Companies

This country’s tragic battle against active shooters unfortunately involves the workplace. In 2016, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the incident of an armed intruder is 30 times more likely than a fire, 60 times more likely than a climactic event and 125 times more likely than a chemical spill.

Yet for many workplaces, it is the incident that employees are the least prepared to handle.

Though OSHA does not have any specific guidelines for active shooter training courses, it has recognized the importance of preparing workers for these types of incidents. The courts and OSHA alike hold employers responsible for preventing workplace violence under the General Duty Clause, which states that employers must maintain a workplace free from recognized hazards causing, or likely to cause, death or serious physical harm to workers.

In 2017, OSHA released a directive to OSHA inspectors to start implementing proper workplace training for violent events.

Employers who place a priority on their employees’ health and safety are taking a proactive approach to the  possible threat of an active shooter in their workplace. The first step is to understand OSHA’s general guidelines for a workplace violence incident …

  • Employers must have a plan that focuses on the risks most likely to affect their workplace. For example, if you own a retail store that’s open early in the morning or late at night, incidents are more likely to occur in those riskier times of the day, and your training should include safety procedures on how to prevent an incident.
  • It’s not enough to establish a plan. You need to get both management and employees in on the plan, offering feedback and participating in a dialogue, so everyone understands what to do if a workplace violence incident occurs.
  • Conduct a worksite safety analysis that assesses your facility’s strengths and weaknesses, both physical and procedural. (Physicians Quality Care OCCMed will do this assessment as part of its active shooter training.)
  • Train managers and employers on how to recognize the early signs of workplace violence, including the signs of domestic violence that can erupt unexpectedly in the workplace.

We will help you develop that plan, do a worksite safety analysis and provide training. Contact us online or call (731) 984-8400.