Building A Safe Workplace: Preventing Workplace Violence A Workshop for Managers

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Building A Safe WorkplacePreventing Workplace
Violence Reference Manual for Supervisors
and The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
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Program Objectives
1. Participants will understand the specific
role of management and supervisory personnel in
maintaining a safe place to work. 2.
Participants will be able to identify action
steps relating to a report of actual or potential
violence. 3. Participants will be able to
recognize resources available following an
incident of workplace violence. 4.
Participants will understand the impact of
violence on employees and the workplace.
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Ensuring A Safe Place to Work Prevention
Develop/ communicate agency policy and
procedure Identify/address situations Report
concerns Involve employees Provide
training Manage change Provide evaluations/
feedback Evaluate processes Take safety/
security measures Inform and communicate Provid
e SEAP and other benefit information
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Building Employee Awareness
1. Be aware of changes and how they occur
in people. 2. Be understanding of personal
situations. 3. Pay attention to
behavior. 4. Be truthful. 5. Know where to
go for help.
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Tips for Dealing with Domestic Violence

• Let the employee know what
• you have observed.
• Express concern.
• Make a statement of support.
• Offer a SEAP referral.
• Discuss confidentiality.

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Behaviors to Watch For

• Regardless of a situations potential for
  violence,
• problems must be addressed promptly.
• Attendance
• Issues requiring
  excessive amounts
  of supervisor/
  managers time
• Decreased productivity
• Work pattern
• Relationships
• Concentration
• Safety concerns

• Poor health and hygiene
• Behavior changes
• Fascination with guns or other weapons
• Possible substance abuse
• Stress
• Excuses
• Depression

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A Reminder
Some behaviors may indicate a potential for
workplace violence. Remember to include SEAP
when intervening.
It is better to err on the side of caution than
to do nothing.
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The Importance of Reporting Incidents

• Employees are to report any workplace situation
  which may contribute to the occurrence of
  violence to their supervisor in accordance with
  agency policy.
• Supervisors are to take appropriate action and
  report back to the employee in a timely manner.

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Dos and Donts for Supervisors

• Dont...
• try to diagnose the problem.
• discuss drinking unless it occurs on the job.
• moralize. Restrict criticism to job performance
  or attendance.
• be misled by sympathy evoking tactics.
• cover up for a friend.
• put the person in the basement to file reports.
• ignore the problem or the signs.
• Do
• point out that SEAP is available, confidential,
  and can help.
• make it clear that the Commonwealth is concerned
  only with
• job performance.
• explain that the employee must decide for him or
  her self
• whether or not to seek assistance.
• remember that chemical dependence is a
  progressive disease.

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The Importance of Reporting Incidents
All occurrences of workplace violence must be
reported to your supervisor as soon as
possible. Use the Reporting Data Sheet for
Incidents of Workplace Violence. Where
available reports may be made electronically. An
y report made in good faith will be accepted.
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Documentation Checklist
Documentation should include specifics
to describe a particular incident or an
employees inappropriate behavior. When
preparing your documentation, it may be helpful
to review the following checklist to ensure
completeness and accuracy. Select elements
which apply.
___Did you record the documentation promptly,
while your memory was still
fresh? ___Have you indicated the date, time, and
location of the incident(s)
documented? ___Did you record the action taken
or the behavior exhibited? ___Did you indicate
the person(s) or work products involved? ___Have
you listed the specific performance standards
violated or exceeded? ___Did you record
the consequences of the action or behavior on
the employees total work performance
and/or operation of the work unit? ___Have
you been objective, recording observations and
not impressions? ___Did you indicate your
response to the action of the employees
behavior? ___Did you indicate the employees
reaction to your efforts to modify his/her
behavior?
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Workplace Violence Coordinator/ Response Team

• Purpose
• 1. Assess the vulnerability to workplace
  violence.
• 2. Reach agreement on preventive actions to be
  taken.
• 3. Implement plans for responding to acts of
  violence.
• 4. Recommend/ implement related training
  programs.
• 5. Implement plans for responding to acts of
  violence
• Establish telephone teams.
• Develop an emergency evacuation plan
• Establish a second source of communication
• Assign personnel to assist in calming witnesses
• Increase security measures
• Keep employees informed
• Suggested Team Membership
• Senior Site Manager
• Human Resource Personnel
• Legal Counsel

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Taking Action
As a part of their function, the
Workplace Violence Coordinator will
activate pre-designed plans and
procedures for
Getting help Communication Issues Legal
Issues Media Interaction Maintaining Safety
Order
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Responding to a Threat Threat Assessment
The Workplace Violence Coordinator
will, in accordance with agency
policy 1. Activate the Threat Assessment Team
(if available). 2. Confirm
incident. 3. Interview witnesses. 4.
Interview manager/ supervisor,co-workers. 5.
Check personnel file. 6. Call law enforcement/
security. 7. Involve SEAP. 8. Interview the
threat maker. 9. Inform target.
10. Activate response plan.
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Threat of Violence Flow Chart
Incident occurs
Notify Personnel
Treat as emergency. Notify security,
then Personnel, management
Violence Coordinator(VC) and/or Supervisor assess
whether life threatening
NO
YES
Gather facts
Contact appropriate functions- security, violence
coordinator, management, SEAP, others on a need
to know basis
YES
Expand assessment team to include legal, Medical,
others, as needed
Assess whether reasonable validity is established
to continue the investigation.
Develop initial action plan(e.g, determine
security matters, duty to warn, plan for
confrontation of employee, suspension issues,
medical evaluation needs
NO
Bring to closure
Conduct more thorough investigations interview
witnesses, co-workers

• Remember
• Clarify confidentiality and anonymity
• boundaries early
• Document everything in writing

Assessment team to review all of the facts
and develop a long term action plan
addressing disciplinary action, security needs,
management changes, return to work plan,
prevention issues, etc.
Debrief
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How Trauma Affects Employees
Stage One Emotional Reaction Stage
Two Impact Stage Three
Reconciliation
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Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)

• Definition
• Structured informal confidential discussion
• Education ,validation , and support
• Reassurance, opportunity to vent
• Opportunity to vent
• Not counseling
• Purpose and goals
• To facilitate recovery related concerns
• Process
• Introduction
• Facts
• Thoughts
• Reactions
• Symptoms
• Teaching