Workplace violence is a risk for anyone within the employment sector, and a risk that must be addressed by each employer in order to provide an environment free from recognizable risks and hazards. At this time, a promulgated workplace violence standard does not exist within the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). However; employers must remember that section 5 (a) (1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 requires the employer to provide a workplace that is free from recognizable hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to their employees (OSH Act, 1970).
With this responsibility, it is incumbent upon each employer to understand workplace violence, and the current pervasiveness of such. One of the most detrimental mistakes when trying to mitigate a risk is failing to perceive the risk, or failing to acknowledge that the risk is present. The attitude that workplace violence will not materialize in your organization is a very dangerous position. Once one comes to the understanding of what workplace violence is, and realize their organization is susceptible to such, the path to risk aversion and mitigation can begin.
Workplace Violence Defined: In order to properly understand and institute measures for the mitigation of a risk, the risk must be properly defined. When workplace violence is discussed, the majority of people automatically think of the horrific events broadcast on the media such as multi-victim homicides. Although this is an extreme type of workplace violence, other types of actions and incidents also rise to the level of becoming such.
OSHA states that workplace violence is violence or the threat of violence in the workplace. Workplace violence can take place at the workplace or outside of the workplace in the form of threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults, and homicide (OSHA Fact, 2002). According to ASIS International, workplace violence is a “broad range of behaviors falling along a spectrum that, due to their nature and/or severity, significantly affect the workplace, generate a concern for personal safety, or result in physical injury or death” (ASIS, 2005). Furthermore, the FBI categorizes workplace violence into four separate types (FBI, 2001):
Type 1: Violent acts by criminals who have no other connection with the workplace, but enter to commit robbery or another crime.
Type 2: Violence directed to employees by customers, clients, students, patients, inmates, or any other for whom the organization provides services
Type 3: Violence against co-workers, supervisors, or managers by a former or present employee
Type 4: Violence committed in the workplace by someone who does not work there, but has a personal relationship with an employee, such as an abusive spouse or domestic partner.
From the aforementioned definitions of workplace violence, we can see that workplace violence comes in many forms and from various individuals or groups. For the purposes of creating a work environment free from all recognizable hazards, the employer should implement their workplace violence safety program to avert the risk of any behavior that creates a concern for personal safety in the workplace.
A written workplace violence prevention program should be part of the overall health and safety program for your organization. When creating and instituting a workplace violence prevention program, the organization must establish their goals and objectives for the program. Clear communication of these goals and objectives to all employees is also essential to the effectiveness of this effort. This written program must clearly empower all employees to actively engage in reporting issues of concern without fear of retaliation or reprimand. Through empowerment and clear support from all management for implementation and enforcement of the comprehensive workplace violence program, the entire workplace environment will improve. OSHA has identified five essential, minimum elements for incorporation within the written safety plan (OSHA, 2004). These elements are essential to any safety plan: 1)Management commitment and employee involvement 2)Worksite analysis 3)Hazard prevention and control 4)Safety and health training 5)Record-keeping and program evaluation Each of the identified elements listed provide a comprehensive approach to the written safety program, and will lead to the establishment of a compliant program. As discussed previously, OSHA has not promulgated a specific workplace violence prevention standard; however, the employer must continue to remember their responsibility under the general duty clause within section 5 (a) (1) of the OSH Act.
Furthermore, a written workplace violence prevention program should also include the following:
· Workplace violence policy statement
· Threat assessment team
· Hazard assessment
· Hazard control and prevention
· Employee training and education
· Incident reporting, investigation, follow-up and evaluation
· Recordkeeping
References:
ASIS International, (2005), Workplace violence prevention and response guideline. Federal Bureau of Investigation, (2001), Workplace violence: Issues in response. Retrieved July 6, 2010, from www.fbi.gov/publications/violence.pdf
OSH Act of 1970 (1970). Retrieved July 14, 2010, from http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=OSHACT&p_id= Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2002).
Workplace violence OSHA fact sheet. Retrieved July 10, 2010, from http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/factsheet-workplace-violence.pdf Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2004).
Guidelines for preventing workplace violence for health care and social workers. Retrieved July 2, 2010, from http://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3148/osha3148.html
From the aforementioned definitions of workplace violence, we can see that workplace violence comes in many forms and from various individuals or groups. For the purposes of creating a work environment free from all recognizable hazards, the employer should implement their workplace violence safety program to avert the risk of any behavior that creates a concern for personal safety in the workplace.
A written workplace violence prevention program should be part of the overall health and safety program for your organization. When creating and instituting a workplace violence prevention program, the organization must establish their goals and objectives for the program. Clear communication of these goals and objectives to all employees is also essential to the effectiveness of this effort. This written program must clearly empower all employees to actively engage in reporting issues of concern without fear of retaliation or reprimand. Through empowerment and clear support from all management for implementation and enforcement of the comprehensive workplace violence program, the entire workplace environment will improve. OSHA has identified five essential, minimum elements for incorporation within the written safety plan (OSHA, 2004). These elements are essential to any safety plan: 1)Management commitment and employee involvement 2)Worksite analysis 3)Hazard prevention and control 4)Safety and health training 5)Record-keeping and program evaluation Each of the identified elements listed provide a comprehensive approach to the written safety program, and will lead to the establishment of a compliant program. As discussed previously, OSHA has not promulgated a specific workplace violence prevention standard; however, the employer must continue to remember their responsibility under the general duty clause within section 5 (a) (1) of the OSH Act.
Furthermore, a written workplace violence prevention program should also include the following:
· Workplace violence policy statement
· Threat assessment team
· Hazard assessment
· Hazard control and prevention
· Employee training and education
· Incident reporting, investigation, follow-up and evaluation
· Recordkeeping
References:
ASIS International, (2005), Workplace violence prevention and response guideline. Federal Bureau of Investigation, (2001), Workplace violence: Issues in response. Retrieved July 6, 2010, from www.fbi.gov/publications/violence.pdf
OSH Act of 1970 (1970). Retrieved July 14, 2010, from http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=OSHACT&p_id= Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2002).
Workplace violence OSHA fact sheet. Retrieved July 10, 2010, from http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/factsheet-workplace-violence.pdf Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2004).
Guidelines for preventing workplace violence for health care and social workers. Retrieved July 2, 2010, from http://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3148/osha3148.html
