Pennsylvania Workplace Safety: Employee Perceptions of Active Shooter Preparedness

This study investigated the role of workplace preparedness actions in employee perceptions of workplace risk, workplace preparedness, and personal self-efficacy in an active shooter event. Data were drawn from an online, state representative survey of 668 Pennsylvania residents in 2019. Nearly 40% of employees reported their workplaces had not taken any preparedness actions. Having a workplace take a greater number of preparedness actions was associated with increased self-efficacy and increased perceptions of workplace preparedness, but also an increase in perceived risk. Males and gun owners perceived lower levels of workplace risk and reported substantially higher self-efficacy. However, associations between workplace efforts and self-efficacy differed from those for perceived workplace preparedness. Associations with firearm policy and the presence of security staff also differed for the two outcomes.