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Workplace Violence continues to be a legitimate workplace security concern that may be ripe for changing traditional approaches in favor of Robust, Agile and Proactive (RAP) strategies and tactics. While terrorism still ranks high on the list of workplace security threats, workplace violence by its ominous name continues to weigh heavily as a critical factor impacting people security, morale, performance, production, efficiency, injury compensation and medical costs as well as the legal cost of defending serious injury and negligent homicide and training allegations. As a tangible factor, personnel turnover can be measured. The intangible from the non-violent acts of the disgruntled employee before transitioning to violence are hard to measure until uncovered. The impact of diminished performance and production are the outgrowth of victims suffering from low morale and lack of confidence in the employer's capability to provide for a safe and secure workplace. This percept ion of a lack luster investment in people security affects witnesses and their families who are cognizant of the questionable management commitment.
Recent events in the news continue to validate the reality that the threat of workplace violence is a genuine human resource security concern that can come from a disgruntled employee, estranged spouse or an intimate partner relationship. Long gone is the correlation between having conducted a thorough background check as a way of indentifying those with predisposed violence related and criminal tendencies. Employers have gotten better at screening these potential predators out. Oddly enough, we're discovering that employees with non-criminal history are just as likely to commit an act of homicidal violence as the predisposed criminal. Nevertheless, warning signs can help if only the right employees are trained. In understanding that our workplaces are a microcosm of our society and communities multiple intervention strate gies are required in order to effectively mount a proactive workplace violence prevention campaign. Workplace violence prevention cannot be a reaction to an event but rather a measured response that applies RAP strategies in providing for aggressive intervention, accountable supervision, responsibility alignment, internal reporting and segmented training as critical components of early detection, intervention and interdiction strategies.
Homicidal acts of violence by employees, spouses, intimate partners or criminals in the commission of violent crimes have been occurring frequently and without regard for the type workplace or educational institution. We saw in the recent Norcross, GA Homicide this past February that violence can occur from disgruntled family members in business related disputes gone awry. We saw in Columbus, Ohio on February 14, 2012 that the weapon of choice can be a knife affecting the emergency alert and response time between the events and reporti ng. In that incident four people were stabbed. February 2012 was an exceptionally active month for workplace related homicides. In another death at work, we saw the case of the Immigration Agent who shot his manager and was shot and killed by another Agent, clearly validating the need for every workplace to have workplace unique and specific countermeasures in dealing with the potential of workplace homicides as a function of their environments. In other words, let's change the way we've been implementing workplace violence prevention by taking proactive measures that increase readiness and increases employee trust and fidelity in the process. Change is needed in how employers design their workplace violence prevention policies and plans. Who says that Human Resources can't share the responsibility with Physical Security, leaving HR as the Program Manager and Security as the Incident Manager?
In each of the above situations it appears that the triggers were tied to a w orkplace or a business connection with the potential for jeopardizing the safety and security of many others including visitors, vendors and contractors. We must come to grips with the reality that although workplaces are not immune from the threat of unprovoked homicidal violence, workplaces can increases their responses to workplace violence prevention by taking proactive and immediate measures when receiving reports or observing at risk people, situations or conditions.
To Properly address the threat from within, experts in the field of workplace security and workplace violence prevention can play a significant role in helping to shape and recommend strategies to help improve worker safety and security as well as the response to the potential Hostile Intruder. Managed interdiction and prevention strategies can empower employees and the organization in taking effective measures to address at risk situations and in preparing employees to respond in the face of a homic idal threat of violence. Change your current approaches to workplace violence prevention by adopting appropriate robust, agile and proactive strategies. No one says your approach has to be a template, only defensible.
The following Workplace Violence Prevention solutions can be very effective in any workplace setting: assessment of early warning signs through a collective threat assessment model; capability to conduct annual or as needed workplace specific and employee assessments in collecting and evaluating safety and security conditions; integrate flexibility in evaluating current physical security and access control measures in helping to identify gaps in physical security; conducting as needed work-site analysis to correct/resolve immediate concerns; assigning a program manager to provide continuity, coordination, collaboration and integration of effort; hastily conducted and concluded workplace investigations provide opportunity to correct contributing factors an d root causes; and; flexibility in retaining an external consultant to serve as your technical Advisor.
In the end the ultimate goal is creating an empowered workplace that applies the right mix of proactive strategies and tactics designed to address the unique aspects of your workplaces. Don't overlook your Corporate Counsels and Risk Managers they are priceless and worth their weight in gold as a key component of your proactive strategy. Remember that your Attorneys can be very effective NOW and are anxious to be proactive.
@ Nater Associates, Ltd. 2002-2012. All Rights Reserved]
Felix P. Nater a Certified Security Consultant as awarded by the International Association of Professional Security Consultant is the president and owner of Nater Associates, Ltd. a workplace violence prevention and security management consulting firm helping employers provide for a safe / non-violent workplace. Felix brings 18 years of specialized capabilities as a Postal Inspec tor, Security Supervisor, Army Reserve Sergeant Major and Consultant. To learn more about Nater Associates, Ltd. please visit http://www.naterassociates.com/.