How to Handle an Active Shooter Situation

Consider the following scenario – a disgruntled ex-employee enters your place of business and opens fire, killing staff before turning the gun on himself. Unfortunately, this type of incident is not unique and is becoming an all-too-familiar scene in places of business across America. In fact, workplace violence is the second leading cause of occupational fatalities, and approximately two million workers are injured every year. The toll this takes on employees is significant and the cost for employers is exorbitant, around $121 billion annually. The latest research shows that the threat of workplace violence is adding to HR concerns with 45 percent of respondents to a XpertHR survey identifying the issue as particularly challenging.

While many of us automatically think of unhappy former employees as the main perpetrators, the nature of workplace violence varies. In some instances, it is a domestic situation and can have the added complexity of perhaps involving a child custody issue. It might be an act of revenge taken against a company or a product. It can be downright random, or in today’s political climate it might also take the form of an act of terrorism.

Meanwhile, the nature of the activity is growing increasingly violent and fatal. In the workplace, offenders using guns cause 80 percent of violent deaths. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has now moved to giving such occurrences a category called the “active shooter.” The DHS defines this as an individual who is engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area. In most cases, active shooters use firearms and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims.

Forty-four percent of all active shooter or violent attacker situations in the United States happen at places of business. Despite this alarming number, it is often a subject that is overlooked or ignored. The attack itself rarely lasts more than three-to-five minutes, and often victims are selected at random. The speed and unpredictability of these attacks can add to the lack of preparation employers do to ensure the safety of all their employees.

But it is wrong to think that means nothing can, or should, be done to prepare for such an event. Companies can start by creating an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) that provides employee safety training and procedures. However, while most organizations will have an EAP, outlining the company procedures and policies in place for hurricanes and other natural disasters, rarely will these plans cover or include any reference to act of workplace violence. If you are in the minority and do not already possess an EAP, it is vital you establish one now and ensure the plan covers all disaster scenarios – both natural and human-made.

Both the DHS and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) offer a large selection of resources around the planning of your EAP for workplace violence. There is also myriad security experts and others providing advice and training.

How to create an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) that covers workplace violence

Employee safety must be a company’s highest priority. Therefore, it is imperative you design the EAP around the three tiers of response: Escape, Hide, and Neutralize.

#1 Escape

The goal is that every person gets away unharmed which is why escape is the first goal. Guidelines must be drawn to illustrate the best escape route possible. As each person escapes, they must do so without stopping. Once they have evacuated the building, there should be a prearranged rallying point at which a designated supervisor then completes a roll-call once the situation is under control.

In this pillar your plan needs to include:

• Warnings about not stopping at your desk to collect personal items
• Information regarding where to convene – make sure this place offers cover/concealment
• Name/title of the individual appointed to call 911 with all relevant information about the attacker – description of individual, weapons and last known location

#2 Hide

If individuals are not able to escape, hiding is the next recommended course of action.

Here are recommendations on how to hide:

• Silence all cell phones
• Turn off lights
• Don’t huddle in a group or large numbers
• Get low to the ground
• Place something, for example, a metal filing cabinet, in front of the door/entrance
• Look for a place that offers both cover and concealment

#3 Neutralize

If individuals are unavailable to hide or escape, the only recourse left is to attempt to fight back and overpower the assailant.

Remember the following advice:

• Be aggressive – Remember it’s you or them!
• Know what makes an effective weapon. Look around for items that might be useful. For example, a fire extinguisher, chair, keyboard or potted plant
• Know how to hit and run

What else can you do to protect your employees from workplace violence?

Training is essential. Regardless of the size of your staff, providing some basic training for all employees is necessary. However, given the seriousness of the situation, ideally the training should cover the following:

• Travel Safety
• Workplace Security
• Building Accessibility

It is also worth mentioning that it is essential that your security staff – if you have security staff – ought to be given specific training. There are a plethora of courses available, and given the nature of this situation, it is helpful if the instruction is a mix of online and hands-on, in-person training. Many experts advise that managers receive additional training, or at the very least, training that covers how they should behave given they have employees reporting to them and who possibly will look to them for direction.

The more you know about the potential of an attack, the more you can ensure the safety of your employees. Therefore, given that the attacker may be a disgruntled employee, in other words, someone familiar with the organization’s EAP, it is always recommended to have a Plan B, and that all employees are aware of an alternative place to gather and hide.

Organizations should hold Active Shooter/Violent Attacker drills as regularly as fire or earthquake drills. This training will reinforce the seriousness of this event because, despite the frequent news stories about violence in the workplace, some employees will not view the matter in the same light as a natural disaster. These employees could deem the preparation and training unnecessary, or a waste of valuable resources. To counteract this attitude, it is advisable to use some of the relevant statistics provided by OSHA to encourage all members of staff to see the absolute necessity of such training.

It is also imperative that local law enforcement is involved in the design of your EAP. They are in the best position to recommend a good location for all employees to convene. Additionally, since they will respond to the alarm call, the more they are familiar with your building/office, the easier time they will have gaining access.

What to do in the aftermath of an attack.

Regardless of the preventative steps, you might take, the reality is an active shooter situation could occur in your place of business. It is crucial to give your employees the guidance and assistance required both immediately after the event and for the future.

Here is a checklist for actions to be taken following an incident:

• Are all personnel and visitors accounted for at the meeting point?
• Does anyone require medical assistance?
• Who will contact family members? Does that individual have all the relevant contact details?
• Have the local law enforcement and emergency services been contacted?
• Who will activate communications outlets for updated information?
• Has a Family Assistance Center been established?
• Coordinate retrieval of personal belongings

This is a checklist for actions to be taken over a more extended period following an incident:

• Offer grief counseling
• Connect employees with Employee Assistance Program – for more information about this go to OPM.gov
• Process workers’ compensation claims or other types of financial assistance
• Enact continuity of operations plan and prepare to reopen facility

No employer can afford to treat the risk of a violent workplace attack lightly. In truth, in today’s climate, it is negligent not to be prepared for such an event. Given the prolific amount of information and training that is available, there is no reason why every business or organization across America does not have an EAP that covers an active shooter scenario.

About the Author:  John Arendes is the Vice President and GM Global Compliance Solutions for Skillsoft and is responsible for the leading the direction of our Global Compliance solutions. Prior to joining Skillsoft Arendes was Head of Compliance Learning, North America for Thomson Reuters.