Federal Government Guide for Preventing and Responding to Violence in the Workplace

The federal government’s Interagency Security Committee, which is chaired by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s Brian Harrell and consists of 60 other departments and agencies, has released a comprehensive guide for creating an effective workplace violence prevention and response program. The guidance covers not only the macro issues of facility security, but also incidents of physical violence such as shootings and assaults and the far more prevalent incidents of nonphysical violence, intimidation, bullying, and other inappropriate behaviors that can increase the potential for violence. It also includes a variety of examples based on real-world events for planners to study and take into consideration. Although this document is specifically intended for federal government organizations, it can also be useful for those responsible for the security and protection of buildings and personnel in other levels of government and in the private sector.