Would you know what to do if you were confronted with an act of workplace violence? Workplace violence exists, and it may affect you! Whether the threat is external or internal, you must have a plan in place to ensure that all of your employees have a reasonable chance of surviving. This necessitates preparation, training, and practice.
While you can't always predict and prevent workplace violence, you can plan to limit its impact.
CIC has developed training for businesses just like yours that may help you uncover security flaws, train your supervisors on prevention, and teach your employees what to do if a threat arises.
Here are three tips to keep your company safe at work:
1. Build and Train a "Threat of Workplace Violence Team"
Responding to workplace violence starts well before any incident. Implement a Threat of Workplace Violence Team and train them as a response team. Include HR, security, and supervisors. Bring in consultants to help build the plan.
Simulate scenarios in your training. The response plan should not be general. It should specify parameters of what is appropriate and when; what is tolerable behavior on the premises; what behavior will lead to removal from the premises; and when it is appropriate to disable an employee and call the authorities.
The plan should assign each team member specific responsibilities. Everyone has to know their role beforehand.
2. Know the Law
Employers have a greater legal defense by proving they performed due diligence in the hiring process and have put in place measures and protocols to protect employees from potential threats and acts of workplace violence.
What is Negligent Hiring? An employer who breaches its duty of evaluating candidates for employment and preventing them from causing serious injury or death to fellow employees or members of the public.
What is Negligent Retention? An employer can be accused of negligent retention if he does not recognize and act on his duty to insure that an existing employee does not cause harm or injury to a fellow employee or a member of public.
Perform comprehensive criminal background checks during the hiring process to show that you are concerned about mitigating potential workplace violence. Your employees are counting on you to keep the workplace safe. They are putting their faith in you to employ people with solid track records and proven qualifications for performing day-to-day tasks while respecting their coworkers and adhering to company culture.
3. Watch for Signs of Potential Workplace Violence
One of the first things you hear after an incident is, “He had been saying some weird stuff lately but I didn't think he was serious” – all threats must be taken seriously. Make sure all employees know how important it is to report suspicious comments or behavior to the team or management or both, no matter how minimal the threat seems.
Also, be especially aware of some of the common events that can act as a trigger such as terminations or domestic violence which often lead to workplace violence.Contact Our Security Consultants
CIC can provide you with the needed training and implement a “Safe at Work” program for your company to enhance your ongoing safety and security efforts while adhering to current best practices. Our experienced security management experts are particularly suited to assist you with your Active Shooter program.
For more information about this article, or general Security Management, please contact us at 1.800.573.2201 / 419.874.2201.
