Violence In the Workplace: Prevention and Management

1
Violence In the Workplace Prevention and
Management

• Unity Health Services
• Barb Fotsch

2
The Presence Of Danger Why Should I Care?

• Mississippi, 2003 Factory Worker at Lockheed
  Martin
• Gunman fired during break, threat history, killed
  5 and then killed self
• Missouri, 2003 Factory Worker at Modine
  Manufacturing Plant
• Supervisor killed, others wounded, completed
  suicide, gambling history, potential layoff as
  possible motive
• 1993 Quintessence Building Maintenance Company
• Bookkeeper died, resulting from part time
  janitor, hot temper and criminal record for
  burglary violence late paycheck of 150.00
  sitting on bookkeeper's desk
• Florida - 1991 Customer Hostility at GM
  Acceptance Corporation
• 8 killed, resulting from angry customer
  following repossession of car, customer felt he
  was getting poor response financial problems
• Vermont - 1991 disgruntled Employee at Eveready
  Battery Female unhappy about her treatment at
  work opened fire with a 9-mm pistol, resulting in
  2 wounded and 1 dead

3
A Useful
Typology 3 CategoriesOccupational violence is
the attempted or actual exercise by a person of
any force so as to cause injury to a worker,
including threatening statement or behavior which
gives a worker reasonable cause to believe he or
she is at risk. (NOHSC, 1999)

• External violence perpetrated by persons outside
  the organization
• Client initiated inflicted on workers by
  customers or clients
• Internal violence between employees, such as
  supervisor/employee, or employees/apprentices
• (CAL/OSHA, 1998 Guidelines for Security and
  Safety of Health Care and Community Service
  Workers OSHA, San Francisco,Dept of Industrial
  Relations

4
Our Objective Today Is it Worry or Fear

• Prevention
• Containment
• Resolution
• Do you understand the differences between fear
  and worry? Worry is the fear we manufacture
• 1) When you feel fear, listen
• 2) When you dont feel fear, dont manufacture it
• 3) If you find yourself creating worry, explore
  and discover why

5
The Elements Of Prediction

• We must understand the gravity if we are to
  understand the violence
• There are key assumptions to keep on the radar
  screen
• We seek connection with others
• We are saddened by loss and try to avoid it
• We dislike rejection
• We like recognition and attention
• We will do more to avoid pain than to seek
  pleasure
• We dislike ridicule and embarrassment
• We care what others think of us
• We seek a degree of control over our lives
• DeBecker, Gavin, The Gift of Fear

6
See the Battle from the Deck of the Enemy
WarshipKnow the Language, Read the Signals

• Language of rejection
• Language of entitlement
• Language of grandiosity
• Language of attention seeking
• Language of revenge
• Language of attachment
• Language of attention seeking
• How do they perceive
• justification alternatives
• consequences abilities
• Language of context, not just content

7
Other Warning Signs

• Weapons
• Inflexibility
• Sadness and Hopelessness
• Identification with the media events
• Coworker fear
• Threats
• Reactive to criticism, overly sensitive
• Blame, little self responsibility
• Crusader
• Grievances
• Overly focused on the comings and goings of others

8
Understanding the Angry Spirit

• Life sucks and then you die
• People cannot be trusted
• Theres way more bad than good in the world
• I have every right to be angry because of what I
  went through
• Never forgive or forget
• People are out to get me
• People who have hurt me deserve to be punished
• People who are kind to others are fools
• Nothing good lasts - something always ruins it

9
Difficult Encounters

• Observe
• Listen
• Avoid Defensiveness
• Acknowledge their emotion through support
• Avoid an audience
• Establish boundaries
• Speak slowly, softly, clearly
• Ask questions, show interest
• State consequences
• Other guidelines look at access, distance, avoid
  sharp objects, include a 3rd party when you see
  yourself reacting,

10
Questions to Ponder

• Do you have a policy or guidelines for handling
  tense situations?
• Have you talked about this area in your work
  group?
• What is your security system?
• What are the priorities in providing protection?
• Is everyone trained in methods of defusing, self
  protection, both verbal and non verbal