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Informer

No. 8

Institution of First Choice * Dedicated to Excellence * Leader in Education

Personal Safety and Security
Initiatives Underway for Fall

The next time you plan to walk to
your car on campus at night, think of
safety first, advises the Health and Safety
Committee.

“We need to err on the side of caution
to be more secure,” says Rob Turner,
committee chair and Vice-President of
Student and Instructional Services.

The committee has taken a large
number of safety initiatives for the fall,
including a plan to ensure that people
working or studying late can get to their
cars safely.

Formed under Workers’ Compensa-
tion Board regulations, the Health and
Safety Committee has been making
physical changes to the College, such as
installing new lighting and phone booths.

The committee has also initiated safety
walk-abouts and is planning a safety
audit of the campus.

The walkabouts involve exploring the
campus with students to look for unsafe
conditions such as poor lighting and
bushes that encroach on walkways. The
students recommend changes that the
committee seeks to implement. A walk-
about took place in the spring of 1992,
and the committee plans to begin holding
them on a regular basis.

The safety audit, which will be
underway this academic year, will
enlarge on the information uncovered
during the walkabouts. The committee
will go through a comprehensive list of
safety checks, which will then be

reviewed by a safety professional.

As for walking to cars safely, the
committee has put two initiatives in
place. The first is being developed with
the help of faculty. During the first week
of classes, faculty will help organize
groups of three or more students to walk
together to their cars at night.

The second initiative is to enlist the
services of security personnel, who are
on campus seven nights a week. Anyone
who needs an escort may call Security at
loc. 2763 (the current local is 2963, but it
will change to 2763 in September).

Rob suggests that employees
working at night take extra precautions.
He gives the example of a faculty
member working alone. “The person

Students are returning for the fall. A group plays hackey sack by the A Building.

might call Security and ask that
someone stop by to check on
them partway through the
evening and ask that they
return at 10 p.m. for a walk to
the parking lot.”

More information about
personal safety and security on
campus will be given to
students, staff and faculty
during the first week of classes.

The Health and Safety
Committee is composed of two
administrators, two staff, two
faculty, two students, a Health
Services representative and a
staff person from the Student
Union. Rob suggests that if you
have any questions or ideas on
personal safety and security, to
call him or committee members
Ian Robertson or Donna
Savage.

Vol. XV

Aug. 18/93