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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