The topic of workplace safety has evolved significantly over the years, especially with increasing cases of active assailants. While most organizations focus on training employees to respond to active assailant scenarios, a critical, often overlooked aspect of this preparedness is domestic violence. Given that domestic issues can escalate and spill over into the workplace, leading to active assailant incidents, it is crucial for organizations to include domestic violence preparedness as part of their comprehensive safety measures.

Workplace violence training is the armor needed to protect today's workforce – that’s the easy part to identify. The challenging part is navigating who should receive training, the required content, and at what level it should take place to comply with industry standards and best practices.

An active shooter incident can cost billions of dollars to an organization, and with the dramatic rise in incidents, this matter should have everyone’s attention. Not only can the financial impact be devastating, but its impact on employees can be the most significant cost of all.

CREATING AN EMERGENCY KIT BAG FOR AN ACTIVE ASSAILANT SITUATION REQUIRES CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF THE POTENTIAL THREATS AND THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS IN SUCH EMERGENCIES.

During an active assailant situation, every second counts. Having an emergency kit bag readily available allows individuals to quickly access essential supplies and tools needed to respond to an emergency. It helps minimize response time and enables immediate action to enhance personal safety and potentially save lives.

The modern business landscape presents numerous challenges to organizations, and two significant threats that require careful attention are Insider Threat and Workplace Violence.

Insider Threat refers to the risk posed by individuals who have authorized access to an organization's systems, data, or resources, while Workplace Violence encompasses acts or threats of aggression, harassment, or intimidation within the work environment. Although distinct, there are connections between these two topics that organizations should recognize and address to ensure the safety and security of their employees and operations.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive issue that extends beyond the confines of private life, affecting various aspects of a victim's well-being, including their professional life. As organizations increasingly recognize the profound impact of IPV on the workplace, they are compelled to take action and create supportive environments for their employees. This article delves into the subject of intimate partner violence and its far-reaching consequences within the workplace.

Workplace violence is a significant concern for organizations worldwide, with potentially severe consequences for employee safety, morale, and overall business operations. To mitigate this risk, workplace violence programs have become increasingly important. However, while prevailing standards may provide a foundation for such programs, there are other training aspects, not outlined in these standards that often go overlooked: security awareness, safe termination, and insider threat training. This article explores the vital role that each of these training topics play in supporting workplace violence programs and why you should consider adding one or more of these into your organization’s training catalog.

Workplace violence is a critical issue that affects organizations worldwide. It encompasses a range of behaviors, including physical assault, verbal abuse, bullying, harassment, and threats, which can lead to severe consequences for both individuals and the organization as a whole. Unfortunately, workplace violence is often accompanied by stigmas that hinder proper understanding, prevention, and intervention. In this article, we will explore two common workplace violence stigmas and highlight the importance of dispelling them to create a safe and secure work environment.

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, workplace safety and security have become paramount concerns for organizations. Among the myriad of strategies employed to address this issue, regular and recurring communication plays a vital role in developing safety and security programs, like workplace violence. Security leaders who utilize communication tools such as newsletters and short form video can cultivate a culture of safety and security within their organizations, fostering awareness, preparedness, and swift responses to potential threats. This article will delve into the significance of regular communication and highlight how CPPS' Safe Workplace Unlimited Package, with its comprehensive Communication Resources, can enhance workplace safety initiatives.

Clients often ask: why should I receive the Safe Workplace Certification (SWC)? How is it different than developing a Workplace Violence Prevention and Intervention (WVPI) program?

Improved safety, reduced costs, improved employee morale and retention, enhanced reputation, and compliance with regulations are among a range of benefits for organizations that achieve the SWC.

CPPS' Safe Workplace Certification is a highly valuable credential for healthcare organizations seeking to demonstrate their commitment to providing a safe and healthy work environment for their staff and visitors. This certification is earned by organizations who work with CPPS to develop a comprehensive Workplace Violence Prevention and Intervention (WVPI) program. It’s third-party validation of consistency with national standards, like those produced by Joint Commission, DNV, OSHA, and ANSI. In this article, we will explore the importance of CPPS' Safe Workplace Certification for healthcare organizations in terms of limiting their liability, providing safer operating environments for staff and visitors, and saving organizations money.

Vulnerability assessments can help a hospital or healthcare system identify key improvement areas within a Workplace Violence Prevention and Intervention (WVPI) program. When performing any assessment, it’s important to have clear benchmarks to evaluate against. In other words, an assessment should help identify needs and gaps in a program or process based on prevailing standardization or regulatory considerations. For WVPI, the three following areas should be included as part of a vulnerability assessment for WVPI in healthcare.

DE-ESCALATE OR DISENGAGE? THAT IS THE QUESTION

Workplace violence is a serious issue in healthcare settings, with healthcare workers at an increased risk of experiencing violence from patients, their families, or other staff members. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), healthcare workers are four times more likely to experience workplace violence than workers in other industries.

We know all too well that Hospitals are high-risk environments where staff are exposed to violent and aggressive patients, family members, and other visitors. In addition, recent high-profile events, such as acts of extreme violence, are driving employee and physician’s concerns for safety. But security is only one piece of a Healthcare organization’s Workplace Violence Prevention & Intervention (WPVPI) Program.

Workplace violence is a serious concern for employers and employees alike, and developing effective prevention and intervention programs is critical for maintaining a safe and secure work environment. While established guidelines and regulations exist for these programs, many organizations struggle with implementation and efficacy. In this article, we will explore the most common problems with workplace violence prevention and intervention programs and how regular training and communication tools like newsletters, short videos, and posters can help to keep awareness front of mind for the enterprise.

Threat Assessment is not the same as Profiling. This is not true. Threat Assessment is, in actuality, the “antithesis of profiling.” Profiling involves generalizing about an individual actions/behavior based on the individual’s similarity to high-risk groups; it is an inductive process which is not generally useful when potential threats or acts, of Intentional or Targeted Violence.

Within the collective process of Workplace Violence Prevention and Intervention (WVPI), the employment of a robust Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) program cannot be stressed enough. BTAM is continuing to be adopted in many arenas throughout society: schools, businesses, communities, government agencies, non-profits, faith-based organizations, and more. Its utility is becoming increasingly recognized. After acts of mass shootings, and other extreme violence events, it’s common for warning signs to be uncovered that identified an individual was progressing towards their crime. A unique factor about BTAM is that it seeks to identify whether someone may be progressing towards intentional/targeted violence before an incident occurs. Organizations are commonly challenged with circumstances where one’s behavior is inappropriate or concerning, but it doesn’t rise to the level that allows law enforcement to intervene. This is the space that those responsible for BTAM commonly operate. Here’s three key concepts that are centric to implementing a BTAM program.

Threat Management Teams are proven to reduce risks and costs to the organization through more efficient detection and response.

Every new year brings the opportunity to refresh. From a Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) perspective, 2023 brings a fresh opportunity to look ahead at how Threat Management Teams (TMT) can continue to keep those in organizations and communities safe. A large part of BTAM is the ongoing programmatic development and upkeep over the—the Threat Management program. Threat Assessment is the process to identify the potential dangerousness of threats and threatening behavior, while Threat Management is the program that seeks to employ intervention strategies to ensure these issues don’t get lost over time—because behavioral issues rarely go away on their own. To that end, here are three things TMTs can do in 2023 to build upon 2022.