Mass shootings have unfortunately become a common occurrence in the United States. While many people think it won’t happen to them, statistics from OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) reveal that about two million American workers become victims of workplace violence each year, with only the most egregious cases appearing on the nightly news, and the most tragic are shootings which occur in schools. This data suggests that providing active shooter training for your employees is a prudent decision.
What Is Active Shooter Training?
This form of training is designed to prepare employees for a scenario where an active shooter is inside the building. It provides them with a list of actions that should be taken to mitigate the threat. Examples of common skills which are taught during active training courses include:
- Knowing the 2 closest emergency exits and how to open them
- Knowing the difference between cover and concealment
- How and when to blockade and secure the door
- How to tackle the assailant as a last resort
- How to properly use weapons in self-defense if allowed to carry them
- Why you shouldn’t move someone who has been wounded
In addition to the skills taught above, active shooter training will also teach you how to hide and potentially use distractions against the attacker to buy yourself time. A core part of this training is always having an evacuation plan in mind.
Advantages Of Providing Active Shooting Training To Employees
There are a number of significant advantages you’ll gain by providing active shooting training to your employees. Aside from the fact that you can potentially save lives, you will also avoid the legal and financial liability that can come from not being prepared.
For instance, did you know that the yearly costs involved with workplace violence exceeded $35 billion during the 1990s, and by the 2010s had increased to over $80 billion? This means that a single active shooting incident can financially cripple your organization. While multinational corporations may be large enough to withstand such an incident without serious financial trouble, small and medium sized businesses might be forced to close their doors for good.
Depending on the laws of the jurisdiction where you operate, your business might be required to cover the medical bills of survivors, as well as the funeral expenses of those that didn’t. And of course, there is the risk of lawsuits, which have become quite common in the United States.
Litigation involving a mass shooting can range from half a million to $3 million per lawsuit. OSHA also has regulations which mandate employers to create a safe workplace environment that doesn’t have hazards which can cause serious injury or death, and workplace violence falls under this category, making employees potentially vulnerable to fines if they didn’t take the time to implement active shooting training. Finally, there is the issue of public relations, which can be just as damaging as the legal consequences.
