An excerpt from POA: Crisis Management

32 Workplace Violence Preparedness Checklist

Workplace Violence Profiles

Below are examples of internal and external sources of threats faced by an organization. (WPV

Standard 2020)

• Current and former employees;

• Customers;

• Vendors;

• Contractors and other individuals working with or on behalf of the organization;

• Friends, family members, and intimate partners;

• Visitors and guests; and

• Individuals in opposition of the organization’s mission, goals, objectives, etc.

Before A Workplace Violence Threat Occurs

Preparedness for workplace violence is paramount and comes in many forms.

1. Educate the organization’s senior management about workplace violence threats and risk

management.

2. Review and adopt workplace violence risk management best practices such as the U.S.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Workplace Violence Framework or ASIS Workplace

Violence and Active Assailant—Prevention, Intervention, and Response standard.

3. Assess the organization’s level of workplace violence competency and physical security

hygiene, from the boardroom to the people responsible for physical security to the new hire.

4. Diagnose workplace violence competency gaps and create an actionable education and

he ASIS Workplace Violence and Active Assailant—Prevention, Intervention, and Response stan-dard defines workplace violence as “a spectrum of behaviors, including overt acts of violence, threats, and other conduct that generates a reasonable concern for safety from violence, where

a nexus exists between the behavior and the physical safety of employees from any internal or external relationship.”

Targeted, or intended, violence is defined as “the conscious decision to kill or physically harm specific or symbolic victims in a workplace or on a campus…” Targeted violence is further categorized as planned, emotionless, and predatory. Further research and case studies suggest that those who commit targeted violence begin with a “pathway to violence” stemming from a perceived or real unresolved grievance to the individual. The crisis response to workplace violence revolves around identifying and responding to persons who might be on that pathway.

The stages of the pathway to violence include ideation, planning, acquisition, probing/surveillance, and action/implementation. The goal for responding to and preventing workplace violence is to break the pathway as early as possible through identification, mitigation, and response to pre-incident indicators.

32 Workplace Violence Preparedness Checklist

training plan to elevate organizational competency across the enterprise.

5. Ensure that the preemployment screening and vetting processes have adequate background

checks to attempt to uncover psychological issues or unacceptable work histories.

6. Ensure that employees are aware of the following examples of concerning actions:

• Sudden and severe mood swings;

• Signs of depression;

• Increased anger or temper tantrums;

• Increased alcohol and drug use;

• Social withdrawal;

• Threats, either implied or overt;

• Change of appearance or lack of attention to hygiene;

• Increased and unexplained absenteeism;

• Decreased work production;

• Arguments with other employees and supervisors;

• Destruction, theft, or sabotage of property;

• Suicidal ideations;

• Increased interest in weapons, firearms, or violence;

• Bullying or workplace harassment;

• Changes in domestic relationships; and

• Changes in life insurance.

7. Create an actionable threat/incident response plan.

8. Develop a culture of trust, collaboration, and mutual aid assistance between relevant law

enforcement and other agencies, public/private partnerships, outside counsel, public relations

firms, and investigative and physical security firms with relevant competencies needed in the

event an incident occurs.

9. Integrate training curriculum standards based upon competency standards or workplace

violence education gaps to improve operational readiness.

10. Ensure legal counsel is knowledgeable and familiar with legal issues involved with workplace

violence risk incidents.

11. Institute formal organization-sponsored workplace violence awareness and prevention

programs, including referrals for psychological or medical assistance.

12. Ensure a physical security posture of protection for the workforce from potential visitors, for

example:

a. Former employees

b. Family members

c. A jilted partner

d. Unhappy vendors

54 Workplace Violence Preparedness Checklist

13. Develop a formal workplace violence policy and procedures manual or handbook,

approved and endorsed by upper management to include, at a minimum, all of the above

recommendations for preparedness and response to a workplace violence incident, and a zero

tolerance policy in any workplace to include employees, visitors, and contractors.

14. Ensure that the manual or handbook includes procedures for avoidance and de-escalation of a

violent situation.

15. Extend workplace violence policies and procedures to personnel working after hours or

handling or carrying large sums of cash.

Working with management and employees alike is also important to workplace violence preparedness.

1. Build a management culture that is aware of the possibility that a workplace violence incident

can occur at any time.

2. Develop a workplace violence policy and procedures manual to train all employees at all levels

on how to react, or what to do, in the event of a workplace violence incident, as well as learning

to observe early warning signs that an employee is acting strangely.

3. Communicate the policy or handbook to every employee to help build recognition of the early

warning signs and the occurrence of a workplace violence incident.

4. Conduct a postmortem after-action debriefing after each training session to adjust or correct to

the training and to arrive at, and incorporate, lessons learned.

5. Emphasize a culture of noticing evidence of any pre-incident warning signs, or any observation

of an actual incident, with mandatory reporting.

During a Workplace Violence Threat Response

1. Follow the threat management plan in place.

2. If appropriate, alert and activate the workplace violence incident response team.

3. Respond with appropriate level of action.

• Example: The response for an intimidating person or someone who is bullying,

disrespectful, or verbally abusive should be to observe, document, and report behavior for

further assessment. A supervisor should meet with the employee to address concerns and

make any further recommendations and coordinate any further action needed based upon

policies and procedures in place.

• Example: If the individual is irate and arguing with others, refuses to obey organizational

policies and procedures, sabotages or destroys equipment, steals property, verbally states

harm against others, or shows signs of a pathway to violence via threatening notes or

statements, immediately contact supervisors. If appropriate, call law enforcement and

ensure your safety and the safety of others.

54 Workplace Violence Preparedness Checklist

4. For any violent action, security should observe, document, and report behavior for further

assessment. Supervisor, security, and possible outside law enforcement should meet with the

employee to address concerns and make any further recommendations and coordinate any

further action needed based upon policies and procedures in place.

5. If violent or threatening behavior is observed that poses an immediate danger to persons

or property, evacuate. Ensure your own safety and the safety of others if possible. Exit the

immediate vicinity where the attack is taking place, and initiate workplace violence protocols:

a. Call 911 and other appropriate emergency contacts, such as incident response teams, for

the facility, particularly if the situation requires immediate medical or law enforcement

personnel.

b. Remain calm and contact a supervisor.

c. Secure your personal safety first.

d. Leave the area if your safety is at risk.

e. Cooperate with law enforcement personnel when they have responded to the situation.

6. If an active assailant or shooter is present, run, hide, or take action against the attacker to

preserve yourself or others.

7. Mitigate continuous damage in line with the workplace violence incident response plan.

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8. Preserve all data including logs, notes, and records.

9. Monitor any ongoing attacks and bring in cross-functional teams to ensure other systems have

also not been compromised when dealing with a significant workplace violence attack or

incident.

10. Consistent with your incident response plan, notify:

• Appropriate management and personnel within the victim organization

• Law enforcement

• Department of Homeland Security or other national security organization

• Other possible victims

After Managing a Threat of Workplace Violence (not an active threat)

1. Continue to collaboratively monitor personnel, customers, workers, vendors, and suppliers for

anomalous activity, ensuring the threat has been mitigated

2. Conduct an after-action report and review

3. Conduct continuous evaluation of efficacy of the current threat management and response

plan, diagnosing what worked well, as well as the vulnerabilities and deficiencies in threat

response and physical security risk competencies, planning, preparedness, and execution of

the current incident response plan

4. Design and deploy measures to ensure increased efficacy moving forward in workplace

violence risk management

76 Workplace Violence Preparedness Checklist

Mitigate the Risk of Workplace Violence with ASIS International

Stay informed on the latest guidance for the prevention, intervention, and response to workplace violence and

active assailants with resources from ASIS International.

This checklist is an excerpt from POA: Crisis Management. This invaluable and

comprehensive seven-volume resource, which has been in existence since 1974, is

considered to be the premier reference for the security industry. Written, edited, and

updated by hundreds of veteran security subject matter experts, the POA covers all aspects

of security including security management, crisis management, security officer operations,

investigations, information security, physical security, applications, and legal issues.

For more guidance on workplace violence, the ASIS Workplace Violence and Active

Assailant—Prevention, Intervention, and Response Standard provides an overview

of policies, processes, and protocols that organizations can adopt to help identify, assess,

respond to, and mitigate threatening or intimidating behavior and violence affecting

the workplace. It describes the implementation of a workplace violence prevention and

intervention (WVPI) program and personnel within organizations who typically become

involved in prevention and intervention efforts.

Now through 30 November 2021, free worldwide shipping is available for the POA Softcover Bundle, exclusively for ASIS members.