>> Dealing With Workplace Violence in Your Business - Part 2

Continuation of Part 1....

Occupational groups that tend to be at higher risk of workplace violence than others include:
• Correctional officers
• Teachers
• Health care workers
• Social services workers
• Municipal housing inspectors
• Retail employees
• Public works employees

To recognize if a place of work is at greater risk of workplace violence, perform an investigation that includes the following:
• Ask individual employees about experiences and concerns
• Look into the overall risk of the workplace itself, using the aforementioned lists
• Review past occurrences of workplace violence in places such as first aid records, incident reports, and other related records.
• Visually inspect the workplace, considering its processes and interactions. Look into its design and layout, as well as its practices and accepted behaviors.

To prevent workplace violence, there are many efforts that can be made. Among the most effective is the establishment of a workplace violence prevention program which should include a written policy. This policy should be specific and clear, and should be continuously updated.

Make certain that every employee has read and understood the policy, and that any additions are clearly explained. Every employee should be provided with his or her own copy, and each person should sign to state that they have read and understood it. The policy should also provide employees with instructions regarding what they should do if they are victims of workplace violence.

Prevention is among the best things that can be done to deal with workplace violence, but if it does occur, make sure that there is a solid policy in place for dealing with it quickly and decisively.