CNN says: “Between 1992 and 2012, there were 14,770 workplace homicide victims, or roughly 700 a year on average, according to federal government statistics”
Workplace security is one of the terms that often falls into ‘HR musts’. From safety posters to ’employees must wash hands before returning to work,’ we tend to think of workplace security more as workplace safety. Which isn’t wrong, but it doesn’t embody the true meaning of securing the workplace. As someone working in HR (or someone hiring HR professionals), workplace security should be at the forefront of your mind.
In this article, we’re going to share a few of the elements that human resource employees and managers alike should be aware of.
External Risk Factors
Do you know the level of crime in the neighborhood you work in? More importantly, how would you react if a customer were to pull a gun in your establishment? In the finance and retail sectors, this is a reality that can only be truly amended by physical security. Cameras will only help you address the crime after it has occurred. Physical security’s job is to keep an eye on anyone entering or exiting the building, protecting both employees and customers alike.
Internal Risk Factors
Risk factors aren’t always the citizens outside of your doors, but the building itself. This is especially true for those of us who have an office in a historical building that truly isn’t as equipped as the buildings of the last 10 years to handle emergency evacuations or lockdowns. The first step in addressing these factors is examining the building from ceiling to floors and most importantly, doors. Make sure there are enough entry and exit ways to evacuate employees in case of fire or flood. Take note of anything that looks like it may fall, electrocute, or set ablaze.
Employee Risk Factors
The unfortunate reality of life is that some of the people around us will hurt others. Though you may not be able to tell you’ve hired the next Ted Bundy, you do need to prepare for the violence that may occur from your employees. Going back to our first point in this list, this is another benefit of having armed security on the premise during (or after) work hours. If nothing else, they will be able to apprehend any individual before the full threat of their violent tendencies is realized.
Benefits of Security in the Workplace
According to AlertFind.com, 17% of wrongful deaths in the workplace occur from violence and 25% of that violence goes unreported before it’s too late. The benefits of security in the workplace are truly endless. After all, creating an environment that everyone can feel safe means creating a better environment overall.
More specifically, hiring security guards will help you continuously elevate the security of your workplace. Their trained eyes are able to identify suspects and control situations that have elevated to violence. Even the presence of security is proven to reduce crime. Executive security services should not be forgotten either. After all, what criminal wants to walk up to a guarded door when they could slip through an unguarded back door?
More importantly, in the eyes of PCI Compliance- the physical security of a building is important. If you’re storing or processing customer data and cash, it’s important to have those assets guarded at all costs.
Final thoughts: No one should be afraid to go to work
The reality is that though we all want to believe we are safe, there are many areas and situations where we are not. Especially in the thick of metropolitan areas where crime is part of life, business owners and human resource managers alike need to have the wellbeing and safety of their staff at the forefront of their minds. Spend just as much time thinking about security as about safety.
If you’re thinking about adding physical security to your workplace, now is the time. Professional security services will not only secure your environment but also help to continuously asses the risk of your workplace and react accordingly.
Does your workplace have security? Do you feel every workplace should security? Share your thoughts in the comments.
