Active Shooter Training for Businesses

The number of active shooter incidents in the United States have been steadily increasing over the last few decades. FBI data has found that “businesses open to pedestrian traffic” had the highest number of incidents, followed by general open spaces, and schools. This means that active shooter training for businesses is becoming increasingly important. In this blog, we’ll review what this training needs to include as well as options for your organization to meet OSHA workplace safety and California SB 553 requirements.

Why Active Shooter Training for Businesses is Essential

The FBI’s 20-year summary on active shooter incidents shows very tragic and upsetting trends. Their report covers 333 incidents that resulted in 2,851 casualties.

At the end of the day, that’s what matters most: protecting the lives of your employees and customers. And that’s why training is crucial.

Proper training makes a meaningful difference in the survivability of targeted acts of violence like shootings. With 60 percent of incidents ending before police arrive, knowing what steps to take in this kind of tragic event matters. Evidence shows that pre-event training and practice drills are effective protective measures, but it’s just as important to educate employees on how to respond should they find themselves in an active shooter situation.

“When the information about a shooter’s location is provided, people are more likely to respond appropriately and have higher chances to survive.”

— National Library of Medicine

Unfortunately, training only does so much. It’s important to have emergency communication systems in place in the event of this kind of emergency.

What Active Shooter Training for Businesses Should Cover

Your company’s active shooter training should cover a range of topics, including:

• Types of targeted violence. Although this blog covers active shooter training for businesses, it’s important to train employees about all the types of violence that can be perpetrated. Learning about the types of targeted violence is key to improving chances of survival.
• Warning signs. Educate your workforce on the indicators and traits to look out for to prepare them for potentially violent encounters.
• How to react. Train employees on how to react to targeted violence, including when to hide and run.
• Communication and interaction with first responders. It’s important to prepare for how to calmly and effectively communicate with first responders in an active shooter event. This training can help employees convey important information quickly to help first responders do their jobs effectively.

But don’t stop with training. It’s just as important to have emergency response plans for this type of emergency. This should encompass practice drills, security countermeasures, and emergency communication protocols.

Don’t wait to plan for the worst-case scenario. Preparation literally saves lives.

OSHA Compliance

Currently, there are no specific OSHA standards for workplace violence. However, under the General Duty Clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are required to provide employees with a safe work environment.

They define that as one “free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm.” This can be interpreted to include acts of targeted workplace violence.

“An employer that has experienced acts of workplace violence, or becomes aware of threats, intimidation, or other indicators showing that the potential for violence in the workplace exists…should implement a workplace violence prevention program combined with engineering controls, administrative controls, and training.”

— OSHA

California SB 553 Compliance

California recently passed Senate Bill 553, which requires California employers to implement a comprehensive workplace violence prevention plan and training on the plan starting July 1, 2024. Cal/OSHA will be proposing additional standards by December 1, 2025.

Active Shooter training is one of many types of workplace violence prevention education that you should consider providing to your employees.

Vector Solutions’ Active Shooter Training Courses

At Vector Solutions, we offer numerous active shooter courses for businesses to provide a foundation of training and helps you stay compliant with OSHA regulations and laws like California SB 553. Our courses include:

• Active Shooter and Other Acts of Targeted Violence: This hour-long, interactive training educates employees about active shooter and other targeted violence scenarios and how to improve chances of survival.
• Active Shooter Response: This short-form eLearning course provides learners with the best actions to take in an active shooter situation and how to deal with law enforcement officers.

Because these courses are so important to the safety and security of employees, they are two of our most utilized courses. If you would like to learn more about our workplace violence training and other safety solutions, contact us today.