Workplace violence is now recognized as a significant workplace threat. Post Trauma Resources has been a leader in assisting organizations to plan and implement violence prevention program.
These links provide information about workplace violence and violence prevention efforts:
Workplace Violence Includes:
- Physical Attacks
- Threats
- Harassment
- Theft, Sabotage and Property Crime
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Impact of Workplace Violence:
- Physical injury or death
- Psychological
- Traumatic stress disorders
- Long term psychological symptoms
- Changes in basic beliefs
- Property damage
- Lower productivity
- Lower morale
- Absenteeism
- Increased turnover
- Increased security costs
Violence has also been identified as a major issue in healthcare (link to healthcare materials below) and domestic violence is also a significant issue in workplace violence.
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Factors in Lethality in Domestic Violence
- Threats of homicide or suicide
- Fantasies of homicide or suicide
- Depression
- Weapons
- Obsessiveness about partner or family
- Centrality of the battered women
- Rage
- Drug or alcohol consumption
- Pet Abuse
- Access to the battered women and her family
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Suggestions for Managing Domestic Violence at Work
- Written policies including zero tolerance
- Connection to local resources
- Find/use domestic violence experts
- Follow-up on all reports. Do not ignore
- If possible, require reporting of protective disorder
- Escort services
- Limit access to the workplace
- Limit information disclosed over the telephone
- Provide court access
- Prosecute event minor offenses
- Participate and assist in judicial process
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Violence in Healthcare
OSHA has set standards:
- Employees should be given instruction on specific hazards associated with units, jobs and facilities.
- Supervisors should be trained in methods and procedures which will reduce security hazards.
- Training programs should be prepared for staff who may encounter or be subject to abuse or assaults.
- Implementation requires written programs for job
safety,
health and security that are endorsed and advocated by senior management.
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Statistics Concerning Health Care Violence
- More assaults occur in health and social services than any other industry.
- 2/3 of all non fatal assaults occurred in nursing homes, hospitals and other residential facilities.
- Between 1980 and 1990, there were106 health care related deaths.
- The National Traumatic Occupational Fatality database showed that 69 RN’s were killed at work between 1983 and 1989.
- Where assaults occur in general hospitals:
– 41% in psychiatric units
– 18% in emergency units
– 13% in medical units
– 8% in surgical units
– 7% in pediatric units (Conn and Lion)
- 55 of 127 large emergency departments reported at least one physical assault on staff per month (Lavoie)
- 25% of major trauma patients carry weapons (Wasserberger)
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Managing Health Care Violence
- Ensure that employees now who to call if they anticipate a problem or experience an emergency.
- Supervise the movement and care of risky patients.
- Control access to high risk areas including emergency rooms, psychiatric units, intensive care units, pharmacies.
- Monitor high risk patients.
- Establish a list of high risk patients with a history of violence or other factors.
- Ensure safety of employees, prohibit working along, escorts as appropriate, etc.
- Mandate trauma response after assault.
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Developing a Plan for External Violence
- Establish policies for managing violent customers and train employees to use them.
- Create a pre-arranged distress signal.
- Establish conditions and procedures for calling police and security personnel.
- Develop a list of potentially violent customers and update it as needed.
- Provide staff training in communication skills and violence prevention.
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Violence Prevention Program Development
Working with representatives from various disciplines, a comprehensive violence prevention program is developed to meet the specific needs of the organization. Important components of most violence prevention programs include zero tolerance policies, training for employees and supervisors, threat assessment teams and violence response.
Employee and Supervisory Awareness Training
An important component of violence prevention programs is the information needed to implement the effort. In most of the programs developed by PTR, supervisors in the organization receive two to three hours of training (link to outline of the training) while employees are involved in training of about one hour. The employee training is facilitated by the consultants or in-house trainers.
A link to employee responsibility is below
Threat Assessment Team Training
The threat assessment team is composed of a diverse group of personnel who meet on short notice to investigate and make decisions about the most appropriate action to manage a potentially violence situation. The group typically includes human resource, security, legal, employee assistance, safety and others. In some cases, a mental health professional with special experience and expertise in violence prevention will also be part of the threat assessment team. Threat assessment team members should also be trained and learn additional skills in threat assessment. (link to this below)
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Threat Assessment Team Responsibilities
- Publicize and support the violence prevention program
- Set policy or continue to refine program policy and components
- Evaluate the program
- Meet immediately to respond to threat
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Process of Threat Assessment Team Meetings
- Facilitator reviews the potentially violence situation
- Input from various members solicited
- Options for managing the situation
- Written process notes kept
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Employee Responsibility in Violence Prevention
Awareness
– Know the program
– Understand violence at work
Support
–
Verbal support
Reporting
–
Know when to report
–
Immediately report
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For more information, contact Post Trauma Resources.
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