OSHA tells us that, each year, some 2 million Americans report that they are victims of workplace violence. But many more cases go unreported, and recent stats published by the Center for Disease Control say that about 16,000 private industry workers “experienced trauma from nonfatal workplace violence (WPV) in 2014”. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that in the same period another over 400 WPV incidents occurred that did result in fatalities.

Many organizations participate in some form of WPV training, but it rarely includes any form of WPV prevention. Those companies that are embracing WPV training often prepare for the worst situations by choosing to include an “active shooter” component in their instruction. In active-shooter training, employees learn what to do when someone enters their workplace with a firearm. Gaining that confidence is certainly extremely valuable. But Findlay trainers take pains to remind people: Active shooter training is not preventative.

Of course, learning to react quickly and appropriately to an on-premise shooter is essential. But why not take all the steps you can to prevent the shooter from coming onto the premises in the first place? What can you do to keep someone from becoming a shooter or choosing your business to menace?

Findlay All Hazards makes incident prevention an essential element of WPV training. Findlay uses a model designed by the US Secret Service called Threat Assessment Management. The key to workplace violence prevention is a behavioral-based observational approach toward understanding what level of threat may be posed by contractors, customers, neighbors, or even employees. Then, you learn to determine how you can mitigate the threat, through a form of intervention.

First, an organization needs to develop a Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) made up of high-level security personnel, key human resource staff, managers and employees, and even outside assistance from local law enforcement and mental health services. When the BIT Team is in place, the next step is to build a system for reporting unusual behavior, and events when they are noticed. The BIT Team then reviews this information and determines if an intervention is warranted, and at what level.

For over 15 years, Findlay All Hazards has been training and consulting both private and public sector entities across the country. Contact us today for more information about a complete WPV training program.