Although thankfully rare, hostage situations do sometimes occur at work. Work-related hostage situations can happen anywhere to anyone and be linked to robbery, to a workplace grievance or in some cases to mental instability.
The key to minimising risk in all instances is risk assessment, security and active monitoring of measures taken to ensure they remain relevant. Most companies will have security arrangements in place to protect the workplace from unauthorised entry, but these arrangements are of little use if they are breached on a daily basis or occasionally. Breaches in the best laid security plans could expose the workplace and all employees to risk of a serious incident.
Whether staff enter and move around workplaces using key cards, keypads, swipe cards, photo cards, other forms of recognition to gain access or via a reception area, it is worth remembering that security procedures can be taken for granted. People may do each other favours by lending out their id card or access code and this can compromise safety. The safety procedures will have been carefully considered and sticking to the original protocol can help avert a serious incident.
As a manager you can add additional strength to the security of your workplace in several ways. Firstly, take the opportunity on a regular basis to remind your staff of the procedures and why they are in place. Secondly be aware of the working environment/atmosphere of the area you manage; getting to know your staff will serve you well if you detect a change to the normal cut and thrust of the workplace. You may become aware of tensions building or a one-off flare-up by an employee – both of which can culminate in an incident if not dealt with in a timely way. Whilst some incidents are a result of a long-standing issue others can be due to a one off incident which may just have tipped someone over the edge. Noticing changes in staff’s behaviour or comments made by colleagues can go a long way to alert you to a problem. A timely intervention and genuine offer of support from you or Occupational Health may be all that is required.
Your Security plans will have designated actions for you to take should a hostage situation be reported to you or occur in your presence. It is important that you familiarise yourself with the details and make a copy of the necessary actions to take, keeping them in a suitable place and readily available to check over in the unlikely event of an incident. You are unlikely to have time to check your computer or rummage through files to access the information during an incident.
Such plans may include:
Removing staff where possible from the area and ensuring their safety; alerting the Emergency Services; alerting your Security Team; contacting your Management.
Once the Emergency Services arrive they will quickly take control of the situation but will require information from those who witnessed the events. You need to be aware that staff may be experiencing a traumatic stress reaction depending on the extent of their exposure to the event. You need to consider your own needs here although this is something you may not be aware of at this time. Removing staff from the scene as quickly as possible will minimise contact with the scene and may reduce risk of further traumatisation as any situation develops, although not everyone reacts in the same way.
Remember that you too could be affected by psychological trauma and that the effects of being involved in a Traumatic incident may not manifest immediately.
Take time to look at the Psychological Trauma article on this website.
