Things your business can do to be prepared for violence in the workplace

All access points inside your company should also be equipped with access control. Once inside, a worker from the warehouse should not be able to access the office unless he or she has permission, and the same goes for office workers looking to go elsewhere in the facility.

Typical access management systems for small businesses could run anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000, depending on the company’s requirements, location and complexity.

Is there a reliable alarm and video system?

If, God forbid, there is ever an incident at your company you want to make sure that your employees have easy access to an alarm so that others can be alerted as well as be able to find accessible, unblocked doorways to escape.

Doing so could save lives. Setting up a simple video surveillance system may not only help avoid a potential workplace incident but also be a critical source of evidence for police or others investigating an incident.

Policies and worker training

Do have a policy regarding guns in your workplace?

According to attorney John P. McAvoy of the Philadelphia office of Freeman Mathis & Gary LLP, New Jersey’s right-to-carry laws are so restrictive that it is almost always unlawful for an employee to possess a firearm in the workplace. But in Pennsylvania, the laws are more liberal. “Without an express statute on point, courts generally give employers the right to control the workplace,” he writes on his firm’s website. “As such, employers are free to impose policies allowing or restricting the possession of weapons in vehicles parked on company property and/or in the workplace.”

So what is your policy about firearms at work? What’s acceptable behavior by your employees and outsiders? What incidents do you define as “violent?” What are the repercussions for those that commit a violent act? If an act occurs, what procedures should be followed by others to ensure their safety? Your safety policies should be reviewed annually and regular training should be considered. You do not want to put your employees at risk because they are not aware of what to do if a violent incident occurs.

Get an expert to take a look

Have your insurance agent do a walk-through. Invite in your local police department to evaluate your procedures. Ask the company that installed your security systems to make recommendations. These are all experts who deal with workplace safety issues all the time, and they all have a vested interest in keeping your facility free of any violent incidents. Lean on them for help and take advantage of their expertise.

You’ll never be able to fully eliminate the risk of a violent incident at your workplace. But you can take steps now to ensure that this risk has been minimized. In this day and age, securing your workplace is critical. Hopefully, more business owners that I visit will start getting the message.