Identifying and Mitigating Threats at Work: A Comprehensive Approach

Threats at work are situations where some individuals intend to harm or engage in violence in the workplace. 

Threats can come in different ways. The list will involve: 

• Verbal or written threats, 
• Physical aggression, 
• Harassment

In Bangladesh, workplace violence and threats are rising at an alarming matter.

Any organization should practice the company threat assessment. A proper threat assessment can reduce the risk of threats to uphold the well-being of the employees. 

However, the best conceivable way to ensure an effective threat assessment is to identify potential workplace threats and take necessary measures to mitigate them. 

In this discussion, we’ll talk about workplace threats. We will also discuss both the identification and mitigation of workplace threats. 

Understanding Threat Assessment

Threat assessment is a behavior-focused investigative process. It simply enables organizations to respond to potential acts of targeted violence. The assessment is about a multidisciplinary approach to identify and mitigate concerns of intentional harm.

Generally, threat assessment provides a comprehensive view of potential threats by adding various stakeholders. These are company management, human resources, legal, and risk management.

Moreover, It encompasses occupational safety, health, and law enforcement. This concept has safeguarded individuals, such as the president and elected officials. 

It is also integrated into operational risk management practices by many large businesses. Organizations need to ensure a proper threat assessment.

For a proper threat assessment, leading organizations hire security consultants or officers to enhance executive protection and safety. It ultimately helps mitigate the risk of threats at work.

How to Identify Threats At Work? – 8 Simple Ways 

Identifying the scope of threats is the first and most significant step to mitigate those threats. For sure, identifying all the scopes of potential threats is not so easy. But if you have a proper idea of them in advance, it will help.

Here are some practical ways to recognize potential threats:

1. Attendance Problems

Frequent absences or erratic attendance of employees can be a significant sign of trouble at your workplace. If an employee is often absent without a valid reason, it indicates underlying issues.

2. Productivity Issues

Noticeable drops in employee productivity are a huge red flag. When someone who used to be efficient becomes unproductive, it’s time to investigate. You should pay extra attention to that employee.

3. Inconsistent Work Patterns

A sudden change in work habits might signal a problem. They might start arriving late, leaving early, or taking excessively long breaks. You should look out for these changes and keep monitoring them.

4. Personal Grooming Habits

Drastic changes in personal grooming, like poor hygiene display distress to the employee. These changes can affect their work-related behavior. You need to work on the personal grooming for the employees.

5. Inappropriate Comments and Threats

Verbal threats toward colleagues can start violence. This type of phenomenon can make the other employees feel unsafe. It can lead to verbal bullying and more intense situations. You must keep an eye on such behaviors and address them fast.

6. Evidence of Drug Use

Harmful substances can exacerbate volatile situations. If your employees mingle in such behavior, pay extra attention to them. 

If necessary, remove them from your team so that other team members can’t be encouraged by them to take drugs.

7. Serious Stress in Personal Life

High levels of stress can leak into the workplace. You should watch for signs of personal stress that may affect an employee’s behavior at work. 

If you notice anything like that, try to consult them. If needed, Take the necessary steps to help them overcome the situation.

8. Background Screenings

Conducting background screenings on visitors can help identify potential threats. Screening against national databases, watchlists, and sex offender registries is helpful. They will prevent unwanted individuals from entering your workplace.

To ensure a safer work environment, you must integrate security technology. They are effective against potential threats. Solutions like visitor management systems and facial recognition cameras are like magic in this case.

6 Ways to Mitigate Threats at the Workplace

No doubt that workplace violence is a growing concern in Bangladesh and other Asian countries. Still, identifying and mitigating the risks properly can help reduce the risk of workplace threats and violence.

Here are some effective solutions to mitigate threats at your workplace:

1. Close Observation of the Warning Signs 

You should look for attendance problems and unusual behavior in your employees. These could state potential threats. So, once you find anything like a warning sign, talk to the associated employee to solve it.

2. Prevent Unauthorized Entry

Use security technology to keep dangerous individuals out of your workplace. Add visitor management systems, combined with watchlists of known troublemakers. It will help ensure that only authorized personnel enter your facility.

3. Integrate Perimeter Protection

if you can try to combine facial-recognition cameras with cloud-based visitor management systems. This integration can alert security personnel, and even local police about unwelcome visitors. It will safeguard your workplace from serious vigilant situations.

4. Self-Service Kiosks

You can use self-service visitor management systems. These kiosks allow easy registration for contractors and visitors. They can scan driver’s licenses and check information against the watchlist. As a result, it enhances security without constant staff presence.

5. Background Screenings

You can also screen incoming visitors against national security databases and custom watchlists. Premium solutions enable silent communication with your security team during emergencies.

6. Quick Emergency Response

Act swiftly if workplace violence unfolds. Modern security technology can lock down areas and alert first responders. Moreover, It can notify all users on their devices, ensuring rapid response. So, you must add such a system in your workplace without fail.

These measures can’t guarantee complete safety, but they can reduce the risk of workplace threats. You should watch signs, add security technology, and provide training in your company. Thus, you can manage a safe workplace for your employees.

Wrapping Up

Put your best effort into keeping your workplace secure from potential threats and violence. The threat identification measures and mitigation strategies should be on your checklist.

However, managing these safety measures to mitigate threats at work might be complicated for you after handling the business or the organization. In this case, you should hire a security consultant or protection officer who can investigate the scope of threats and mitigate them carefully.

If your organization is in Dhaka, contact Sentry Security Service to free up the hassle of this non-avoidable task.