How to Use an Inclusive Mindset to Achieve Workplace Safety for All

The role of the security practitioner is protection. We must remain nimble to adjust to our organization’s changing needs but also rigid to enforce life safety policies. As we strive to accomplish this ever-important task, we must remember we are there to protect all our employees. Protecting them is our mission, and we must not forget this as we set our policies, training, process, preparedness, and mindset for our teams’ day-to-day operations.

Regardless of your organization’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, security leaders should maintain an inclusive mindset when reviewing practices, procedures, and operations. When it comes to emergency preparedness, procedures, training, and proactive security measures, this is about doing the right thing, not just checking boxes.

Regulations and Common Practice

One of the first things you must do is meet and maintain compliance. If you are new to the security leader role or are doing a review of your operations, do not simply accept that current practices are good enough. You must know the standards and how to meet them.

One National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) document—the Emergency Evacuation Planning Guide for People with Disabilities—discusses building a team. When you do this, who should be on your team? The usual people at the table include safety, security, facilities management, engineers, and human resources. When reviewing and sharing policies, leverage the engaged employees of employee resource groups or other active participants who may have key information to share.

If your organization has a disability advocacy group, ensure they have a seat at the table to provide a perspective that might otherwise be neglected. One example is access to muster points: while the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has requirements for access to buildings, these issues are often overlooked. If you cannot make physical infrastructure changes, be deliberate in the accommodations you make and then share that information.

Your facility’s climate must also be a consideration. Some individuals may have extreme reactions to heat and cold. Asking them to stand outside for long periods may be inconvenient or harmful. So, during an evacuation, consider using alternate buildings or vehicles (such as onsite shuttles and buses) as safe shelters or work with first responders to establish a warming or cooling station.

This should all be a part of your pre-planning, documented, and shared with employees. Inclusion is not only about sharing the information after a decision is made but also ensuring a seat at the table with the opportunity to participate and understand the decisions as they are made.

Security Procedures and Training

Inclusion in security procedures must include topics discussed above—such as ID photo stations able to take pictures at different heights to accommodate everyone, including those using wheelchairs or others with height-related needs. The height and locations of your badge readers might also be worth consideration for an inclusive culture. The ADA recommends no higher than 48 inches for such devices, but the location is just as important in this equation.

When people have feedback, do more than simply respond that the organization is meeting the criteria established by the ADA. Instead, check out any points or areas of concern with the person who submitted the feedback. This extra step helps promote an inclusive mindset.

One way to view these questions, feedback, and opportunities is to try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes and consider how you would feel if this was your loved one asking for help. This helps keep the inclusive mindset at the forefront even when day-to-day challenges arise.

Inclusion is not only about sharing the information after a decision is made but also ensuring a seat at the table.

Beyond accommodating people with disabilities, consider how security treats people with varying gender identities, sexual preferences, and lifestyles. This is an area where security practitioners have struggled in the past, creating barriers between employees and their security teams. The inclusive mindset might require us to be open to pronouns on an ID badge, offering choices and input from a subject about which photo to use for credentials, or updating photos more frequently as an employee’s appearance changes.

Many behavioral threat assessment and management components consider these cultural and inclusivity elements. When we conduct risk or threat assessments, do we have a process that includes special risks or threats based on sexual orientation, gender, and lifestyle? Think of grievance, humiliation, social isolation, social media chatter, and the threats that all of these elements can carry—meaning that we must approach this with an inclusive mindset. We must be aware of current societal trends and risks, for example incel culture, blackpilled masculinity, 14 words, and other terminology and movements that create a risk to our inclusive culture. This not only helps us as security practitioners but also assures staff that we are there for them, regardless of their beliefs, religions, orientations, and lifestyles.

Ultimately, one of the most significant barriers to the inclusive mindset in our security operations is our own views and, at times, our own bias. We might believe that the ID photo is not a big deal, but for someone who is transitioning or whose height is limited by a condition, our own bias can generate friction or impact a major life event.

There is power in understanding when our biases may cloud our judgment because this presents an opportunity. The power is not in compliance: the power of engagement and a stronger security program comes from a mindset, a culture of inclusion where you can focus on your mission, and your employees also want to include you in their mission.

Dan Rhatigan, CPP, CSP, is the executive director of EHS and Security at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. Rhatigan has worked in the EHS and security field, specifically in pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing industries, for more than 20 years. He has extensive emergency response experience, having spent almost 20 years in the fire service. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management and a master’s degree in safety and health from Georgia Tech. He is completing a doctorate in criminal justice/homeland security. He also enjoys speaking at professional development events to continue to grow in the security profession.