Reduce Liability From OSHA Required "Standard of Care"
(U.S. Department of Labor)
Under the General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) of 1970, employers are required to provide their employees with a place of employment that “is free from recognizable hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious harm to employees.” The courts have interpreted OSHA’s general duty clause to mean that an employer has a legal obligation to provide a workplace free of conditions or activities that either the employer or industry recognizes as hazardous and that cause, or are likely to cause, death or serious physical harm to employees when there is a feasible method to abate the hazard.
An employer that has experienced acts of workplace violence, or becomes aware of threats, intimidation, or other indicators showing that the potential for violence in the workplace exists, would be on notice of the risk of workplace violence and should implement a workplace violence prevention program combined with engineering controls, administrative controls, and training.
BUSINESS AND WORKFORCE RESPONSE
This training program is specifically designed to provide members of the civilian workforce with a sustainable strategy for responding to an active shooter event which occurs in the workplace. This strategy is a three prong approach which includes the development of a response policy, response training procedures and a response practical exercise training protocol. This program educates and prepares the workforce, both mentally and physically, in order to increase the level of safety and survivability, during an active shooter event. Approximately 40% of all active shooter events occur in the workplace.
A historical study of these events indicate that a timely and aggressive response, with properly trained and equipped law enforcement, will significantly reduce the number of people killed or injured. However, during the time it takes law enforcement to respond, it is up to the workforce to fend for themselves. A properly trained and educated workforce has a much greater chance of survival. Individuals who have adopted a “It won’t happen here” mindset, are less likely to survive.
Though Active Shooter Events in the workplace often occur with little or no warning, a properly trained workforce can be an extremely effective tool in recognizing, slowing and/or stopping an Active Shooter Event from taking place. As the threat of attacks now seem to focus on “Soft Targets” (locations where there is no real level of security and are usually open to the public) it has never been more important to arm the workforce with relevant information, training and response techniques designed to increase safety and survivability. A properly trained workforce is the very first line of an effective defense against an Active Shooter.
