Administrative Controls and Work Practices

A sound overall security program includes administrative controls that reduce hazards from inadequate staffing, insufficient security measures, and poor work practices. 

Employees are to be instructed not to enter any location where they feel threatened or unsafe. This decision must be the judgment of the employee. Procedures should be developed to assist the employee to evaluate the relative hazard in a given situation. In hazardous cases, the managers must facilitate and establish a buddy system. This buddy system should be required whenever an employee feels insecure regarding the time of activity, the location of work, the nature of the individuals in that location, and past history of aggressive or assaultive behavior by these individuals. 

Employers must provide a program of personal safety education for the field staff. This program should be at the minimum, one provided by local police departments or other agencies. It should include training on awareness, avoidance, and action to take to prevent mugging, robbery, rapes, and 

Procedures should be established to assist employees to reduce the likelihood of assaults and robbery from those seeking drugs or money, as well as procedures to follow in the case of threatening behavior and provision for a fail-safe back-up in administration offices. 

Fail-safe back-up system is provided in the administrative office at all times of operation for employees in the field who may need assistance. 

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