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Whether they are located near or in schools, hotels or government buildings, many companies are concerned about the danger of active assailants and workplace violence.

Reports of active shooter violence initially declined in the early part of 2020.However, in a worrying trend, the frequency of shootings and violence began to Increase during the first quarter of 2021, following that upward trend with shootings in Texas, Indiana, South Carolina, Maryland, Georgia and Colorado.

Workplace violence has myriad effects on business, from the costs of hospital admissions to ongoing counseling and support for employees, as well as litigation and covering the costs of closures and building renovations. Insurance providers are developing policies to meet this ever-growing need.

The standard insurance policy for active assailant events is designed to cover a business when a person is actively engaged in killing or attempting to harm someone, extending to those 650 feet from the location. In a hostage event, the coverage is triggered when an assailant has a weapon and holds one person for more than one hour.

But Oswald Companies has developed enhanced coverage that allows business owners and managers to respond quickly and thoughtfully to any incidents, so they can focus on the duty of care they feel toward students, employees and the public. The Oswald policy is triggered by any active assailant event, using any weapon, and includes coverage for those injured up to 1,000 feet away. An example of the need for extended coverage was the Mandalay Bay shooting in Las Vegas, when the assailant was far away from those injured or killed.

For coverage purposes, active assailant includes vehicles, explosive devices or any Instrument used to cause harm, maim or kill others. Unlike other policies of this kind, no motive is required for coverage to begin with an enhanced policy.

In the event of a hostage situation, the enhanced coverage kicks in if one person is held for one hour. It will also cover hoax incidents or if the weapon involved turns out not to be a real threat.

This enhanced policy covers both property damage and business interruption, including denial of access to the location and subsequent event cancellations. The policy also offers ancillary support, with coverage of medical costs and death benefits for up to 24 months, including victim rehabilitation and repatriation, if necessary, of those deceased.

One of the most crucial benefits of this enhanced policy is access to a crisis management team. With the policy, the insured are given a number to contact immediately after calling local emergency services. Then they will be put in touch with a specialized team composed of former FBI agents and police officers, who will set up a crisis team at your headquarters or the location of the incident to offer support services.

Because school shootings present especially difficult circumstances, Oswald also has coverage specific to education clients. Such policies cover the demolition and rebuilding of areas involved in the attack, which is often essential for school shootings, along with the construction of a memorial for those killed. This aspect of the coverage is in place if there is even one student or faculty fatality.

The enhanced policy also addresses gaps in coverage and can act as a buffer to other policies. The ancillary coverage comes with no deductible, so it offers ground-up coverage from the time of the attack.

To that end, at a recent grocery store incident that resulted in one shooting death, the insurance addressed the store’s loss of income while it was closed but also its downturn in sales – with the crisis management team on standby in the event of further issues around reopening.

While many insurance policies cover workplace violence, the attendant property damage and costs associated with repairs, an enhanced policy provides more robust protection from these attacks. It offers additional peace of mind in rebuilding your property and addressing the needs of your workers.

This article also appeared on bizjournals.com.

For more information, contact us here or access our Active Assailant Risk Hub here.

Note: This communication is for informational purposes only. Although every reasonable effort is made to present current and accurate information, Oswald makes no guarantees of any kind and cannot be held liable for any outdated or incorrect information. View our communications policy.