1 / 31

Work Place Violence

Work Place Violence. Lucy Carracedo TVC Veteran Service Officer. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. Statistics….. Violence has reached “epidemic proportions” 111,000 violent incidents per year 750 - 1,000 workplace homicides per year

kuame-hancock
Download Presentation

Work Place Violence

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Work Place Violence Lucy Carracedo TVC Veteran Service Officer

  2. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health • Statistics….. • Violence has reached “epidemic proportions” • 111,000 violent incidents per year • 750 - 1,000 workplace homicides per year • The second leading cause of death in the workplace overall

  3. WHY? North American Industry Classification System (Health Care and Social Assistance-code 62) • Occupations with highest workplace assaults. • Psychiatric Nurse • Deputy Sheriff • Social Worker • Veterans Services

  4. Objectives • Definition and Cost • Types of Violence • Risk Factors • Warning Signs • Prevention • Challenging Situations

  5. Definition: Any physical assault, threatening behavior, or verbal abuse occurring in the work place setting. • Shootings • Stabbings • Rapes • Beatings • Suicides and near suicides • Physical assault • Psychological traumas • Threats, obscene or rude phone calls • Intimidation • Harassment of any nature • Being followed • Being verbally harassed

  6. Definition (cont’d) • Work Place • Parking lots • Field locations • Client’s homes • Traveling to and from work assignments

  7. Cost • Annual lost workdays: • 1,176,000 by • 500,000 employees at • 3.5 days per incident • Lost wages – approximately $55 million

  8. Additional Cost • Lost productivity • Legal expenses • Property damages • Diminished public image • Increased security

  9. Ultimate Cost Human Factor • Victims • Families • Co-workers • Customers • Employers • Communities

  10. Types of Violence • Based on Relationship of Victim and Offender • Violence by Strangers • Violence by Customers or Clients • Violence by Co-workers • Violence by Personal Relations

  11. Violence by Strangers • Perpetrator has no relationship to worker or workplace. • Most common: • Robbery • Mugging • Rape • Acts of Terrorism

  12. Violence by Clients • Claimants/Clients. • A client complaint escalating into a fistfight. • A former client with a grudge against the business deciding to “get even.”

  13. Violence by Co-workers • Current or former employees, work-studies, supervisors or managers • Bullying or threatening co-workers • Dispute with supervisor becoming violent • Office shooting triggered by a personnel action such as a firing or mass layoff • Includes threats to family members (i.e. an employee threatening to harm his or her supervisor’s family)

  14. Violence by Personal Relations • Current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend • Relative • Friend • Any combination of • A relative may enter a workplace to confront the victim over a family dispute

  15. Risk Factors Contact with the public Working with unstable or volatile persons Delivery of goods or services Mobile workplace - “Out-reach” days Working alone or in small numbers Working late or early morning hours Working in high-crime areas

  16. Risk Factors “Profile” of a Perpetrator:

  17. THERE IS NO PROFILE

  18. Warning Signs • Frequent conflicts with others • Difficulty accepting authority • History of past conflicts or violence • Dramatic behavior or personality change • Increased absenteeism and reduced productivity • Approval of violence to resolve problems • Indications of depression/desperation • Substance abuse: drugs or alcohol • Excuses and blaming others

  19. Warning Signs (cont’d) • Inconsistent work habits or behavior • Strained work or family relationships • Changes in health, hygiene or attire • Inability to concentrate • Loitering around or loner • Extremist attitudes and opinions • Frequent arguments, threatening gestures • Aggressive behavior or mental illness • Fascination with weapons or killing power Anything that makes YOU uncomfortable!

  20. Prevention • Environmental • Adequate lighting inside and outside • Secured entrances and accessible exits • Security hardware: • Key or Smart Cards/Dead Bolts/Peep Hole • Physical Barriers and alarms • Metal detectors • Cameras • Speed dial 9-1-1 • Never close doors

  21. Prevention (cont’d) • Behavioral/Interpersonal • Practice safety procedures – have a plan • Create a duress word or gesture for help • Organize your office for ease in exiting • Do not work alone – use buddy system • Stay mentally and physically alert • Don’t ever get complacent!

  22. Challenging Situations • A fist-shaking customer yells, “You’ll be sorry!” at a work-study, but doesn’t strike her • Jim is working in his office when his sister’s ex-husband threatens him with a knife, demanding to know where his sister is hiding

  23. Challenging Situations (cont’d) • Rashid Siddiq, a TVC employee, is harassed by a Work-study who shouts racial slurs and threatens to follow him home with a gun • Deena Jones is working alone in the County Veteran’s Service Office when a man wearing a ski mask and carrying a shotgun comes in upset because he hasn’t received his VA check

  24. Summary • Workplace violence can and does happen • You cannot predict the behavior of others • Educate and prepare yourself as well as your staff • Practice safety and stay alive YOU ARE IMPORTANT!

  25. Fred Our Attack Fish

More Related