Workplace Violence and How to Prevent it

Workplace Violence and How to Prevent it

The Workplace is considered a second home for many people because a work shift may range 8 to 12 hours daily. Based on that fact alone it is important to feel safe, comfortable and content in the workplace. Despite the differences in the public and private sector the mission, goals and objectives of any organization can be similar. For example, productivity, cost effectiveness, efficiency, profit or goods/services and the safety within the establishment is equally important. Unfortunately, the challenges that face management are increasing rapidly and during the past 2 decades "Violence in the Workplace" has become an increased fear among employers and employees. Violence in the Workplace can be defined as" (1) any problem related to the workplace or away from the workplace if it relates to the job" http://www.state.il.us/isp/viowkplc/vwpp1.htm. Violent incidents that may occur on site and violence that occurs away from the job but is job related. Types of job related violence away from the job may include telephone harassment, stalking and confrontations.

Violence in the workplace has intensified from idle threats to homicides and the majority of assailants are reportedly domestic partners, strangers, customers or clients and employees. "Homicide was the third leading cause of occupational death from 1980 to 1985, accounting for 13 percent of all workplace deaths" (2) http://www.nsi.org/Tips/workdeth.txt. More recent data indicates that the statistics and fear is increasing and the level of safety is decreasing. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), reports "nearly 7000 workers were victims of homicide in the workplace during the period of 1980 to 1989...

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Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). "Workplace Violence" available from http://www.osha-slc.gov/SLTC/workplaceviolence/index.html accessed November 19, 1999 Internet.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). "Workplace Violence" available from http://osha.gov/oshinf/priorities/violence.html accessed on November 21, 1999; Internet.

Robertson, Dirk. "Violence in your Workplace; How to Cope". Souvenir Press, London, 1993, pg. 19.

Tyler, Mary P. "A Manager's Guide: Traumatic Incidents at the Workplace. U. S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) 1993.