Reducing
the Hazards of Workplace Violence
Andrea
Haferbier
Kaplan University
Reducing the Hazards of Workplace
Violence
Each
year there are over two million people who fall victim to workplace violence in
the United States.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational
Injuries, of the 4,679 fatal workplace injuries that occurred in the United States
in 2014, there were 749 workplace homicides (United
States Department of Labor, 2015). Any act or threat of intimidation,
physical violence, harassment, or other threatening or disruptive behavior that
happens at a place of business is considered to be workplace violence (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, n.d.).
Workplace violence can strike anywhere and can happen to anyone. Even the most
respectful environment could experience incidents of workplace violence. It is
naive to think that it will not happen within our business. What policies and
procedures do we have in place to protect ourselves and our employees from
workplace violence? What would we do if an instance of workplace violence were
to occur at PFC? In my opinion, this is very worrisome especially given the
fact that Iowa
allows registered gun owners to conceal and carry weapons. The possibility that
any one of our employees could be carrying a concealed weapon at work is very
unsettling. Without posted signs and a specific policy in place which prohibits
carrying a weapon on our property, we are not taking a proactive stance towards
reducing the hazards of workplace violence. As a company, it is our responsibility to establish a
workplace violence policy and prevention program to ensure the safety of our
employees. In addition to establishing a zero tolerance policy for workplace
violence, it is also important to assemble an Emergency Management Team to
manage annual training, drills, and implementation of the program.
According to Corporal Cory Determan,
the type of workplace violence which is responsible for the majority of fatal
injuries is violence by strangers, which accounts for 75-90% of all workplace
violence occurrences. The stranger
enters the business with the intention of robbing it or conducting some other
criminal act and something goes wrong, leading him to act even more
irrationally (Determan, 2016).
Another
type of workplace violence is violence by customers or clients. The assailant
may be a current or former customer or client. In this instance, the violence
could be due to project delays, reporting issues, or even the disgruntled
consumer who is not receiving her rebate because the requirements were not met.
Violence
by coworkers is also a type of workplace violence. In this instance, the
employee may be experiencing psychological problems or suffering from family
stress. She could also be seeking revenge because she feels that she has been
treated unfairly, didn’t receive the raise or promotion that she thought that
they deserved, or because of criticism that she received regarding her
performance (Bruce & Nowlin, 2011).
The
last type of workplace violence is violence by personal relations. These
relationships could include a current or former spouse, lover, friend,
relative, or acquaintance. In instances like this the assailant will confront
the employee that they have had a personal relationship with, often being
motivated by difficulties in the relationship.
As
the illustrations have shown, there are many situations that could lead to
workplace violence by a coworker. It is imperative to be aware of the warning
signs. If any questionable behavior is exhibited, we must respond in an
empathetic, caring, and considerate manner while providing the employee with
the help required.
Corporal Cory Determan came to PFC
on March, 28 2016 to provide an assessment of our facility and conduct a
presentation with departmental managers in regards to an Active Shooter
situation. Corporal Determan is employed with the Camanche, Iowa
police department and provides active shooter training to each school within Clinton County. During the presentation we
watched the FBI video called “Run, Hide, Fight” and we also watched excerpts
from the Columbine
School shooting video.
The Columbine video was very disconcerting; however, Corporal Determan stated
that he includes this film in the training materials because he feels that it
is very important to understand that no matter how much training or preparation
a person has gone through, an active shooter situation is unpredictable. Each
person will handle the situation differently, often not as planned or as trained.
During
the presentation, he explained the
A.L.I.C.E. initiative. The acronym A.L.I.C.E. stands for alert, lockdown,
inform, counter, and evacuate. A.L.I.C.E. was first implemented after the 2012
shooting that occurred at Sandy
Hook Elementary School.
A.L.I.C.E. is now used as a training tool to inform and prepare individuals on
how to safely and effectively respond to an active shooter situation. The
A.L.I.C.E. initiative is an enhanced response to violent intruders and armed
aggressors and has been endorsed by the US Department of Education, US
Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Secret
Service, and many others in the private sector. The A.L.I.C.E. initiative
empowers staff to make decisions based upon the information available at their
immediate disposal, their personal abilities, and the number of employees in
their department. A.L.I.C.E. provides options for staff to think
unconventionally while creating a disadvantage for the aggressor and by helping
to ensure that the aggressor cannot predict a response. Each of these factors
enhance the chances of survival (Determan, 2016).
Once
a zero tolerance policy and prevention program against workplace violence has
been established, Corporal Determan will return to help provide training for
each employee. When employee training has been completed we will begin
preparing employees by creating live scenarios while practicing evacuation
procedures. Corporal Determan stated that by completing the live training it
will help to prepare employees for a variety of situations. After each
scenario, he will provide his feedback in regards to how employees handled
themselves. This feedback will provide the Emergency Management Team with
insight of areas that require improvement.
Developing
and implementing a workplace violence policy and prevention program sounds like
a rather large undertaking; however, with proper research and training we will be
able to create a comprehensive policy which includes all emergency procedures.
The top priority in developing and implementing the workplace violence policy
and prevention and program should be to establish a procedure for documenting
incidents of violence. All employees should be trained in this procedure and
feel empowered to report any concerns, incidents, or conduct that violate the
policy. Employees who file legitimate reports should not be subject to any
adverse action or retaliation under any circumstance. Implementation of the
reporting procedure, prevention strategies, and the policy should be provided
to all employees throughout the company. Another important factor is to
assemble an Emergency Management Team which should include a representative
from Human Resources as well as each of the department managers. The goal for
the Emergency Management Team will be to train annually in workplace violence
strategies and prevention, train PFC staff annually, conduct drills twice a
year which include evacuation and lockdown procedures, serve as the go-to team
for any staff member experiencing any form of workplace violence, assist staff
to safety in case of emergency, and serve as first responders in the event of
an emergency.
A
common misconception as it relates to disaster situations is that “one size
fits all”. This is far from the truth as each situation requires different
handling methods. The documented policy should clearly state that we maintain a
zero-tolerance for workplace violence of any kind. It should also clearly
define the disciplinary action that will be taken if an employee were to engage
in any conduct that violates the policy, emergency procedures, evacuation
procedures, and lockdown procedures. It should also direct how the Emergency
Management Team is to be assembled, who is responsible for immediate care, and
employee counseling. After all
documentation has been written and shared with employees, training sessions
should be scheduled, followed by implementation. By taking a proactive stance towards reducing
the hazards of workplace violence it shows that we are committed to maintaining
a safe, healthful, and efficient working environment where employees, visitors,
contractors, clients, and on-site vendors are free from the threat of workplace
violence.
References
Bruce, M. D., & Nowlin, W. A. (2011). Workplace Violence:
Awareness, Prevention, and Response. Public Personnel Management,
293-308.
Determan, C. C. (2016, March 28). Active Shooter Training.
(PFC, Interviewer)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (n.d.). Safety
And Health Topics - workplace violence. Retrieved from Occupational Safety
and Health Administration:
https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/workplaceviolence/index.html
United States Department of Labor. (2015, September 17). Bureau
Of Labor Statistics. Retrieved from United States Department Of Labor Web
Site: http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfoi1.htm#2014
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