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Home›Courses›Safety Training›Bomb Threat Procedures Online Training

Bomb Threat Procedures Online Training

29 minutesEN / ESSafety TrainingOSH Act Section 5(a)(1) General Duty Clause, 29 CFR 1910.38 (Emergency Action Plans)
Quick Answer

Bomb Threat Procedures is a 29-minute online course that trains employees on how to respond to bomb threats in the workplace, covering threat assessment, communication protocols, evacuation procedures, and coordination with law enforcement. It is designed for all employees and security personnel, and includes a downloadable certificate of completion.

Course Overview

Bomb threats remain a persistent security concern for workplaces across every industry, from office buildings and schools to manufacturing facilities and government offices. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recommend that all employers have a written bomb threat response plan and that employees be trained on proper response procedures. OSHA's General Duty Clause requires employers to provide workplaces free from recognized hazards, and courts have held that workplace violence threats - including bomb threats - constitute recognized hazards that employers must address.

This course prepares your employees to respond calmly and effectively if a bomb threat is received by phone, mail, email, or in person. Your team will learn the critical steps for gathering information from callers, proper notification and communication chains, evacuation decision-making protocols, and how to assist law enforcement during their response. The course covers both the immediate response to a threat and the planning steps employers should take in advance to prepare their workforce.

What You'll Learn

  • How to respond to a bomb threat received by telephone, including information-gathering techniques
  • Identifying and responding to suspicious packages, letters, and deliveries
  • Evacuation decision-making procedures and rally point coordination
  • Communication protocols for notifying management, security, and law enforcement
  • Search procedures and the role employees play in assisting authorities
  • Post-incident procedures including building re-entry and employee support
  • Developing and maintaining a written bomb threat response plan

Who Needs This Training

  • Front desk staff, receptionists, and switchboard operators who are most likely to receive telephone threats
  • Security personnel and facility managers responsible for building evacuation plans
  • HR managers and department heads who serve as emergency coordinators
  • Mailroom employees who handle incoming packages and correspondence
  • All employees in office buildings, schools, government facilities, and public-facing workplaces
  • Emergency response team members who coordinate with law enforcement during threat incidents

Regulatory Background

While no specific OSHA standard addresses bomb threat procedures directly, OSHA's General Duty Clause under Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act requires employers to maintain workplaces free from recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm. Courts and OSHA have applied this clause to workplace violence scenarios, including bomb threats. The Department of Homeland Security and ATF publish guidance recommending that employers develop bomb threat response plans, train employees on their roles, and conduct regular drills. Employers in regulated industries - including federal contractors, healthcare facilities, and educational institutions - may face additional requirements under sector-specific regulations. Failure to maintain emergency action plans as required by 29 CFR 1910.38 can result in citations of up to $16,550 for serious violations, and employers who fail to address known threats may face willful citations of up to $165,514.

Frequently Asked Questions

Employees should remain calm and keep the caller talking as long as possible. Key information to capture includes the exact words used by the caller, the claimed location of the device, the type of device described, when it is set to detonate, why the threat was made, and any identifying characteristics of the caller such as gender, accent, background noises, or speech patterns. Many organizations provide a bomb threat checklist card at reception desks for this purpose, following the DHS/ATF recommended format.
Not necessarily. The decision to evacuate depends on the credibility of the threat, specific details provided by the caller, the threat assessment by trained security personnel, and guidance from law enforcement. Evacuation itself carries risks - a secondary device could be placed along an evacuation route. Employers should have a written decision-making protocol developed in consultation with local law enforcement and follow it consistently. Some threats may warrant shelter-in-place or partial evacuation rather than full building evacuation.
Employees are best positioned to identify items that do not belong in their immediate work area because they are most familiar with their surroundings. However, employees should never touch, move, or open a suspicious item. Their role is limited to visual identification and reporting. Actual search and disposal operations are the responsibility of law enforcement bomb disposal units. Employers should train employees to report anything unusual and then move to a safe distance.
OSHA does not have a standalone bomb threat standard, but 29 CFR 1910.38 requires employers to have a written emergency action plan that covers procedures for emergency evacuation, reporting emergencies, and accounting for employees after an evacuation. Bomb threats fall within the scope of emergencies that this plan should address. The DHS and ATF provide free planning templates and guidance documents that employers can adapt to their specific facilities and operations.
DHS recommends that employers conduct bomb threat awareness training at least annually and supplement it with periodic drills. New employees should receive training as part of their orientation. Refresher training should also be conducted whenever the employer's response plan changes, after an actual threat incident, or when new threats emerge that affect the employer's risk profile. Frequent front-desk or reception staff turnover makes regular training especially important for those positions.

Related Courses

Employers developing comprehensive emergency preparedness programs often pair this course with Workplace Safety Training: Crisis Management and Emergency Planning for a broader framework on all-hazards response, and Cybersecurity: Protecting Your Digital Workspace to address the full spectrum of threats facing modern workplaces.

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$29.95
per person
Volume Pricing
Team Size Price per Person
1 - 9$29.95
10 - 24$23.95
25 - 49$21.55
50 - 99$17.50
Subtotal $29.95
Language

This course is available in English and Spanish at no additional charge.

Certificate of completion included. Downloadable upon passing the final assessment.

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$29.95
per person