How To Prevent Workplace Violence

As society changes with the struggling economy

, more and more people are losing jobs due to budgetary cutbacks. This problem is directly associated with workplace violence and it's time for all of us to start thinking about our personal safety while at work.

Emergency response procedures are a vital element in protecting employees. As a veteran police officer, I have been personally involved in active shooter incidents, fire, assaults, and medical calls all occurring at commercial properties. Assuring your employer has an emergency action plan for commonly encountered incidents will no doubt save lives and prevent the incident from being worse. If your employer does not have a documented plan, develop one among your coworkers to include communication and keywords to discreetly identify trouble. Make frequent changes to passwords as employee rosters change with termination and attrition.

Surveillance systems and cameras - frequently employed to prevent theft - can also be a useful tool in the event of a physical attack. High occupancy areas should be monitored. Interestingly, dummy or fake cameras seem to be at least somewhat effective as well.

Company policy can greatly reduce the risk of work place violence, but a thoughtful investment in personal security can be tremendously valuable. Stun guns, taser systems, personal personal defense spray. and other low cost tools exist to add an extra self-defense capability on an individual level. Another emerging self defense tool is the audible personal alarm that can create a 100db sound to attract attention. Carrying a self-defense tool adds to the workers' self confidence as they are more equipped to defend themselves when needed.

Some industries are unfortunately more prone to workplace violence than others. Still, danger can exist in any company. Development of a solid action plan can in itself deter violence as criminals prey on vulnerability. An organization that has no action plan is vulnerable. Criminals also rely on workers to be highly focused on tasks at hand and not on emerging dangers around them.

Quality surveillance equipment is essential in fighting workplace violence. The days of the old affordable black and white VHS tapes are long gone and completely unreliable for investigative purposes. Quality digital video recording equipment is the last line of defense when it comes to identifying criminals. Remember that workplace safety extends beyond physical altercations, sexual harassment and other issues; the methods for addressing these should also be clearly outlined in the employee handbook too.

Intimidation as well as violent acts can occur anywhere - even if they originate in the work place. Being prepared is the central objective to preventing work place violence. However, by combining a company action plan with a personal defense system, average workers can greatly enhance their level of personal safety and in the end, enjoy life and its freedoms. Workers should insist on creation of emergency preparedness plans at the place of employment.

by: Joe Davidson.

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