Active shooter/Active threat

Scope

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.

Regulatory citations

• 29 USC 654 — Duties of employers and employees (”General Duty Clause” of the OSH Act)

Key definitions

• Active shooter: An individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area.
• Workplace violence: Violence, or the threat of violence, against employees, supervisors, customers, or vendors.

Summary of requirements

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:

• Avoid — At the first sounds of gunfire, employees need to realize it is not fireworks or some other prank. If they can, they should move toward a safe exit immediately and get out of the facility as quickly as possible.
• Deny — If the shooter is blocking their exit or they are physically unable to escape, employees should deny the shooter access to them. Find a safe room, preferably with a locking door, shut off the lights, silence cell phones, and make no noise. Barricade the door with heavy objects if it can’t be locked.
• Defend — If avoiding and denying aren’t possible, employees should take every effort to defend themselves as a last resort. Use whatever objects are within reach and attack the shooter without hesitating. Don’t fight fair, and don’t stop until the shooter is incapacitated and disarmed.

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:

• Report an active shooter
• Alert other employees
• Respond after the active shooter incident
• Account for all employees afterward

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.