NWCDC 2018: Active Threat Session Hits Home for Employers and Employees Alike

Las Vegas, NV (WorkersCompensation.com) – “This happened here,” Anas Al-Hamwi, Senior Director of Health and Safety and Injury Management at Walgreen Co., told attendees at the NWCDC active threat session.

He referenced a photo that was taken after the Las Vegas shooting in 2017. It’s a sobering thought. Walking distance from where we sit, in this room, in this session, a shooter opened fire on a crowd attending a country music festival. Scores of people died, and hundreds were injured.

Barbara Schultz, Former Director of Employee Health and Wellness at Valley Health System, referenced a recent ABC News article that utilized FBI data for rates of violence. Domestic violence plays a considerable part in these active threat situations, she said. 

With violent attacks hitting public places like hospitals, offices, businesses, churches, schools, bars, and video game tournaments, to name a few, the speakers emphasized the need to prepare for this sort of thing. As sad as it is, it is a reality, and learning to look for the red flags beforehand and taking on training tools could help with de-escalation in the event of a violent incident in the workplace.

Staff training is an important element in preparation, including a focus on discussions, communication, and “non-violent crisis intervention training,” etc.

As far as presentations and PowerPoints, a lot of the time that doesn’t cut it to convey real-world training for employees, Schultz said. In order to prepare for a legitimate drill, with police and responder training, a proper staged event could take up to six months. 

“…High-stress events require high-stress training,” she said.

Training for these sorts of events should be standard practice for employers and employees, both speakers said. 

Schultz asked the crowd to look at their “swiss cheese portals.” How many ways can someone get in? Is there a gatekeeper? Are you holding the door open for strangers? 

It happened, now what? Speakers say focus on the employees first, go through your crisis management steps, provide grief counseling, take the proper initiatives for work comp case management, and “Don’t forget OSHA.”

Take that step for personal interaction, Al-Hamwi said. This isn’t some sort of financial transaction. These are people, who need guidance and assistance.

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