Workplace Violence Is Leading Companies To Adopt Stricter Security Measures

Workplace Violence Is Leading Companies To Adopt Stricter Security Measures

Employers are becoming more vigilant about workplace security, implementing intensive screenings for job candidates and electronic badge systems for employees.

As fears of workplace violence rise in the wake of a June mass shooting at a municipal center in Virginia Beach, companies across the country are adopting more measures to make sure employees feel safe in the office.

While mass shootings in the workplace are relatively rare — there have been 11 in the United States since 2006 — workplace homicides do claim hundreds of lives each year. In 2015, 417 Americans were killed while at work, according to statistics compiled by the Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime.

These numbers have pushed companies to take action, according to experts interviewed by The North Jersey Record. More office buildings are equipped with systems meant to track who is entering the office and when, using technology like video surveillance and electronic badges to keep tabs on visitors and employees alike.

“It was only in the past two or three years when we’ve seen a much bigger spate of events at office workplaces as well as factory floors has there been a turn in attention to [security],” John Dony, the director of the Campbell Institute at the National Safety Council, told the Record.

Experts agree that the most effective ways of preventing workplace violence might be the most obvious ones: watching out for symptoms of disgruntled employees and thoroughly screening job candidates for signs that they will not fit in with the company culture.

Aggressive or abnormal behavior on social media and issues at previous jobs can usually indicate if the person will have issues at their new job.

“Employers need to take time to make sure the individual they hire is a good fit in all ways,” Robert McCrie, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, told the Record.

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Mall of America Deploys AI-Powered Analytics to Enhance Parking Intelligence

    Mall of America®, the largest shopping and entertainment complex in North America, announced an expansion of its ongoing partnership with Axis Communications to deploy cutting-edge car-counting video analytics across more than a dozen locations. With this expansion, Mall of America (MOA) has boosted operational efficiency, improved safety and security, and enabled more informed decision-making around employee scheduling and streamlining transportation for large events. Read Now

  • Security Industry Association Launches New “askSIA” AI Tool

    The Security Industry Association (SIA) has unveiled a brand-new SIA member benefit – askSIA, a conversational AI agent designed to help users get the most out of their SIA membership, easily access SIA resources and find the latest information on SIA’s training and courses, reports and publications, events, certification offerings and more. SIA members can easily find askSIA by visiting the SIA homepage or looking for the askSIA icon in the top left of webpages. Read Now

    • Industry Events
  • Industry Embraces Mobile Access, Biometrics and AI

    A combination of evolving workplace dynamics, technology innovation and new user expectations is changing how people enter and interact with physical spaces. Access control is at the heart of these changes. Combined with biometrics and AI, mobile access control has become increasingly crucial for deploying entry solutions that are seamless, secure and adaptive to user needs. Read Now

  • Sustainable Video Solution Delivered for Landmark City of London Office Development

    An advanced, end-to-end video solution from IDIS, with a focus on reducing waste and costs, has helped a major office development in the City of London align its security with sustainability objectives. Read Now

  • DHS to End ‘Shoes-Off’ Travel Policy

    Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced a new policy today which will allow passengers traveling through domestic airports to keep their shoes on while passing through security screening at TSA checkpoints. Read Now

New Products

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file.

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.