Most of us don’t even think about personal safety in the workplace. However, with an economy that is struggling, unemployment still rising, many are losing jobs to budgetary cutbacks. Many companies have completely “stressed-out” the staff. And a stressed-out staff can be unpredictable.
Emergency response procedures are a vital element in protecting employees. As a veteran police officer, I have been personally involved in active shooter incidents, fire, assaults, and medical calls all occurring at commercial properties. Assuring your employer has an emergency action plan for commonly encountered incidents will no doubt save lives and prevent the incident from being worse. If your employer does not have a documented plan, develop one among your coworkers to include communication and keywords to discreetly identify trouble. Make frequent changes to passwords as employee rosters change with termination and attrition.
Surveillance systems and cameras – frequently employed to prevent theft – can also be a useful tool in the event of a physical attack. High occupancy areas should be monitored. Interestingly, dummy or fake cameras seem to be at least somewhat effective as well.
Making a small investment into your personal safety is always a good idea and considered as an insurance policy to good health. There are many personal defense weapons on the market that can be purchased for a reasonable amount of money. Some of these weapons include Tasers, Stun Guns, and Personal Defense Spray. Another good self defense device to keep around the office is personal alarms. Audible personal alarms are capable of emitting a 100db tone to alert others of trouble or draw attention to you when confronted by threatening conditions. Personal defense weapons and tools have given people around the country the confidence to protect themselves when needed.
Some industries are unfortunately more prone to workplace violence than others. Still, danger can exist in any company. Development of a solid action plan can in itself deter violence as criminals prey on vulnerability. An organization that has no action plan is vulnerable. Criminals also rely on workers to be highly focused on tasks at hand and not on emerging dangers around them.
Camera equipment can record workplace violence and is therefore a deterrent to criminal behavior. Workplace safety though extends beyond observable violence. Sexual ‘bullying’ or harassment can take place verbally at the workplace and extend the danger outside the office or warehouse environment. These events, too should be planned for and outlined in the action plan.
Intimidation as well as violent acts can occur anywhere – even if they originate in the work place. Being prepared is the central objective to preventing work place violence. However, by combining a company action plan with a personal defense system, average workers can greatly enhance their level of personal safety and in the end, enjoy life and its freedoms. Workers should insist on creation of emergency preparedness plans at the place of employment.
Officer Joe Davidson is an active duty law enforcement officer with many years of experience in personal safety issues. Joe operates StunTech Products – a provider of reliable personal defense tools and delivers self defense training to his community.
categories: self defense,police work,advice,business,management,government,women’s issues,women