critical incident response in the workplace.

Last Updated on May 4, 2020 by Ranga

The security staff must be trained for responding to the critical incident quickly and effectively on the site. The company needs security staff to play decisive leadership in a critical scenario. Therefore, critical incident response is a part of your duties.

What are the common critical incidents?

• Natural disaster
• Acts of terrorism
• Robbery
• Assault
• Sabotage
• Severe accident

Critical incident analysis

Depending on their effects on the organization, the incidents are considered crucial. The companies may describe the critical aspects for them in different ways, however, a metric has established to classify the critical incidents. The incident that gives the following consequences to the organization is critical.

• Loss of production facilities
• Loss of personnel (through injury)
• Reputation damage
• Financial consequences
  • Cost of lost sales or production
  • Fines or penalties
  • Legal costs
  • Cost of repairing damages
• Reduced employee performance
  • Psychological damage
  • Distraction from work

There are several examples of the effects of critical incidents, but avoidance is the perfect solution.

By responding quickly and appropriately, security personnel will reduce the effect of the critical incident. Your exact response will support

• Reduce damage
• Isolate risks and threats
• Remove non-essential personnel from the area
• The coordination with a critical incident response team
• Avoid the critical impact on specific industry sectors or organizations.

Sector-wise critical incidents

Critical incident in Educational Facilities

• Fire
• Serious illness/infection
• Armed attack
• Teacher strike

• IT Breach or data loss

Critical incident in Government buildings

• Fire
• Mass protesting
  • Political or ideological
  • Disruptive to government services
• Terrorism
  • Explosive attack
  • Armed attack
  • Biological agent or chemical exposure
• IT Breach or data loss

Critical incident in Critical Infrastructure

• Power failure
• Terrorism
• Sabotage
• Operating equipment or machinery damaged
  • Cooling systems
  • Fume extraction
  • Air circulation
  • Fire

  • Hazardous substance exposure

Critical incident in National borders and ports of entry

• Mass refugee migration
  • Asylum seekers
  • Border rushing
• Transport failure
  • Airplane groundings
  • Ships and vessels not seaworthy
• Severe weather
• Terrorism
• Outbreak of infection
  • Quarantine breach
  • The arrival of foreign disease
• Evacuation required
  • Control of personnel not cleared for immigration
  • Accounting for personnel

Critical incident in Sports clubs and stadiums

• Spectator violence
• Fire
• Terrorism
  • Bomb threats
  • Vehicle vs. Pedestrian
• Stampede
• Kidnapping or missing children

Critical incident in Hospitals

• Violent conduct requiring restraint
• Receiving hospital for mass casualty event (terrorism or natural disaster)
• Fire
• Outbreak of infection
• Missing patient (including children)
• Theft of controlled substances e.g.
  • drugs
  • medicines
• Patient confidentiality breach

Critical incident in Banks

• Robbery
• Fire
• ATM Fraud
• IT Breach or data lost

Critical incident in Hotels and Tourist sites

• Fire
• Violent conduct
• Terrorism

• Missing children

Critical incident in Museums and Cultural centers

• Fire
• Theft
• Terrorism
• Destruction of artifacts
• Failure of artifacts environment control e.g.
  • Humidity controller
  • Temperature controller

• Missing children

• Water leaks

Critical incident in Parks, beaches and public areas

• Violent conduct
• Severe weather

• Terrorism

Critical incident in Retail and commercial sites

• Theft
• Fire
• Terrorism
• Missing children

Critical incident response:

Identifying the safety and security incident and responding to them appropriately is an important part of the security staff duties.

The incident response procedure depends on the organization, size, and type of incident, however, the basic concept for the critical incident response can use in each situation.

The company may form the critical incident response unit, the security team also participate in the team. Everyone should remember the following things while responding to the emergency;

• Assessing risks to health and safety
• Reducing the risk of further damage
  • Physical
  • Reputation
  • Psychological
• Isolating the threats or hazards

Standard Operating Procedures;

SOP is the most helpful guideline for the security personal to perform the duty in case of an emergency or normal situation. Therefore, beware of the follow-up action that is mentioned in the standard operating procedure. The SOP may include;

• Actions to take in the event of each incident that has been planned for
• Who is responsible for each action
• Communication and reporting lines
• Triggers for escalating the control of incident sites to external agencies
• Returning to normal operations after an incident
  

Conclusion: The different organizations will identify various incidents that are critical to them, but you should know the site policy and responding procedure for the different types of incidents that occur in the organization. You would learn the critical incident response procedures for the specific incident on the following lessons.

How to deal with different types of a critical incident?

Advance Security Course

Basic security course