Occupational Safety within the Force is defined as OPERATIONAL Safety. For this reason, Police Tactical Unit Headquarters (PTU HQ) and Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Division of Support Wing have jointly included a new "Operational Safety" heading under the "Special Instructions" heading in the Force Operational Order Format and the Full and Short Verbal Briefing Formats, marking an important milestone in embedding the concept of safety in Force operations.

All operations must be conducted safely in order to be successful; there is therefore nothing new about this approach. But what the new heading does achieve is that it directs the minds of all officers towards appreciating safety by incorporating it into a habitually used thought process when going about their job.

Not all operations allow for a detailed documented assessment of the task at hand. Many situations arise at a short notice and are dynamic. Inclusion of "Operational Safety" as a heading in the Short Verbal Briefing Format allows officers to rely on their training when working in a dynamic situation and ensures that they have thought about safety. The simplicity of it is that no record needs to be kept, as safety has become part of Standard Operating Procedures. In the unfortunate event an officer gets hurt, it can subsequently be shown that safety has been considered throughout the operation. It is stressed that reliance on the "Operational Safety" heading cannot replace formal written risk assessments where they are applicable. Full and Short Verbal Briefing Formats are to complement the existing Force Safety Management System (FSMS).

So what do officers have to do? Nothing more than appreciating the task and pointing out to colleagues the hazards that may pose a threat of injury to them and thereby may also jeopardise the successful outcome of an operation. How many hazards? Only the most significant, and the constraints imposed by the time available in a dynamic situation will direct officers' minds to these. Simple pointers such as "beware of oncoming traffic", "keep an eye for concealed weapons", "ensure you have enough drinking water", "be wary of the unpredictable nature of the suspect", are simple but easy examples to follow.

The new Short Verbal Briefing Format looks like this -

Ground; Situation; Mission; Command (Overall, Field and Intermediate); Specific Duties; Modification of Plan; Routes; Special Instructions; Operational Safety; Handling of Prisoners, and Casualties

PTU HQ has implemented the measure with effect from August this year.