwa okumele siziqhaphele:

• Singashiyi izikhiye zilenga esagweni noma escabheni.
• Sivale wonke amasango neminyango ngasosonke isikhathi.
• Uma kukhona umuntu ofikayo ethi uzodiliva engalindelekile, fonela umqashi wakho uqinisekise ukuthi ngabe ukhona obelindeleke ukuzodiliva okuthize.
• Ngaphambi kokuvula umnyango uma uyoneka iwashing noma ngabe uyoshanela kuveranda, qalaza uqinisekise akukho muntu ongase asebenzise lelothuba ukugqekeza.
• Qikelela uhlale ushiye ukhiye uphakathi escabheni ngaphakathi, uma kukhona ongaqgekeza usheshe ukwazi ukuzikhiyela bese ufonela usizo.
• Uma ulahlekelwa ukhiye azisa umqashi wakho ngokushesha ukuze akwazi ukuthola ithuba lokushintsha izikhiye.
• Uma ubamba ucingo noma uphendula ofuna ukungena esangweni ungasho ukuthi umqashi wakho akekho, okungenani cela ukuthatha umyalezo.
• Uma wehla ethekisini noma isebhasini hlangana nabanye abasebenzi nihambisane, kuphephile ukuhamba nibaningi.
• Ungaxoxeli abanye abasebenzi ngokuthi umqashi wakho akekho, nokuthi izinto ezithize abanazo zihlalaphi ,kungaba khona olalele asebenzise ithuba, lokhu kungakufaka engozini.
• Qinisekisa unenombolo yabaqaphi bomqashi wakho (Security Company) kanye nenombolo yamaphoyisa efonini yakho.

Print out the above Household-Safety-Awareness-in-isiZulu and pop it on your fridge or give it to or your domestic worker to take home and read.
What you can do in your home:

• Ensure that your domestic staff know where the panic buttons are and how to use them – reiterate holding down for a full 3 seconds to ensure the signal is sent.
• Consider investing in a remote panic button that they can wear while continuing their duties outside the house.
• Remind them not to open the gate or door to anyone, unless you have given a specific instruction about a repairman expected to arrive.

We facilitate household safety awareness workshops, so if you would like to arrange a group and have us address the group contact our Special Projects team on: (031) 717 5000.