labor lawAdivision of labor law center

Every employer needs to have a plan to prevent workplace violence. Nurses, utility workers, probation officers, mail carriers, and phone and cable TV installers are just a few of the types of workers at risk from workplace violence. No occupation is protected from the hazard. Professionals and blue-collar workers alike face this danger.

There were 94 murders in the workplace in 2006, down from more than 200 annually in the early 1990s, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Every year, more than 2 million people face some form of workplace violence.

Tragically, OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) notes that homicide is one of the biggest causes of workplace death, nationwide and in Rhode Island.

Information on preventing workplace violence is available in the form of streaming videos and downloads from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

Employers should set a zero tolerance policy against violence and set up a prevention plan. Employee handbooks and manuals should include prevention information because all workers should be familiar with company policy on violence. Everyone on the job should realize that every case of violence reported will be looked into and corrected.

It is best that companies use video cameras, alarm systems and extra lighting on the job. Staff should have cell phones and hand held alarms. Access to the job should be limited with I.D. badges, guards, and electronic keys. It is a good policy to keep a drop safe so that cash on hand is limited.

People who work outside the office should file a work plan and keep employers up to date on their locations. Those employees who are uncomfortable leaving the worksite late at night should receive an escort.

Employees who work in the community or in the home are susceptible to violence. That includes visiting nurses, other healthcare workers, probation officers, and psychiatric evaluators to name a few in the social services. Mail carriers, retail workers, taxi drivers, phone and cable TV installers, and gas and water utility workers are at high risk.

Generally those who deliver, work in high crime areas, work alone in small groups, or exchange money face a hazard.

OSHA Rhode Island Worker Safety

There are no guarantees against the risk of workplace violence, but the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has developed a set of steps to prevent, protect and respond. Employees should be trained to recognize, avoid, or defuse violent or potentially violent situations.

If an incident occurs, employees should report it to the police without delay and provide first aid and other medical attention as soon as possible. Employers should tell victims about their rights to take legal action against the perpetrators and should have a discussion with the staff, suggesting that they come up with ideas about preventing future episodes. Counseling or stress debriefing should be offered to everyone.

In the realm of prevention, employees should let a manager or supervisor know about any safety or security concerns. All incidents should be reported in writing and promptly, even if the incident does not seem serious. Warning signs of violent behavior before serious workplace violence include rage, verbal abuse, minor assaults, threats, and property destruction.

Employers should develop a procedure for dealing with violence in the workplace. This should be practiced the way a company practices fire drills. Every threat should be taken seriously by employers and all incidents, no matter how minor they may seem, should be investigated. The worker who punches someone in the arm this week may be the same one who shoots a coworker the following week. Employers should keep records of threats and incidents and take corrective measures.

There are steps employers should take to prevent violence to employees outside the workplace as well. Workers should be warned against traveling by themselves into locations and situations that they are not familiar with. For example, employees should not be scheduled to arrive in a new, strange city at 2 in the morning. Employees who work in the community should be cautioned against flashing jewelry or displaying expensive merchandise.

OSHA has what is called a General Duty Clause. This clause obligates all employers to provide a “safe and healthful” workplace. Taking steps to either prevent or limit the hazards of an episode of workplace violence.

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