CPPS Featured in Buildings.com
The Associate Editor of Buildings.com interviewed the Center for Personal Protection and Safety (CPPS) for an article on Managing Workplace Violence. Buildings.com serves 94,000 building owners and professional facilities managers – the decision-makers in commercial, institutional, and governmental real estate in North America. She wanted to address the importance of being prepared for the unexpected–whether a critical incident in the workplace or a man-made disaster.
Companies are realizing that when a crisis strikes an unprepared facility, a poor and uncoordinated response can have far-reaching impacts beyond the price of a cleanup. Extreme violence can result in the loss of life or severe damage to property. It all begins with defining acceptable behavior in the workplace. Dave Benson, Director of Global Security for CPPS, believes “it’s important to craft a company-wide code of conduct, a policy that defines acceptable and unacceptable behavior. It should also address what counts as a deviation from that code of conduct and the resulting consequences for it.” And you can’t underestimate the value of training according to Roger Aldrich, Director of Training at CPPS. “If you reach back into your memory bank and find no options to employ during a critical incident, you could become frozen in fear and denial. Without options, your behavior can escalate from anxiety to a more panicked mode.”
It’s essential to employ a multi-disciplinary approach when determining the appropriate intervention strategy for a critical incident. The information flow must continue throughout the situation–from its onset until its recovery phase. These subject matter experts noted that following a critical incident, it’s time to turn your attention to recovery. “Also keep in mind how your organization will respond to the families of those who are involved from the onset,” noted Randy Spivey, CEO of CPPS. “The first few hours play a significant role in whether or not there’s follow-on litigation.” Proactive planning in the present will help keep you flexible and safe during a crisis in the future.
Read full article at: http://www.buildings.com/ArticleDetails/tabid/3334/ArticleID/13734/Default.aspx#top
Posted in: Active Shooter, Interesting
Randy Spivey Selected to Address U.S. Department of State Overseas Security Advisory Counsil (OSAC) in November
CEO and Founder of the Center for Personal Protection and Safety, Randy Spivey, has been selected to address the Secretary of State’s Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) during their 26th Annual Briefing. On Thursday, November 17, the OSAC Committee on Risk and Information Sharing will host a half-day seminar with a panel discussion addressing the subject of Active Shooter. Mr. Spivey will be participating on a panel that will address the topics of individual preparedness, best practices in security response and communications planning and expectations related to law enforcement response both in the U.S. and Overseas. Mr. Spivey will be focusing on the areas of creating, practicing and implementing corporate security plans related to the Active Shooter Threat and will be accompanied by fellow panelists from NYPD Shield and Virginia Tech University.
Posted in: Active Shooter, Interesting, Uncategorized
Modern Healthcare: 2011 Violent Year for US Healthcare
2011 on track to be most violent year for U.S. hospitals
Experts offer suggestions for how to boost staff safety
October 20, 2011
This year is on track to be the most violent year on record in U.S. hospitals, underscoring a growing challenge for health care workers and hospital leaders, Modern Healthcare reports.
In the first half of 2011, the Joint Commission recorded 23 violent incidents at hospitals and long term-care facilities. At that pace, 2011 will exceed the record of 42 incidents reported in 2008.
Meanwhile, 2009 Bureau of Labor Statistics data show that RNs are three times more likely to be assaulted on the job than the average U.S. worker. That places RNs at higher risk of assault than taxi drivers and bartenders, Modern Healthcare reports.
According to the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS) President Jim Stankevich, hospitals attract visitors who are mentally unstable because of medical conditions or drug misuse. In addition, patients often have emotional outbursts in hospital waiting rooms, as overcrowding and triage delays can increase wait times, Modern Healthcare reports.
Meanwhile, Ana Pujols-McKee, the executive vice president and chief medical officer for the Joint Commission, notes that the economic recession and high unemployment may have led to increased stress levels among U.S. residents and thus higher hospital violence rates.
How can hospitals curtail violence?
Although the Joint Commission requires hospitals to perform risk assessments and establish security plans, experts say implementing additional security measures can further reduce violence in health care settings, Modern Healthcare reports.
A soon-to-be-released survey of Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) members found that zero-tolerance violence policies and affirmative support for incident reporting are associated with less violence, Modern Healthcare reports.
Meanwhile, some hospitals have implemented training programs to keep their staff members safe. For example, Vanderbilt University Medical Center officials provide day-long training sessions for ED workers that teach verbal de-escalation techniques and physical self-defense tactics. The hospital also has installed metal detectors and armed guards in the ED.
In addition, ENA President AnnMarie Papa suggested that nurses borrow techniques from firefighters or paramedics when confronted with a potentially violent situation. “The first thing that they do, before they do anything, is they assess the scene for safety and they assure that things seem safe before they go in,” Papa said. “We in health care need to take a page out of that book, and learn how to assure that a scene is safe, and (ask) where are our risks?”
Posted in: Interesting
CPPS CEO Featured on Fox News
Randy Spivey, CEO of the Center for Personal Protection and Safety, talks with Fox News on growing pirate threats to tourists and how to protect yourself while traveling.
To watch the interview, click here.
Posted in: Uncategorized
Randy Spivey Speaks to Increasing Pirate Threats with ABC News
Pirates a Growing Threat to Tourists, Corporate Travelers
High seas pirates, which have preyed on tankers and cargo ships, are expanding and becoming an increasing menace to tourists and corporate travelers.
The most jarring example of growing boldness of modern day pirates is a tactic that is a throwback to the days of sea raiders. Last weekend, wealthy British publisher David Tebbutt and his wife Judith were vacationing at a coastal Kenyan resort when they were attacked from the sea.
…”It’s a huge issue right now in leisure travel as well as corporate travel because you are seeing crime increase globally,” said travel expert Randy Spivey, founder and CEO of the Center for Personal Protection and Safety. “As the economy becomes more of a challenge, travel security becomes more of an issue.”
To read more, click here.
Posted in: Uncategorized
Workplace Violence in Healthcare Settings
The Department of Health and Human Services recently announced that it has awarded $352 million in grants to help hospitals and health care systems prepare for disasters.
Posted in: Active Shooter, Interesting
US Department of Justice Releases Latest Statistics
Nonfatal workplace violence BJS 2009
More than 572,000 nonfatal violent crimes–rape, robbery, or assault, occurred against persons age 16 or older while they were at work or on duty in 2009, according to a Justice Department Bureau of Justice Statistics’ newly released publication.
Posted in: Interesting