The InVisionary
One of our biggest priorities at InVision Human Services is the health and safety of our team members and the people we support; relying on our Safety Committee for integral insight to establish proper safety measures. Tasked with creating annual safety goals, reviewing previous incidents, and proactive and preventative thinking, our Safety Committee plans and prepares essential health and safety information for our organization.
Similarly to our Employee Engagement Committee, the Safety Committee consists of a balance of office staff and Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) from various departments and work sites. This group meets monthly to discuss topics such as seasonal safety, fire safety and prevention, changes to our organizational policies and procedures, and more. The committee is also responsible for ensuring everyone at InVision is equipped with proper safety knowledge, and that we stay compliant with safety regulations set by the Department of Labor.
Historically, and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the committee’s efforts have been centered on office safety. While still providing resources for office staff, the Safety Committee’s efforts have adjusted to also address our Residential, Community Supports, and Employment Supports programs – offering education and tools about safety in the homes of the people we support, as well as out in the community.
Most recently, the Safety Committee has placed an emphasis on bringing awareness to the importance of reporting. At the center of all InVision’s safety conversations, goals, trainings, and prevention measures are detailed reports of accidents and incidents that have occurred within the homes of the people we support and our office locations. As such, members of our leadership team alongside the Safety Committee have invested great time and effort to publicize safety information and address our most common occurring safety issues.
“InVision is unique in a sense that a lot of workplaces’ safety planning is based on potential hazards and risks to employees that are working, whereas at InVision we also have to keep the people we support safe,” Learning and Development Trainer and member of the Safety Committee, Dustin Pierce, shared. “While the committee’s role is to primarily ensure employee safety, a lot of our employees are spending all their time working with other people. It benefits the organization by not just keeping the focus on employee safety, but also those our employees are working with, and making sure our homes are safe.”
When welcomed with October, the first thoughts that may come to mind are the start of “spooky season,” celebrating the Halloween holiday with candy and costumes, the weather cooling down a bit more, and the leaves changing color before they fall. But, did you know that the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) – an organization that has worked to help solve safety problems for more than 125 years – has also dedicated the second week of October to Fire Prevention Week?
There’s nothing “spookier” than unsafe practices, especially when it comes to fire safety. So, let’s dive into the significance of fire prevention, and how InVision works to keep the people we support and our staff safe, prepared, and complaint in emergency situations.
Dating back to 1922, the NFPA has observed the week of October 9 as Fire Prevention Week, aligning with the commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which caused catastrophic damage to homes, structures, and people’s lives. The goal of the observance of Fire Prevention Week is to raise awareness surrounding fire safety – providing education to people of all ages, organizations, and communities to ultimately decrease fire-related casualties. This year’s Fire Prevention week will take place from October 6-12, with the theme of “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you,” promoting the importance of having a functional smoke alarm.
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, over one million fires occur in the United States each year; resulting in over 3,000 civilian deaths, over 13,000 civilian injuries, and costing billions of dollars in property losses on an annual basis. The U.S Fire Adminstration also indicates the following most common causes of residential building fires:
Along with additional training to increase awareness and skillsets, fire drills take place in the homes of the people we support once a month. This ensures that people supported by InVision, and their DSPs, not only learn necessary fire safety skills but also have the opportunity to apply these skills to become proficient in evacuating from an unsafe fire situation.
These fire drills are executed identifying different areas of the homes as the site of the fire and throughout various times during the day. This allows staff and people supported to think through different scenarios and routes for evacuation.
“Fire drills ensure that in an emergency situation, there are less in-the-moment decisions, because the skills have been practiced and applied,” Dustin added. “It is important to get into practice and routines to become an expert, and the skills become automatic.”
As Fran Sehn, certified safety professional and consultant with Assured Partners, mentions via the InVision fire safety training, to properly apply fire safety and prevention, everyone has to be involved. As such, InVision and the Safety Committee have made it a priority to ensure all InVision personnel are trained and actively applying critical thinking and safety skills.
InVision team members can access materials and minutes of all Safety Committee tips, insight and reporting through our Human Resources Information System, UKG Ready.
For additional information surrounding fire prevention, safety and smoke alarms, visit the resources available via the NFPA’s website.
Similarly to our Employee Engagement Committee, the Safety Committee consists of a balance of office staff and Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) from various departments and work sites. This group meets monthly to discuss topics such as seasonal safety, fire safety and prevention, changes to our organizational policies and procedures, and more. The committee is also responsible for ensuring everyone at InVision is equipped with proper safety knowledge, and that we stay compliant with safety regulations set by the Department of Labor.
What is the Focus of InVision’s Safety Committee?
Historically, and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the committee’s efforts have been centered on office safety. While still providing resources for office staff, the Safety Committee’s efforts have adjusted to also address our Residential, Community Supports, and Employment Supports programs – offering education and tools about safety in the homes of the people we support, as well as out in the community.Most recently, the Safety Committee has placed an emphasis on bringing awareness to the importance of reporting. At the center of all InVision’s safety conversations, goals, trainings, and prevention measures are detailed reports of accidents and incidents that have occurred within the homes of the people we support and our office locations. As such, members of our leadership team alongside the Safety Committee have invested great time and effort to publicize safety information and address our most common occurring safety issues.
“InVision is unique in a sense that a lot of workplaces’ safety planning is based on potential hazards and risks to employees that are working, whereas at InVision we also have to keep the people we support safe,” Learning and Development Trainer and member of the Safety Committee, Dustin Pierce, shared. “While the committee’s role is to primarily ensure employee safety, a lot of our employees are spending all their time working with other people. It benefits the organization by not just keeping the focus on employee safety, but also those our employees are working with, and making sure our homes are safe.”October’s Fire Safety Awareness
When welcomed with October, the first thoughts that may come to mind are the start of “spooky season,” celebrating the Halloween holiday with candy and costumes, the weather cooling down a bit more, and the leaves changing color before they fall. But, did you know that the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) – an organization that has worked to help solve safety problems for more than 125 years – has also dedicated the second week of October to Fire Prevention Week?There’s nothing “spookier” than unsafe practices, especially when it comes to fire safety. So, let’s dive into the significance of fire prevention, and how InVision works to keep the people we support and our staff safe, prepared, and complaint in emergency situations.
Fire Prevention Week: History & Purpose
To maintain the highest level of care, safety, and prevention, the NFPA is constantly working to evolve its expertise – covering public safety issues such as fire prevention, wildfire preparedness, electrical safety, hazardous materials, and community risk reduction.Dating back to 1922, the NFPA has observed the week of October 9 as Fire Prevention Week, aligning with the commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which caused catastrophic damage to homes, structures, and people’s lives. The goal of the observance of Fire Prevention Week is to raise awareness surrounding fire safety – providing education to people of all ages, organizations, and communities to ultimately decrease fire-related casualties. This year’s Fire Prevention week will take place from October 6-12, with the theme of “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you,” promoting the importance of having a functional smoke alarm.
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, over one million fires occur in the United States each year; resulting in over 3,000 civilian deaths, over 13,000 civilian injuries, and costing billions of dollars in property losses on an annual basis. The U.S Fire Adminstration also indicates the following most common causes of residential building fires:- Cooking – 47.7%
- Heating – 9.3%
- Unintentional, Careless – 8.8%
- Electrical Malfunction – 7.0%
Fire Safety at InVision
One of the best resources InVision provides is fire safety training on Relias. Recently updated as a collaboration between the Learning and Development department, the Safety Committee, and Assured Partners, this course is catered to the unique nature of the services we provide. It covers the following topics:- An introduction and overview of Fire Safety
- Fire Safety and Prevention
- Hazards and Smoking Regulation
- Emergency, Detection, and Evacuation
- Fire Extinguishers
- Fire Safety Summary
Along with additional training to increase awareness and skillsets, fire drills take place in the homes of the people we support once a month. This ensures that people supported by InVision, and their DSPs, not only learn necessary fire safety skills but also have the opportunity to apply these skills to become proficient in evacuating from an unsafe fire situation.These fire drills are executed identifying different areas of the homes as the site of the fire and throughout various times during the day. This allows staff and people supported to think through different scenarios and routes for evacuation.
“Fire drills ensure that in an emergency situation, there are less in-the-moment decisions, because the skills have been practiced and applied,” Dustin added. “It is important to get into practice and routines to become an expert, and the skills become automatic.”
As Fran Sehn, certified safety professional and consultant with Assured Partners, mentions via the InVision fire safety training, to properly apply fire safety and prevention, everyone has to be involved. As such, InVision and the Safety Committee have made it a priority to ensure all InVision personnel are trained and actively applying critical thinking and safety skills.
InVision team members can access materials and minutes of all Safety Committee tips, insight and reporting through our Human Resources Information System, UKG Ready.
For additional information surrounding fire prevention, safety and smoke alarms, visit the resources available via the NFPA’s website.
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October 2, 2024
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