Violence
in the workplace has become an epidemic. Not only
is workplace violence increasingly common in those
workplaces where violence is expected -- for example,
corrections, law enforcement and mental health --
but in almost every occupation that deals with the
public.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, homicides
were the second leading cause of death in the workplace
in 1992, accounting for 17% of all workplace deaths.
Although the press focuses on "postal worker-type
violence," where a berserk worker kills his
supervisor or co-workers, such "worker-on-worker"
violence makes up only 4% of all workplace homicides.
The rest are the result of robberies, or assaults
by residents, patients or customers against workers.
Homicide was the leading manner of traumatic workplace
death among women in the United States from 1980
to 1989. Forty-one percent of women's workplace
deaths were the result of homicide, compared with
10% among men. Although women account for only 7%
of all worker fatalities, they were the victims
in 17% of reported workplace homicides.
Violence-related fatalities are only the tip of
the iceberg. According to the Department of Justice,
one million individuals become victims of violent
crime each year while working or on duty. A half
million employees miss 1.8 million days of work
each year, resulting in more than $55 million in
lost wages, not including days covered by sick and
annual leave. Workplace violence accounts for 16%
of the more than 6.5 million acts of violence experienced
by individuals age 12 and over.
The Department of Justice also reports that government
employees have a higher rate of violence than private
sector workers. Government employees make up 18%
of the U.S. workforce, but make up 30 percent of
the victims of violence.
Injuries and deaths related to workplace violence
should no longer be tolerated. Most incidents are
predictable, most are preventable. And like any
other workplace hazard, it is the responsibility
of the employer to take reasonable measures to minimize
the likelihood of workplace violence.
What is Workplace Violence?
Workplace violence is not just limited to physical
assault, but can also include near misses, verbal
abuse, and sexual harassment. Even the fear of assault
or witnessing an assault on a co-worker can have
serious health affects on workers.
Effects of Violence
Aside from physical injuries, violent, abusive or
threatening incidents in the workplace often result
in serious and disabling psychological damage. Victims
of workplace violence also have an increased risk
of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a disorder
common among combat veterans and victims of terrorism,
crimes, rape and other violent incidents.
Psychological trauma is a common outcome of violent
incidents, but one that has not received nearly
enough attention or study. Emotional problems resulting
from violent incidents include self doubt, depression,
fear, post traumatic stress syndrome, loss of sleep,
irritability, disturbed relationships with family,
friends and co-workers, decreased ability to function
at work, and increased absenteeism. Workers often
blame themselves when they are injured in an assault,
and management often encourages this self-blame.
It is rare that these issues are dealt with effectively
even in the short term. But there is increasing
evidence that victims and witnesses of violent incidents
need long term treatment to fully overcome these
problems.
Causes of Violence
It is clear that we are living in a much more violent
society. There are more guns on the streets and
more people willing to handle their problems through
violence. Naturally, much of this violence spills
over into the workplace -- hospital emergency rooms
and social service offices -- and "outside
workplaces," such as neighborhoods where housing
inspectors, home health workers and child welfare
workers must work.
Not only has society become more violent, but public
policy has led to general society becoming more
violent and more dangerous for workers, especially
the people AFSCME represents -- social services
workers, health care workers, and mental health
workers.
The great wave of deinstitutionalization of recent
years created an enormous homeless population. Many
of these people are mentally ill and potentially
violent. People who need the structure and supervision
of an institution are now crowding our homeless
shelters, unemployment offices, emergency rooms
and outpatient mental health clinics.
The staffing levels in these agencies are not adequate
to deal with the case loads. This again leads to
more violence in society and against workers.
Risk Factors
There is a very dangerous common myth that workplace
violence is essentially random and unpredictable.
Because we can't predict it, we can't do anything
about it.
Actually, however, most violent acts are predictable
-- even in supposedly non-violent jobs, where "random"
acts of violence occur. Experts have compiled a
long list of risk factors that are used to predict
violence, including the work environment, work practices
and the victim/perpetrator profiles.
Environmental factors that predict
violence include a violent society, a violence prone
neighborhood, the large number of weapons in circulation,
early release of mental patients, and hospitalization
instead of incarceration of criminals and risk of
criminal penalties for injuring patients or clients.
Work Practices include low staffing
levels, working alone, working with money, long
waits for services by customers, clients or patients,
or the lack of available services.
Perpetrator profiles include mentally
ill persons who are not properly supervised or treated,
gang members, relatives of injured persons, and
drug users. People with a history of violent behavior
are also prone to violent acts.
Victim profiles include:
- Employees who work in homes or in the community;
- People who handle money;
- Workers in institutions for the mentally ill
or retarded who are not trained in violence avoidance
or self defense;
- Persons who provide care, advice, information
such as health care workers, mental health workers,
emergency room and admission workers, and social
services;
- People who deal with complaints, such as social
service, child welfare and unemployment workers;
- Workers who have the power to act against the
public, inspect premises and enforce laws, such
as inspectors, child welfare, law enforcement/corrections
officers, and security guards;
- People working alone, such as child welfare
workers, custodians, public park workers, parking
meter attendants, and housing inspectors;
- People working late, unsocial hours such as
health care workers, custodians and workers in
homeless shelters.
Preventing Violence
Because violence can be predicted, it can also be
prevented, even in workplaces that serve groups
of the public who tend to be aggressive and violent.
In almost every situation, there are solutions.
Some are easy, painless and cheap, others are more
difficult and more expensive. Solutions differ greatly
from occupation to occupation, and from workplace
to workplace. Nevertheless, there are clearly measures
that can be taken to make the work environment less
dangerous, even in the most inherently dangerous
workplaces.
After identifying the risk factors that increase
the likelihood of workplace violence, the first
thing the union should do is come up with possible
solutions. As far as possible, the same principles
should be used as are used by industrial hygienists:
first, attempt to eliminate the problem, then attempt
to engineer or build the problem out of the workplace.
Finally, change administrative procedures.
- Remove the Problem: Mental
health and social service workers are frequently
assaulted by patients or residents in health care
or social service facilities who should be in
jails or forensic facilities.
- Engineering Controls include
metal detectors (stationery or hand-held), changing
office design to provide escape routes for employees,
panic alarms, bullet proof glass, entrance controls
in certain parts of the building, closed circuit
TV cameras, restricting entrance to a facility
after dark, mobile phones for field personnel.
Not all of these are practical in every workplace,
but effective measures can be found for any workplace.
- Administrative controls can
include additional staffing, a ban on working
alone, recording accidents, verbal abuse and "near
misses," and training in diffusing violent
situations or in self defense. NOTE: Training
as the sole safety program element will
create an impossible responsibility on the employee
for safety and security for him or herself, coworkers
or other clients. Other program elements must
always accompany training.
Post-Incident Procedures
Physical injury is not the only result of workplace
violence. Major, long-term psychological trauma
can occur after a violent incident. Often, supervisors
don't know how to deal with such situations. In
some mental health institutions, for example, criminal
actions are automatically brought against workers
after any incident where a resident is injured.
Supervisors sometimes start writing out a disciplinary
report against an injured worker, even before first
aid procedures have begun.
Even those supervisors who are sensitive to emotional
trauma may not recognize that a violent incident
-- even those which do not result in a physical
injury -- can have serious and long-lasting psychological
effects on an employee.
Lack of support for workers who are victims of
violent incidents discourages workers from reporting
incidents. Lack of support can also lead to needlessly
prolonged psychological trauma, both among victims,
as well as co-workers and witnesses.
There must be a system in place where persons trained
in treating people exposed to violent incidents
can intervene immediately after an incident has
taken place. Whether the procedure is called counseling
or "debriefing," the procedure must begin
as soon as possible.
Also, workers who witness incidents and co-workers
who do the same jobs as the assault victim -- even
in a different location -- may also need counseling
or debriefing. Such counseling should be done by
experts in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other
problems facing people who have witnessed or been
involved in violent incidents. Often the counseling
must be long-term and include family members.
Taking Action
It is the employer's responsibility to maintain
a safe workplace. A violent workplace is an unsafe
workplace. Unfortunately, employers are often not
willing to work with the union to attack the problem.
Supervisors often assume that violence is just "part
of the job" and workers shouldn't complain.
Supervisors sometimes laugh off employee requests
for police accompaniment when going alone into neighborhoods
that are so dangerous that even armed police would
not enter them alone. Some supervisors discourage
employees from filing workers compensation claims
or taking time off for violence-related workplace
injuries. Some blame the worker for a violent incident.
Some workers blame themselves.
When the employer is not willing to work aggressively
on solving the problem, the union must take action
to educate workers and force management to act.
Union Action
Talk to workers, conduct a survey. Urge members
to document all assault incidents, close calls,
and abusive behavior. This data should be reviewed
on a regular basis and discussed with management.
Keep members informed through the local union newsletter.
Develop a plan of action. Attempt to work with management
to develop a plan to prevent workplace violence.
If management refuses to respond, the union should
take action. File grievances, develop contract language,
build coalitions, or go to the media.
Using OSHA
Another effective action is to use OSHA (in those
23 states where public employees are covered by
OSHA). Although there is no OSHA standard designed
to protect workers from violence, OSHA has cited
employers under the General Duty Clause, which requires
employers to provide a safe workplace. In order
to sustain a general duty clause violation, OSHA
must prove the existence of a hazard, which
is recognized and causes or is likely to cause death
or serious physical harm, and the existence of a
feasible and effective method to abate the hazard.
The union will need to assist OSHA in building
its case.
1. Prove to OSHA That a Hazard Exists
The employer's injury and illness forms (OSHA Log
200) will hold evidence on the extent of violence-related
injuries. Grievances, complaints, minutes of health
and safety committee meetings, and workers compensation
records will also be evidence that a problem exists.
2. The Hazard Is Recognized
Recognized means that the employer has
knowledge that assaults are a hazard in the workplace
and/or that workplace conditions make violence likely.
Recognition can also mean that the employer should
have knowledge that assaults are a problem
in the workplace even if the employer doesn't admit
there is a problem. For example, the employer should
have known there is a problem because this
problem is generally recognized by people working
in the field, or there have been several studies
written, or guidelines have been issued.
Recognition can be proved in the following ways:
- The facility's or department's own internal
rules.
- Journal/professional articles recognizing violence
in this type of workplace.
- Injury statistics in the workplace or in the
industry in general.
3. The Hazard Causes or Is Likely to Cause
Death or Serious Physical Harm
Workers Compensation records, medical records,
and accident reports can be used to prove the severity
of injuries related to workplace violence.
4. A Feasible and Effective Method to Abate
the Hazard Exists
There are a variety of sources of information on
potential steps that can be taken to minimize the
likelihood of violence in the workplace. These could
include:
- A mental health, correctional or other facility's
own internal rules and procedures designed to
minimize violent incidents;
- Methods used in similar facilities;
- Employee surveys;
- Health and Safety Committee recommendations;
- Literature search for articles, studies or guidelines.
In conclusion, violence in the workplace is a
serious hazard, a predictable hazard, and a hazard
that has effective, feasible solutions. Like any
other health and safety hazard, it is the employer's
responsibility to provide the working conditions
that will minimize the likelihood of employee injury
due to violence, and it is OSHA's responsibility
to enforce that responsibility.
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