Workplace Violence—Steps You Should Take to Prevent It

Who Is Vulnerable?

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), some 2 million American workers are victims of workplace violence each year. Workplace violence can strike anywhere, and no one is immune. Some workers, however, are at increased risk. Among them are workers who

• Exchange money with the public
• Guard valuable property or possessions
• Deliver passengers, goods, or services
• Work alone or in small groups
• Have late night or early morning work hours
• Work in high-crime areas
• Work in community settings and homes where they have extensive contact with the public. This includes health-care and social service workers such as visiting nurses, psychiatric evaluators, and probation officers
• Have jobs out in the community, such as gas and water utility employees, phone and cable TV installers, and letter carriers
• Have jobs in retail settings
• Have a mobile workplace such as a taxicab or police cruiser

What Can These Employers Do to Help Protect These Employees?

The best protection employers can offer, says OSHA, is to establish a zero-tolerance policy toward workplace violence against or by their employees. Typically, such policies also have a zero-tolerance toward threats of violence.

The employer should establish a workplace violence prevention program or incorporate the information into an existing accident prevention program, employee handbook, or manual of standard operating procedures.

Train all employees about the policy and be sure that they understand that all claims of workplace violence will be investigated and remedied promptly.

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In addition, employers can offer additional protections such as the following:

• Encourage employees to report and log all incidents and threats of workplace violence
• Provide safety education for employees so they know what conduct is not acceptable, what to do if they witness or are subjected to workplace violence, and how to protect themselves.
• Secure the workplace. Where appropriate to the business, install video surveillance, extra lighting, and alarm systems and minimize access by outsiders through identification badges, electronic keys, and guards.
• Provide drop safes to limit the amount of cash on hand. Keep a minimal amount of cash in registers during evenings and late night hours.
• Equip field staff with cellular phones and handheld alarms or noise devices, and require them to prepare a daily work plan and keep a contact person informed of their location throughout the day. Keep employer-provided vehicles properly maintained.
• Instruct employees not to enter any location where they feel unsafe. Introduce a “buddy system” or provide an escort service or police assistance in potentially dangerous situations or at night.
• Develop policies and procedures covering visits by home healthcare providers. Address the conduct of home visits, the presence of others in the home during visits, and the worker’s right to refuse to provide services in a clearly hazardous situation.

How Can Employees Protect Themselves?

Nothing can guarantee that an employee will not become a victim of workplace violence. However, these steps can help reduce the odds:

• Learn how to recognize, avoid, or diffuse potentially violent situations by attending personal-safety training programs
• Alert supervisors to any concerns about safety or security, and report all incidents immediately in writing
• Avoid traveling alone into unfamiliar locations or situations whenever possible
• Carry only minimal money and required identification into community settings

What Should Employers Do Following an Incident of Workplace Violence?

• Provide prompt medical evaluation and treatment after the incident
• Report violent incidents to the local police promptly
• Inform victims of their legal right to prosecute perpetrators
• Discuss the circumstances of the incident with employees. Encourage employees to share information about ways to avoid similar situations in the future
• Offer stress debriefing sessions and posttraumatic counseling services to help workers recover from a violent incident
• Investigate all violent incidents and threats, monitor trends in violent incidents by type or circumstance, and institute corrective actions

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What Legal Requirements Pertain to Workplace Violence?

The Occupational Safety and Health Act’s (OSH Act) General Duty Clause requires employers to provide a safe and healthful workplace for all workers covered by the OSH Act. Employers who do not take reasonable steps to prevent or abate a recognized violence hazard in the workplace can be cited.

In tomorrow’s Advisor, who might become violent, what signs potentially violent people exhibit, and an introduction to a unique 10-minutes-at-a-time training program that will help with violence and most other HR challenges.

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