Is it just us, or does the ‘Christmas rush’ start in October? Right now, you’re probably neck-deep in end of school presentations, office Christmas parties, gift buying, deadlines, meetings – but that moment you leave work for the holidays is going to feel amazing! What could possibly get in the way of your well-deserved R&R?

If you want to reduce the likelihood of that ominous Boxing Day phone call, here are 3 key “To-do’s” to get on top of right now before wrapping up for the year.

1. CHECK SITE SAFETY AND SECURITY

Now is the time to check that your site is safe, secure and monitored during the absence of staff during the holidays.

• Walkaround – Block out a 30-60min period to walk around your site noting anything that needs to be stored, tied down, locked or tidied up before the break. Take photos of buildings and equipment as evidence of the condition of the property, just in case a loss event happens.
• Final Lockup – Who is responsible for ensuring the facility is safe and secure before the extended closure period starts?
• Year-end Closure contact – Is there someone who is willing to be the site’s after-hours contact should something happen? Would they be willing to check the site once a week for any issues? Ensure their contact details are easy to find or have the site’s after-hours contact number divert to their phone.

2. CHECK CONSTRUCTION SITE SECURITY

There are many church-owned sites currently under construction. Building sites are a magnet for thieves, vandals and persons with malicious intent but these empty sites may also pose serious risk of harm to any trespasser – whether or not they have nefarious plans.

Before construction workers start going on leave, talk to your site’s builders and project contractors now about how they plan to ensure safety and security of the construction site. It is reasonable to expect that they’ll:

• lock fences,
• prevent access to scaffolds and ladders,
• isolate electricity, and
• ensure paint, hazardous substances and machinery are securely locked away.

3. CHECK YOUR EMERGENCY PLAN

Summer in our region is notorious for hot sticky days and spectacular afternoon thunderstorms – both of which come with the risk of property destruction from either fire or storm.

However, the current weather system is a major cause for concern as it brings devastating flash flooding and storm damage.

• Remind your staff, visitors and members that they should not put themselves or anyone else in danger for the sake of Adventist-owned property. And if warnings are given, they must take the advice of authorities to evacuate if advised to do so.
• Let the authorities deal with property protection in emergency or dangerous situations.
• Ensure updated emergency contact information is available, readily accessible and communicated to all staff and stakeholders. (eg. Noticeboard, internal email, front door, calls redirected)
• Appoint someone as the go-to person who would contact RMS in the event of a loss, or any event that may result in loss. For example, a site may be flooded and have property damage but it is not yet safe to check, it is helpful for someone to notify RMS that the site may have been impacted. This gives us a head start on any potential claim.

Finally, we ask you to join us in praying for the protection of people and their property during the coming months. We pray that you won’t need our service over the festive season, but if do, please call our office number to obtain our out-of-hours contact details. We’re here to help strengthen the resilience of Adventist ministry and mission.