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Why you need a workplace violence training program

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6 tips for your workplace violence training program

As the second leading cause of occupational fatalities in the U.S., workplace violence is not only a high-profile risk, but unfortunately, it’s also becoming more and more prevalent. Human resources and workplace safety experts are touting the need for workplace violence training – but how do you get started?

First, a few more stats:

Nearly 2 million American workers report having been victims of workplace violence each year; many more cases go unreported, according to OSHA’s Workplace Violence page.

Among the workplace homicides in which women were the victims, the greatest share of assailants were relatives or domestic partners (32 percent). In workplace homicides involving men, robbers were the most common type of assailant (33 percent).

Does workplace violence occur primarily in hospitality and retail sectors? No, although it is the largest occupational group. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries reported 14,770 workplace homicide victims between 1992 and 2012 (latest statistics available). From 2003 to 2012 over half of the workplace homicides occurred within three occupation classifications:

  • Sales and related occupations (28 percent)
  • Protective service occupations (17 percent)
  • Transportation and material moving occupations (13 percent)

How can workplace violence training help?

“The best thing a risk manager can do to get the workplace back to normal after to tragedy is to make it a normal practice to prepare for the worst,” said one director of risk and a panelist at a recent RIMS conference, as reported by a Business Insurance article.

The post went on to elaborate key points such as

  • Create various practice scenarios and act them out so that they can be refined.
  • Assign a crisis management person for each area or floor of the building.
  • Ensure your company has proper equipment to assist individuals with disabilities.
  • Design escape routes.
  • Consider installing bulletproof glass in key vulnerable areas.
  • Have a follow-up plan after a crisis event for traumatized workers, with ongoing employee communication that includes a mental health component.

Related: Workplace Safety Incentives: Stop Accidents Before They Start

One of the best protections employers can offer their workers is to establish a zero-tolerance policy toward workplace violence. This policy should cover all workers, patients, clients, visitors, contractors, and anyone else who may come in contact with company personnel, says OSHA. They suggest implementing a detailed prevention program combined with engineering controls, administrative controls and training can reduce the incidence of workplace violence.

OSHA has a list of prevention programs on their site that can help you get started with creating your own workplace violence training plan, if you don’t yet have one. You can view their prevention programs here, or also check out their training and other resources.

View the infographic below courtesy of Business & Legal Resources to get a snapshot of workplace violence facts, stats and tips.

Workplace Violence: It Can Happen Anywhere. Are you Prepared?

Workplace Violence: It Can Happen Anywhere. Are you prepared? by Safety.BLR.com

This post originally appeared on Arrowhead’s Tribal blog. It has been modified to better fit the needs of ACM’s claims clients: employers and insurance companies.