NNews-July-2023

40 July 2023 Planning ahead and building awareness through education help organizations decrease the potential for active shooter situations and increase the probability of better outcomes in the event one occurs. At Brown & Brown, our Risk Management team assists clients in preparing for such emergencies. If you would like to know how we can assist your organization, contact Lisa Bellis at (610) 694-1807 or Lisa.Bellis@bbrown.com. REFERENCES Kenessey, C. (2022, December 14). Employee Safety: The Next Frontier of Workplace Culture, Part 1. Forbes . (n.d.). Workplace Violence. United States Department of Labor; Occupational Safety and Health Administration . (2022, November 21). Workplace violence: homicides and nonfatal intentional injuries by another person in 2020. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. • Conduct a site analysis to identify security hazards. Invite local law enforcement to meet with your committee. Provide them with an updated schematic of the building so they can become familiarized with the layout. Talk to them about response time. Walk the perimeter of the building and ask questions such as: • Are doors or windows left unlocked? • Is there possible entry into a basement? • Can a perpetrator hide behind landscaping? • Is the parking lot well lit? • Inspect the interior of the building. The way we arrange furniture and equipment can lead to entrapment during an active shooter situation. Cubicles positioned against a wall will leave only one way out. Consider arranging furniture and equipment to leave multiple escape routes. • Develop written procedures to be included as part of your organization’s Emergency Action Plan. Procedures should be specific to each location and identify all evacuation routes and shelter locations; provide notification procedures; outline procedures for persons with disabilities; and provide a method to account for staff, clients, and guests. • Train and educate staff to raise awareness and provide themwith life-saving skills that become instinctive with regular drills. Training should be included as part of the onboarding process andmandatory each year thereafter. TheWorkplace Violence Prevention Committee should reviewmultiple training resources to determine whichwill best meet the organization’s needs. Workers’ Compensation carriers can be a good resource for training, as well as: A lice Training Solutions: www.alicetraining.com/?source=ppc D ept. of Homeland Security: www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/active_shooter_ booklet.pdf N J Active Shooter Response: www.njohsp.gov/active-shooter-response O cean County College: www.ocean.edu/student-services/active-shooter- training/ HelpNJNow.org: helpnjnow.org/active-shooter/ Mount Laurel Police: mountlaurelpd.org/active-shooter-response-training/ • Review potential threats. Were there any bad terminations lately? Has an employee mentioned threats made against them by a spouse? This information should be shared with staff to raise awareness and prevent the individuals from being permitted to enter the premises. • Consider installing security measures , such as panic buttons, metal detectors, enclosed reception desks, video surveillance, adequate lighting, keyless entry systems, bright LED lighting, convex mirrors and door barricades.