Do you know what to do when there is an emergency on campus? Do you have the appropriate number for unexpected situations that may occur – late at night or in the midst of chaos?

It’s important to know what to do when someone is injured, when a room floods or when there is a fire. It is essential to know what to do if there is a security threat, when lives could be at risk and your decisions can affect not only you, but everyone else’s safety.

The Central Occupational Health and Safety Committee (Central OHS) at the University of Pretoria (UP) has put together a user-friendly booklet that will make it easy for you to navigate unwelcome situations we all hope will never happen.

Over the course of the past year, Central OHS members from various units and departments gathered important information into one easily accessible document. The aim was to help the UP community manage situations that range from being just tricky to being downright dangerous.

Relevant information about OHS procedures, evacuation protocols, how to react when you’re threatened or in danger, safety protocols, expectations around conduct within our community and toward each other – and many more situations – are outlined.

The situations in the booklet are briefly described and steps to follow are suggested. Of course, no single publication can cover the whole spectrum of possible situations, but we hope this is a good beginning and that the ideas put forward will be relevant to the UP community. Central OHS members also welcome comment on this initial publication in order to improve the output.

Download it onto your laptop and phone. Ensure that everyone in your unit or department has access to it, and that students and staff in residences are familiar with the content.

Perhaps you have heard the saying, “Safety isn’t expensive – it’s priceless.” The safety of the UP community is indeed priceless.

Please read and distribute the booklet or use the QR code to access the webpage containing all relevant documents needed in case of an emergency.