It hasn’t been a very good spring for innocents and civilians, to put it succinctly. Whether it’s subway riders, grocery shoppers, church-goers or school children, their susceptibility to being in-harm’s-way for no other reason than pursuing the simple activities of their daily lives has brought to home—once again, and distressingly all too familiarly—how vulnerable all of us are to acts of violence.
As we mourn in sorrow and frustration the senselessness of these shootings, too often we hear, “If only there was something we could do about it.” And again, all too often some of the suggestions are heavily politicized: Ban guns. Institutionalize the mentally ill. Have armed security stationed at every school and place of business. “Vote for me, and I’ll make sure this never happens again in my district/state/country.”
Fortunately, for safety professionals, there are plenty of things you can do, and many of you are already doing them. The safety profession has been at the forefront in recognizing the need for policies and procedures that directly address the incidence of workplace violence, and what specifically to do about it.
Following are 10 recent EHS Today articles that offer insights, recommendations, tools and best practices for dealing with active shooters, in the hopes that something can be done to stop the madness.
Think and Survive Workplace Violence
Six Essentials for an Effective Workplace Violence Program
Protecting Your Workplace Against Active Shooters
Taking Action Against Acts of Workplace Violence
How to Improve Emergency Response During Active Shooter Events
Preparing for Active Shooters with Safety Technology