In the aftermath of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the focus has been on the students—so much so that several news commentators have incorrectly referred to the deceased as “the 17 students who died in the shooting.” Among the 17 people who lost their lives were three adults, who died while at work.
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Aaron Feis was an assistant football coach and a security monitor. Christopher Hixon was the school’s athletic director. Scott Beigel was a teacher. All held what were seemingly ordinary jobs, until Valentine’s Day 2018.
These jobs aren’t on any dangerous jobs list, but the sad truth is any job can suddenly become a dangerous job.
Workplace Violence
According to the 2016 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in December 2017, violence and related injuries is now the second cause of fatal occupational injuries.
What’s more, fatal injuries involving violence increased by 23 percent from 2015 to 2016.
During this period, workplace homicides increased by 20 percent. At the same time, workplace suicides jumped by 27 percent, the most suicides since the Center for Fatal Occupational Injuries began reporting data in 1992.
At Work
These statistics give pause, as do the number of school shootings just this year alone.
While lawmakers and others debate solutions to what everyone acknowledges is a problem that must be addressed, students and school employees across America are learning and working in what could at any moment become a dangerous environment. Unfortunately, this is not an exaggeration.
What can schools and other workplaces do?
Prepare for Violence
Although no one likes to focus on horrific situations, experts highly recommend that all organizations prepare for workplace violence.
The deadliest situations involve an active shooter, the National Safety Council (NSC), a nonprofit organization that has been the nation’s leading safety advocate for more than 100 years, points out, and it offers these recommendations from the Department of Homeland Security:
- If there is an accessible escape route, leave your belongings and get out.
- If evacuation is not possible, find a hiding place where you won’t be trapped should the shooter find you, lock and blockade the door, and silence your phone.
- As a last resort and only when your life is in imminent danger, attempt to incapacitate the shooter by throwing items, improvising weapons, and yelling.
The NSC indicates that every organization needs to address workplace violence, and it recommends that managers and safety professionals at every workplace develop a policy on violence that includes:
- Employee training
- Creating an emergency action plan
- Conducting mock training exercises with local law enforcement
- Adopting a zero-tolerance policy toward workplace violence
Remain Vigilant
The NSC also recommends that all employees be aware of the warning signs. “While there is no way to predict an attack, you can be aware of behaviors in coworkers that might signal future violence,” it notes.
These behaviors include:
- Excessive use of alcohol or drugs
- Unexplained absenteeism, change in behavior or decline in job performance
- Depression, withdrawal or suicidal comments
- Resistance to changes at work or persistent complaining about unfair treatment
- Violation of company policies
- Emotional responses to criticism, mood swings
- Paranoia
“If you see something, say something,” may sound like a cliché, but it has the potential to save lives. In Everett, Washington, a woman called police about her grandson, after reading his journal, which details plans for a mass shooting at his high school, and finding his weapon. In Fair Haven, Vermont, another aspiring school shooter’s plans were foiled by his friend, who alerted police.
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Paula Santonocito, Contributing Editor for Recruiting Daily Advisor, is a business journalist specializing in employment issues. She is the author of more than 1,000 articles on a wide range of human resource and career topics, with an emphasis on recruiting and hiring. Her articles have been featured in many global and domestic publications and information outlets, referenced in academic and legal publications as well as books, and translated into several languages. |