Correct reactions to violent incidents

Workplace violence is a significant and growing problem across multiple sectors, including retail, supply chain, grocery, pharmacy and food services. Every year, thousands of American workers report being victims of workplace violence, with assaults resulting in 57,610 injuries in 2021-22 alone, according to the National Security Council. These alarming statistics underscore the urgent need for managers and security professionals to implement a structured, three-step approach to incident response. By adopting this proactive strategy, organizations can not only respond effectively to violent incidents, but also mitigate future risks, ensuring a safer environment for all employees.

The most common challenges in responding to incidents

Companies often face practical hurdles that can hinder effective action:

• Information overload In the chaos following an incident, errors can arise that make it difficult for employees to accurately capture all relevant details. This can result in important information being missed or recorded inconsistently.
  
• Communication disorders often occur when attempting to quickly warn nearby locations of potential threats, especially when there is no standardized communications system in place.
  
• Connecting the dots Distinguishing between incidents can be challenging without a central system that allows data to be compared across different locations and time periods, making it difficult to determine whether an incident is an isolated incident or part of a larger trend.
  
• Resource allocation becomes guesswork in the absence of data-driven evidence to support decisions about where to take additional measures, particularly in high-risk areas or during specific time periods.
  
• Learning from incidents is hampered by the lack of a systematic method for analysing past events, resulting in missed opportunities to learn lessons that could prevent future incidents.
• The balance between speed and thoroughness is a common challenge because the urgency to respond quickly to violent incidents often conflicts with the need for thorough data collection and analysis.

These challenges require a thoughtful, systematic approach to incident response. By addressing these issues head-on, organizations can significantly improve their ability to respond to and prevent violent incidents, creating a safer environment for employees and customers.

A structured approach to incident response

Workplace violence is a growing problem, and understanding its various forms is critical to responding effectively to incidents. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) categorizes workplace violence into four types:

• Criminal intent: Incidents in which the perpetrator has no legitimate relationship with the company, such as robberies or trespassing.
• Violence towards customers/clients: Acts of violence by customers or clients against employees, which may include physical attacks, verbal abuse or other aggressive behavior.
• Incidents between workers: Violence against current or former employees, including physical altercations, harassment or bullying in the workplace.
• Violence in personal relationships: These incidents often have a family origin, for example when a partner or family member brings violence into the workplace, and this disproportionately affects women.

To effectively address these threats, industry experts recommend a three-pronged approach: immediate action, thorough analysis, and data-driven prevention. This structured strategy not only addresses current incidents but also helps mitigate future risks across various sectors.

Additionally, it's important to note that new workplace violence laws in some states now classify “threats of violence” as reportable incidents. This expanded definition underscores the need for companies to develop comprehensive emergency response plans that cover a broad range of potential threats.

First step: immediate reaction

When violence occurs, quick and decisive action is critical. The first few minutes after an incident are critical to ensure safety and gather important information. Key steps include:

Standardized data collection during these stressful moments ensures that important information is captured accurately and comprehensively. This includes perpetrator details, vehicle information, and any targeted items or areas.

“In the heat of the moment, it's easy to miss important details,” says Tony Sheppard, vice president of retail risk solutions at ThinkLP. “A standardized response protocol ensures that all necessary information is collected, which can be invaluable for both immediate response and long-term prevention strategies and trend analysis.”

As the immediate crisis is brought under control, it is important to move from reactive measures to a more analytical approach that focuses on understanding the broader impact of the incident.

Second step: analytical evaluation

Once the immediate crisis is resolved, organizations should move to review both qualitative and quantitative factors and insights. This phase is critical to understanding the incident in a broader context and identifying potential patterns or trends. Key actions include:

This phase allows you to identify patterns across incidents and industries and potentially uncover organized criminal activity or systemic vulnerabilities.

“The analytics phase is where organizations can begin to see the bigger picture,” explains Kyle Grottini, senior data and analytics consultant at ThinkLP. “By connecting the dots between seemingly isolated incidents, analytics can identify patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed, enabling more targeted and effective prevention strategies.”

With the insights from this analytical assessment, companies are better able to implement long-term preventive measures.

Third step: data-based prevention

The use of data analytics is essential to prevent future incidents by identifying risk factors and predicting potential trouble spots. Key components include:

• Create dashboards to track violent incidents.
• Analyze patterns by time, location, and other factors.
• Identify vulnerable locations and anticipate potential threats.
• Implement targeted actions using data insights.
• Conduct audits, inspections and self-assessments to proactively identify risks.
• Invest in training your team on threat management and de-escalation.
• Collaborate with law enforcement and industry partners.
• Refine prevention strategies using new data insights.

This data-driven approach allows organizations to move from reactive to proactive measures, potentially preventing incidents before they occur. By incorporating comprehensive audits and ongoing training, organizations can better prepare their teams and strengthen their overall security protocols.

This structured approach enables organizations to effectively respond to incidents of violence and work toward creating safer environments for employees and customers. The integration of standardized reporting, thorough analytics, and data-driven prevention strategies provides a comprehensive framework for combating workplace violence across multiple industries.

Importance of technology in combating workplace threats

Proper data management and retention play a key role in effectively combating violent incidents across various industries. These practices allow organizations to streamline incident reporting, centralize data from multiple sources, and lay the foundation for leveraging advanced analytics for pattern recognition and risk assessment. By implementing these strategies and leveraging the right technology, organizations can significantly improve their ability to prevent and respond to workplace threats.

This is where ThinkLP comes into play.

Correct reaction with ThinkLP

ThinkLP's Loss & Safety Intelligence Platform is a comprehensive solution specifically tailored to the retail, supply chain, grocery, pharmacy and food service industries. The platform provides standardized incident reporting tools that can be accessed from any device, ensuring critical information is accurately captured during stressful situations. It centralizes incident data from stores, distribution centers, the web, mobile devices and hotlines, allowing for easy comparison and analysis across locations and time periods. In addition, its investigation management, audit and analytics tools provide a comprehensive solution for effective incident management and response.

ThinkLP's unified system for data collection, analysis and prevention enables organizations to uncover systemic vulnerabilities, develop targeted prevention strategies and transform raw incident data into actionable insights for improved response. This holistic approach enables organizations to more effectively address workplace threats and create safer environments for employees and customers.

Are you ready to take your workplace safety and incident management to the next level? Request a demo today or contact the ThinkLP sales team to learn how ThinkLP can help your organization stay ahead of threats and create a safer environment for your employees and customers.