Preventing Workplace Violence

WRITTEN BY GARY SMITH, APARTMENT BUILDING MANAGEMENT WORKERS COMPENSATION SELF INSURED FUND

This is the first of a two-part article on Preventing Workplace Violence. Look for the second part next month.

Workplace violence has become the leading cause of death among female workers in the US and the second leading cause for men. There are over 2 million victims of workplace violence each year with an average of three workers killed each day on the job under violent circumstances. So what can we do to prevent workplace violence from occurring at our locations?

First we need to recognize who is most at risk.

Employees who interact with the general public, who handle cash or accept payments, who work off-site or who work mostly at night have the greatest exposure to workplace violence. Second, it helps to understand who most of the perpetrators are of these crimes. Typically we see acts of workplace violence from co-workers, former employees, friends, lovers, relatives of employees, tenants, guests and other outsiders who come on to the property. And finally it helps to define what we mean by workplace violence. Any physical assault, threatening behavior or verbal abuse occurring in the workplace is considered workplace violence and should be dealt with immediately. Keep in mind these situations may occur on your property or elsewhere your employee is conducting company business. The most common incidents typically involve robbery and assault for cash or other valuables, romantic relationships, alcohol and drug related activity and vandalism.

Warning Signs

What are some of the warning signs to look for when someone may be headed down the road of workplace violence? Experts say it is difficult to predict but a combination of the following are definitely red flags:

  • Fascination with weapons
  • Alcohol or drug abuse
  • Severe stress
  • Anguish over employment decisions
  • History of violent incidents
  • Disorderly conduct, such as shouting, pushing or throwing objects, punching walls or slamming doors
  • Psychological deterioration
  • Decreased or inconsistent job functioning
  • Social isolation
  • Marked deterioration in personal hygiene
  • Other major personality changes

What Can You Do?

While it is virtually impossible to stop all acts of workplace violence, there are number of things you can do to prevent a majority of them and to limit the impact if one should occur at your property.

Employee Training.

Train your employees on the signs and symptoms of aggressive behavior from co-workers, tenants and guests. Provide them with the knowledge of how to defuse this energy rather than escalate it. Your training should also include information on your workplace violence prevention plan as well as how to handle a hostage situation. We will cover more on these subjects in next month’s article.

Security Measures.

Consider the layout of the offices to maximize visibility of who is approaching. Make sure phones are available at all hours employees are working. Panic buttons and alarms are also valuable aids during a crisis situation as are safe rooms. We will discuss more about these tools and what to do about employees working alone, especially when showing properties to prospective tenants in next months article.

Reporting.

As part of your overall workplace violence prevention plan, a reporting requirement should be included so that employees know to report any incidence or concerns they encounter.

Unfortunately violence has become a part of the many issues we must now prepare for in the workplace. In next months article we discuss in greater detail some of the elements you should consider incorporating into your workplace violence prevention plan and resources that are available to help you develop one.

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