Summary: Preventing Workplace Violence

According to the article Workplace Violence written Smith, Sarah J. Professional Safety 47.11 (Nov 2002): 34-43, workplace violence and prevention require a team approach. The team should include management, law enforcement and company employees. It also lists what it has found to be the top ten things that need to be done to develop a proactive approach to preventing workplace violence. The tips main focus is on teaching management and employees on how to recognize the signs of potential violence and have a plan in place if a situation does arise.
The two examples that were given of incidents of workplace violence shows how employees that were thought to may have had a problem with an co-worker or management was allowed back on the property and was able to carry out acts of violence. In both incidences the employee had either made comments, or demonstrated behavior that could be considered uncommon, and yet somehow was still able to get
The article gives very good information on how to prevent workplace violence. A zero tolerance workplace violence policy and program is just one of the many things that it suggests for each company. As stated in the article, the most extreme form-homicide-is the third leading cause of fatal occupations injury in the U.S. According to the U.S. Department of Labor 17 percent of workplace homicides the alleged assailant was a current or former husband or boyfriend of an employee. This confirms that workplace violence does not have to be between two co-workers it can be a direct relationship between a domestic dispute and even an act of jealousy that stems from the home. Only 18 percent of violent crimes occur when the victim is at work, which means to me that workplace bullying and violence can also spill over outside of the workplace as