Violence in the Workplace, part 1

Saturday, June 17, 2006 | 0

By Jamie Charter, M.S., CPDM

The intent of this article series is to put a spotlight on the vital issue of violence in the workplace. A story recently unfolded in Santa Cruz, California that is very close, both in geographical proximity to my business, as well as on a personal level.

On Wednesday evening, June 14, 2006, Santa Cruz attorney Jay Bloombecker was shot at his office, bringing the issue of workplace violence close to home. The situation has far-reaching impacts, reverberating throughout Santa Cruz County and the statewide legal community. And, on a personal level, the Bloombecker family is well known within the Santa Cruz, California community and this tragedy impacts many.

In one informal survey by the family law section of the American Bar Association in 1997, 60 percent of 253 respondents indicated they had been threatened by an opposing party in a case. In 1987, a Florida judge was shot and killed following an alimony hearing, and in 1983 an Illinois judge was killed in his courtroom by a man whose divorce case he was presiding over.

On March 11, 2005, a judge, court reporter and deputy were killed and another deputy was wounded Friday in a shooting at the Fulton County Courthouse in downtown Atlanta, Georgia.

The judge, later identified as Superior Court Judge Rowland Barnes, was shot on the eighth floor of the courthouse, while one of the deputies was shot on a street corner just outside the building, said Officer Alan Osborne with the Atlanta Police Department.

On June 17, near Sacramento, California, a bomb crashed through the window of a bungalow where a sheriff's deputy slept and set off a wide-ranging investigation into whether the attack was random, misdirected or meant for the young peace officer who worked as a Sacramento Superior Court bailiff at the downtown courthouse.

The officer sustained shrapnel injuries to one leg and officials said and he was lucky to have survived. His home is six blocks from the site of another incident six months ago in which a neighborhood activist awoke to a Molotov cocktail burning on her porch.

Since 2000, Sacramento has posted more year-to-year increases in violent crime than any other large city in the state. Violent crimes include murder, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

Over several years, the FBI numbers show a clear trend: In Sacramento, the 52 murders of 2005 marked a 4 percent increase over the previous year. Rapes dropped 13 percent, while robbery was up 5 percent and aggravated assault 18 percent.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has found that an average of 20 workers are murdered each week in the United States. In addition, an estimated 1 million workers -18,000 per week - are victims of nonfatal workplace assaults each year.

What is considered workplace violence and what are some of the work factors that can contribute to it?

Workplace violence ranges from offensive or threatening language to, in the most extreme cases, homicide. According to The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), workplace violence is defined as:
* Violent acts (including physical assaults and threats of assaults) directed toward persons at work or on duty. Examples of violence include the following:
* Threats: Expressions of intent to cause harm, including verbal threats, threatening body language, and written threats.
* Physical assaults: Attacks ranging from slapping and beating to rape, homicide, and the use of weapons such as firearms, bombs, or knives.
* Muggings: Aggravated assaults, usually conducted by surprise and with intent to rob.

Workplace violence is a very serious matter and everything in an employer's power should be done to contribute to a safe workplace for its employees. Common risk factors include:

Employees working directly with volatile people, especially, those who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol or have a history of violence or certain psychotic diagnoses and:

Understaffing;
Long waits for service;
Employees working alone;
Poor environmental design;
Inadequate security;
Lack of staff training and policies for preventing and managing crises with potentially volatile workers;
Drug and alcohol abuse;
Access to firearms;
And unrestricted movement of the public.

Mr. Bloombecker had hosted informational and educational seminars for injured workers in Santa Cruz and he invited me to present seminars on vocational rehabilitation, the voucher and other related return to work information to the injured workers.

Additionally, I have worked on his cases for vocational rehabilitation and expert testimony files.

Workplace violence is on the rise, and will continue to be from now on. It is in all of our best interest to employ safeguards to minimize this threat and be prepared to respond to it. Not only is it a sound business practice, lowering your risk for liability and lost productivity etc., but also it is the smart thing to do.

Preventing workplace violence should be every employer's first safety goal. By making the workplace a safe environment to work, everyone benefits.

None of us can anticipate what could become a triggering factor to set someone off to take further and violent action. What is someones breaking point?

It is important to report every threat of violence and take it seriously.

Parts 2 and 3 of this article series will include more factors contributing to workplace violence, prevention tips to promote workplace safety, how to report potentially dangerous situations and more information on reducing risk factors.

Author, consultant and educator Jamie Charter has been providing employment and litigation consulting services for 22 years through Charter and Company employer resource consultants. Jamie is Certified as a Professional in Disability Management, (CPDM) and is a State of California Independent Vocational Evaluator (IVE. Jamie can be reached at info@employerresourceconsultants.com; www.employerresourceconsultants.com.

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