Last week, Port of Seattle hosted Safety and Preparedness Fairs at its Pier 69 headquarters and Sea-Tac Airport to increase the readiness of its employees and employees of airport businesses. Sponsored by the Port’s Health and Safety and Emergency Preparedness departments, table presenters included internal Port departments, as well as, several external vendors (see the list of participants at the end of this article).
The fair was about safety in the broadest sense: from emergency preparedness to worksite safety to being vigilant against email spam and phishing attempts. The Port’s new Director of Health and Safety, Teresa Cummins, expounded on the theme of 200% accountability, which encompasses watching out for our own safety as well as the safety of our colleagues:
“One thing that we can do for each other at the Port is to be accountable for each other. You have my back and I have yours. You keep your eyes on me, I’ll keep my eyes on you, and we can all go home safe.
“The whole point of 200% accountability is that if you see someone working [in unsafe conditions], they may be too focused on the job at hand to recognize the hazard. So it’s up to us to watch out for each other.”
Some quick safety and preparedness tips from presenters for those who were unable to attend:
“Remember that fire extinguishers expire, as do smoke detectors. In addition to regularly replacing batteries, sometimes the detector itself needs to be replaced. The American Red Cross Home Fire Campaign helps save lives by installing free smoke alarms in homes that don't have them, and by educating people about home fire safety.
“Also—keep hard sole shoes by your bed in case of an earthquake. Think of things that will fall, crash, or break in an earthquake and about having to walk across them.”
-- Jan Bromberg, American Red Cross
Be sure to acquaint (and re-acquaint) yourself with the nearest life safety supplies at your work location, including trauma kits, stair chairs, and AEDs.
-- Kati Davich, Port of Seattle Emergency Preparedness Planning and Program Manager
“Make sure your safety kit includes food that doesn't expire.”
-- Mersiha Beganovic, Port of Seattle Police Specialist
“Just be aware. Stay vigilant. We rely on your eyes to keep this place safe.”
-- Port of Seattle Police Officers Joshua Maiuri and Clint March
“If [an email] looks suspicious, please report it. Report phishing emails to Information Communication Technology using the button in Outlook. It's all about the click—if a message looks suspicious, don’t click on any links.”
-- Oscar Segura, Port of Seattle Sr. Information Security Analyst, ICT
Thank you to all those who helped make the Safety and Preparedness Fair possible!
Planning Committee:
- Tiffany Olson, Health & Safety
- Kati Davich, Emergency Preparedness
- Mersiha Beganovic, Police
- Brittney McCree, Risk
Internal Departments hosting tables:
- Construction Safety
- Emergency Preparedness
- Fire Department
- Health and Safety
- Information Security
- Police Department (Dive Team and K9)
- Police 911 Center
- Risk Management
- Safety Management System
External Vendors:
- American Red Cross
- Costco
- King County Emergency Management
- Vimocity
- Wellspring EAP
