While it’s scary to use the word “epidemic” when describing active shootings, these incidents are becoming more frequent. In 2017, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identified 30 incidents — the highest number ever recorded in a one-year period. In addition, the number of people injured or killed during each incident is rising.
Employers have a legal obligation to provide their employees with a work environment free from harm, including physical violence. Given the increase in workplace shootings in recent years, some employers are going a step further and teaching their employees how to react if such dangers occur in their places of business.
All workplaces are at risk from violence of one type or another. This does not mean that the situation should be viewed as futile. Like any other occupational hazard, most acts of workplace violence can be prevented if companies are willing to face the problem head-on.
Address potential problems: The key to stopping workplace violence is to identify and address potential problems before they escalate into violent outbursts.
Train employees to recognize warning signs: Train employees to recognize warning signs in coworkers and encourage them to report their findings to a supervisor, talk to a member of Human Resources (HR), or use an anonymous reporting avenue.
Train employees on how to survive an active shooter incident:
When conducting a risk assessment, seek the assistance of local law enforcement. These experts are aware of any local threats and have the knowledge and understanding from previous experience.
Create an emergency action plan: Unfortunately, even the best prevention measures cannot stop all acts of violence; however, creating an emergency action plan specifically for an active shooting will ensure all employees know how to respond.
Some items you’ll want to include in the plan are how to:
Conduct a tabletop exercise: After your emergency action plan has been written, members of management, HR, and your company’s emergency response team should gather and conduct a tabletop exercise.
This exercise will take attendees step by step through the entire emergency process, generating discussion that could lead to the plan’s improvement.
An active shooting tabletop exercise poses questions to consider during each phase: prevention, response, and recovery. Essentially, during a tabletop exercise, you are role playing the steps you would take during an actual incident.
Prepare for recovering from an incident: Recovery begins the moment the active shooter is incapacitated, and law enforcement renders the building safe. Beginning to account for individuals inside the building and reconnecting employees with family members should all be a part of your company’s emergency action plan and discussed during your tabletop exercise.