How Does Active Shooter Training Help Businesses Meet Workplace Compliance Requirements?
Workplace violence has many definitions, but it has been described as “any act of verbal abuse to and including death” and has the potential to affect everyone at the work site; employees, clients, contractors and visitors.
It can ALSO be defined as “any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior occurring at the work site”.
Doesn’t matter if an active shooter incident is targeted or not, and in whatever form it takes, it is an employer’s duty to protect workers from harm in the workplace.
Now, let’s look at the role of active shooter training in workplace compliance.
Violence in the Workplace is on the Rise
Violence in the workplace is a prominent issue for health care practitioners. Each year two million workers in the United States experience workplace violence, and homicide remains one of the leading causes of workplace death in the U.S.
More than 277 active shooter events have taken place in the last twenty years, the majority in a place of business, such as a business, school, government office or other workplace controlled by an employer.
In order to shield employees from workplace violence, employers should have a reasonable and pragmatically implementable preventative program. It takes an approach to employee safety that is holistic and includes:
- Commitment to safety by both management and workers
- Company-wide no violence policies
- Regular assessments of prevention programs
- Dedicated to changing workplace culture
Training also plays a vital role in any workplace violence prevention program. Workplace violence programs must be effective and ingrained in the culture of the workplace and therefore, employees and management should be trained to recognize, report, and prevent workplace violence.
Employers ought to train against workplace violence simply to show that their employees, customers, and clients safety matter. Doing so is crucial within all industries and proper training allows people to minimize threats and save lives.
Ensuring Employee Safety and Compliance with Active Shooter Training
Part of the legal and moral responsibility of employers to provide a safe workplace for employees is taking reasonable action to mitigate and prepare for an active shooter, as well as any other forms of violence in the workplace .
This means giving functional shooter training as a part of an employee’s compliance training. Employers are specifically responsible for:
- Evaluating the possibility of an active shooter incident or other violent occurrence in the workplace, based on the nature of the work being done, the space and exposure to the public.
- Creating and maintaining an extensive workplace violence prevention program that consists of policies and procedures for recognizing and reporting threats, responding to violence, and support for the employees of a workplace.
- Regular and continual active shooter training provided to all employees including new hires as part of the employees compliance training.
- Tailoring the active shooter training to their specific needs such as the physical layout of their building, the employee count, and the type of work being done.
- Providing all staff with access to, and knowledge of, emergency communications.
- Regular drills and exercises to evaluate the workplace violence prevention program and active shooter training.
- Periodically reviewing and updating the workplace violence prevention program and active shooter training as necessary to ensure it remains relevant.
Not meeting these responsibilities can expose the employer to legal and financial repercussions and leave employees with a greater vulnerability.
It follows that employers must not only take active shooter trainings seriously, but also workplace violence prevention efforts as a regular part of compliance training.
Empowering Employees with Active Shooter Training
Active shooter training is a critical component to employee compliance training and prepares employees for a violent attack in their workplace.
Instruction on identifying the “red flags” that might signal impending workplace violence along with how to respond to an active shooter/violent person in the building is provided.
These should be included in the training:
- How to rapidly evaluate a situation as being potentially dangerous
- Know where the exits and safe places to hide are
- Plan for self-protection and evacuation
- How to communicate with others during an active shooter situation
- Implementation of emergency notification systems
- Value of silence
Active shooter training also involves the broader components of situational awareness and critical thinking, such as noting when certain behaviors are suspicious, or when and how to identify escape routes.
Workers will be trained to identify the difference between gunfire and other workplace sounds, such as construction noise or equipment noise.
Active shooter training aims to empower employees with the personal skills and resources needed for an efficient and rapid response during an emergency situation, ultimately saving lives.
Employees may also be trained in workplace violence prevention and intervention techniques, learning how to recognize and respond to signs of possible danger prior to an active shooter situation.
Creating a Culture of Safety
Active shooter training is importance for business facilities, even more so than other facilities, because customers, or their family members may also become victims of violent incidents.
Public business venues have a number of training programs available specific to their industry and customize programs that address the risks and challenges faced by public facing workers.