Workplace violence is a topic that plagues America. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there was a total of 4,690 work fatalities reported in 2010. Of this number, workplace violence accounted for 18 percent of all fatal work injuries occurring in 2010, at 832 fatalities. The report further states that of the 368 fatal injuries to female workers, 116 (or 32 percent) were due to violence. Consequently, of the 4,322 fatalities to male workers, 716 (or 17 percent) were due to violence.
Workplace violence is not always about work related issues. Most people assume that disgruntled workers are usually the culprit. However, that is not necessarily the case. As reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in two-thirds of workplace homicides, the attacker has no known personal relationship with the victims. Furthermore, most assailants who are employees commit workplace violence due to something else going on in their lives. Some of the more typical reasons for workplace violence are mental illness, drug abuse, divorce, or perceived personal failure.
Close to half of all workplace violence happens in a public environment. It is virtually impossible to work on solving the issue of violence in the workplace when most companies do not see it as a problem. The estimated cost of a workplace homicide to the employer is a whopping $800,000.00. It is safe to say that it would be less expensive to take action against workplace violence. Moreover, did you know that 27% of businesses have experienced at least one violent workplace incident within the last five years?
What are Some of the Indicators and Risk Factors for Workplace Violence?
There are several signs and risk factors for workplace violence. Researchers have configured and identified a list of factors that may increase the possibility of violence in the workplace. However, the good news is if employers pay attention to the warning signs and risk factors, they can address the problem issues beforehand.
Risk Factors for Workplace Violence from an Outside Assailant
- Working alone or in an isolated area
- Where alcohol is served
- Working late at night
- Working in high crime rate areas
- An environment where money is exchanged with the public
Indicators for Workplace Violence as a Whole
- Verbal threats to other employees
- Displaying paranoia
- A fascination with violence
- Bizarre behaviors
- Being unreasonable
- Irresponsible actions
- A vindictive nature
- Chronic depression
- Substance / Alcohol Abuse
- Changes in performance
Five Surprising Acts of Workplace Violence
The threat of violence in the workplace is real. Moreover, these statistics validate the reality that violence in the workplace is often a deadly incident that can happen to any business.
For example, an early example of workplace violence took place on June 18, 1990. James Pough, 42, walked into a GMAC auto loan agency and shot randomly at customers before shooting at employees hiding from the assault.
-
January 7, 2010
Timothy Hendron, 51, an employee at the ABB transformer manufacturing plant in St. Louis, Missouri, opened fire in his workplace’s parking lot before moving into the facility. He later turned the gun on himself. The gunman was a plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit against the company regarding 401(k) funds.
-
August 3, 2010
Omar Thornton, 34, an employee of Hartford Distributors in Manchester, Connecticut, fired shots at co-workers after signing resignation papers. Omar Thornton had been called into a disciplinary hearing where he was shown surveillance video of himself stealing product from a truck. Thornton was given the choice of either getting fired or resigning. He later called police in the middle of the assault, saying his motive was related to racism he experienced in the He turned the gun on himself.
-
January 4, 2010
Johnny Wicks, 66, opened fire in the Lloyd D. George Federal District Courthouse building lobby in Las Vegas, Nevada. The perpetrator had recently had a reduction in his Social Security benefits due to a move from California to Nevada, making him ineligible for a California state-funded supplement to his benefits.
-
January 12, 2010
Jesse Warren, 60, a former employee of Penske Truck Rental near Kennesaw, Georgia, walked into the facility and shot randomly at those inside. The perpetrator had worked at the plant for several years and had lost his job sometime before the assault took place.
-
February 12, 2010
Amy Bishop, 44, a professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, opened fire at a faculty meeting. The assailant had recently been denied tenure and was working her last semester. Colleagues and students reported her increasingly bizarre behavior several times before the assault took place.
Active Shooter Situations in the Workplace
Proper planning and training can reduce injuries related to an active shooter incident. Controlling the impact of an active shooter involves many layers of security. Those layers can consist of an incident response plan, a panic button system, security staff and surveillance cameras.
The first step is to know what to do in those critical moments. The first minute of an active shooter incident is the most important moment of your company’s emergency response. Incident response training and being mentally prepared to take action in a crisis can make a big difference. Furthermore, just knowing where all of the building exits and locking doors are located can help boost a person’s survival.
Moreover, there is no foolproof way to avert an active shooter incident. However, with the speed and accuracy of information given in the initiated alert can contribute to impact a positive result. Additionally, there is new technology available that enables mass notification to those who need to know about the crisis to increase the probability of a successful emergency response.
In conclusion, I encourage you and your staff to become familiar with the violence prevention and incident response plans for your facility. An essential part of violence prevention is to utilize those policy resources when you feel it is necessary. Report unusual or suspicious behavior to administrators immediately. Moreover, trust that “uh-oh” feeling when things just don’t seem legit. Practice incident response plans at least quarterly so that the training remains fresh. If employees have clear policies and procedures to follow during a crisis, they can protect themselves more efficiently. Hundreds people’s lives are lost every year to violence in the workplace. Arm your employees with the tools and knowledge they need to make an appropriate decision.
