Welcome to our ninth edition of the Hot Button.
Happy New Year! January is a month for intention setting and starting the development of habits to accomplish your resolutions. At POM, our resolution is to help you develop the habits that improve your personal safety.
We know getting started building any habit can feel daunting, that’s why we’re dropping quick and easy tips on your favorite platforms like Instagram and TikTok. In less than a minute, you’ll walk away with tips that improve the safety of you and your loved ones.
Be Well & Stay Safe!
The POM Team
Healthcare and Omicron
Omicron cases surged as cases reached an average of nearly 800,000 per day in the United States. This was three times the level seen during last winter’s previous record. Experts predict this spike may fall as quickly as it rose during the coming months.
What Happened: Healthcare workplace violence continues to place strain on the already overworked and burnt-out healthcare industry. In December, Scripts Health reported a 17% increase in workplace violence incidents. Amid this surge in violence, hospitals are pleading with patients for kindness toward their staff.
Read more:
- USA Today: Nurses get spit on, kicked, assaulted. Stop Hurting us. We are here to help you
- Becker’s Hospital Review: Hospital urge patients to show compassion to workers amid staffing shortages
Apple AirTags
In April, Apple released AirTags, a small and portable device designed to help people track and find important items. Similar to Tile devices, AirTags presented an easy way for iPhone users to attach one to a valuable item and track it via their phone.
What happened: Recently, people started sharing stories about how strangers use AirTags to track their locations. While people are notified that an AirTag is being used to track them, it still creates a startling and scary experience.
Read more:
- Today: What to do if an apple AirTag is tracking you
- CBS News: Model shares warning after she says a stranger used an Apple AirTag to track her
New Year Safety Resolution
Start your new year off by developing improved safety habits! This tip comes from our resident safety expert, Derek Shortway (you may have seen him on our TikTok).
Before exiting your vehicle, build the habit of checking your surroundings. Complete a quick 360-degree scanning of the near, medium and far distance to help identify a moving vehicle about to pass your door, a suspicious person or other potential hazards in your environment.
Combine this with the habit of carrying your POM Safe device with you and you’ll be well on your way to improved safety habits. Our portable device only sends your location data when you activate the emergency calling feature which protects you from strangers using our devices as a way to track your location.
Featured Cause: Freedom Network USA
January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Freedom Network USA was established in 2001. The network is comprised of trafficking survivors, legal and social service providers, researchers, advocacy organizations, and expert consultants. Our perspective is derived from the diverse geographic scope and expertise that our members bring from working with survivors of labor and sex trafficking. Together we influence policy, provide training and technical assistance, and increase the capacity of members and allies.
