ASSE Developing Active Shooter Technical Report
The reason to create a technical report is that workplace safety standards can take years to develop.
- By Jerry Laws
- May 01, 2018
ASSE takes on a new name next month, as reported in this space in our June 2017 issue. Those of us participating in the society's Safety 2018 conference and expo June 3-6 will witness the start of that transition; meanwhile, plenty of meaningful work is going on at ASSE and beyond to address important issues.
Trying to do its part about one of those big issues, on March 1, ASSE convened a working group of experts—the invitees have backgrounds in law enforcement, industrial security, and corporate safety compliance—to discuss a first draft of an active shooter special report that is to be completed by the end of 2018. The technical report could help "guide organizations toward safer work environments with fewer hostile events," the society said in a news release; ASSE also will include an active shooter general session with subject-matter experts at the June conference in San Antonio.
The reason to create a technical report is that workplace safety standards take years to develop. "When a critical safety issue demands more timely action, a technical report can be produced, serving as an incremental step in providing initial guidance on that safety matter. A technical report can also be a value-added first step in the creation of a more detailed workplace safety standard. Both are consensus-based documents," the society explained.
ASSE began writing the technical report because members and other stakeholders asked for technical guidance on active shooters. After the report is finished, it will be made available nationwide following its registration with ANSI.
"The safety of workers in any setting is of utmost importance to ASSE, and unfortunately there is no industry or location that is risk-free in today's environment," said ASSE President Jim Smith, MS, CSP. "Senseless acts of violence have occurred in schools, nightclubs, churches, government offices, manufacturing plants, shopping centers, and many other places. As occupational safety and health professionals, we must help employers pursue preventive measures and help get more people trained to recognize and report warning signs in order to mitigate risks."
This article originally appeared in the May 2018 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.
About the Author
Jerry Laws is Editor of Occupational Health & Safety magazine, which is owned by 1105 Media Inc.