We're based in the southeast, and we sure do love our guns here in the south. Both literal and metaphorical, that is.

In fact, all fifty states have passed some sort of legislation that allows individuals to to carry concealed firearms in public. Of course the requirements to obtain a permit, the types of firearms allowed, and the types of locations deemed "public" vary from state to state, but the fact is that individuals have some level of right to carry a firearm in all fifty states.

With that in mind, it behooves every business to have a written firearms policy, both for their employees and their customers/clients (if customers physically come in to your place of business). We aren't going to tell you how to write a firearms policy in this blog post, but we will leave you with some thought provoking questions as you think about this issue for your place of business:

How do you determine your firearms policy?

Who is the individual responsible for determining that policy?

What are the legal ramifications for setting such a policy?

Above all, who is the enforcer of this policy?

We can't stress this enough - a plan is only as good as the level of practice and understanding your employees have of it.

We have assessed many businesses and schools that have impressive Emergency Action Plans complete with an active shooter plan, off site muster locations*, and intelligent mass notification procedures. However, our dialogue with teachers or employees often uncovers the fact that they have no idea what to do in the event of an emergency or active shooter, they've never drilled the Emergency Action Plan, and they have never actually seen the full Emergency Action Plan document. All the muster stations in the world won't help if the people meant to run the muster stations don't know it's their job!

Consider this scenario: there is a bomb threat at your school and, according to your Emergency Action Plan, Ms. Smith is tasked with getting all fourth graders to the offsite muster station. Ms. Smith, however, has never seen the Emergency Action Plan and has no idea that she has a special role. She doesn't even know that there are offsite muster locations. Is this Emergency Action Plan any good? Again, a security plan is only as good as the level of practice and understanding the employees have of the plan.

If you have an Emergency Action Plan, you need to make sure your employees:

• know about the plan 
• understand the plan
• know their specific role in the plan
• PRACTICE the plan 

by Joy Dike, PhD 

Is there an emergency notification list clearly displayed in your place of work?

If an emergency were to occur, who would you call?

If there were suspicious behavior occurring, what would you do? Who would you contact?

If there were damaged equipment that made your workplace unsafe, who would you contact?

If there were risks to you safety, what would you do? Is there a clear chain of command for reporting risks? 

Most likely there is a fire evacuation map located somewhere prominent in your place of work. There should also be a list of people to call in case of an emergency; this list should be posted somewhere easily seen, and this list should be clear as to whom to contact under various emergency circumstances. A solid emergency notification list might include:

• 911
• Local Police
• Local Sheriff
• Local Fire & EMS
• Nearest ER
• Energy/Electricity Supplier
• Natural Gas Supplier
• Water Supplier
• Department Head/Supervisor

These are the basics and starting points for a solid emergency notification list. Different industries will need to add other contacts like OSHA, EPA, District Principal, School Principal, maintenance, etc.

If your place of work doesn't have a list like this, speak up and ask for one. It's important!

All workers have the right to a safe workplace. The law actually requires that employers provide their workers with safe and healthful workplaces. One issue of a safe workplace is access to First Aid.
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OSHA regulation 1910.151(b) states that, "In the absence of an infirmary, clinic, or hospital in near proximity to the workplace which is used for the treatment of all injured employees, a person or persons shall be adequately trained to render first aid. Adequate first aid supplies shall be readily available." OSHA tends to define "near proximity" as a 3-4 minute response time from time of injury to time of administering first aid, which means that a hospital or clinic would need to be a 1 minute drive away from your workplace (factoring in time to get to you car and drive to the hospital). As this proximity is unlikely for the majority of workplaces, it is necessary to have at least one person in the workplace (for each shift) that is trained in First Aid.

Do you know how easy and affordable it is to get First Aid, CPR, and AED certified? You can even do it online. In fact, you can even get First Aid and CRP certified for free. It's so easy to find a location or train online that there's no excuse for being non-compliant with this regulation. 

by Joy Dike, PhD

by Joy Dike, PhD

Workplace violence is an unfortunate reality in today’s world. Domestic violence spilling over to the workplace, sexual harassment, physical violence, intimidation, threats, and disruptive behavior all occur at the workplace. It is well documented that workplace homicides are in decline, but other forms of workplace violence such as harassment, physical fighting, and verbal abuse are on the rise. In addition, active shooter incidents and mass shootings are on the rise.
 
Employers have a legal and ethical obligation to provide a workplace free of threats and violence. So what can you do to address the issue of workplace violence at your place of business? Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Understand that workplace violence is more than just an armed gunman in the building. Workplace violence also includes threats, intimidation, harassment, and violent behavior.
• Understand that some situations are more likely to bring out violence – mishandled termination, the breakup of a marriage, drug or alcohol abuse.
• Understand some of the behaviors that are warning signs – increasing belligerence, worsening relationships with coworkers or bosses, aggressive outbursts.

• Know your rights as an employee for a safe work environment. Know your obligations as an employer to provide this to your employees.
• Have a physical security survey and assessment done of your premises.
• Create a risk management plan and put it into effect.
• Contact a physical security and risk consulting firm to discuss how security professionals can guide you through this process.

 
There must be support from the top of a business or organization if there is going to be any meaningful action taken to address workplace violence. It is important to understand that here is no one-size-fits-all strategy to this issue. Each business, each organization, each campus or location will have different risks associated with it and thus require a unique plan. 
 
Read Here for a more in-depth look at workplace violence.