| Workplace Violence is on the rise and I believe that in | | | | concerns, and management needs to address those |
| the next decade it will explode exponentially unless | | | | concerns. |
| we are proactive! | | | | I think we can all agree that prevention is important |
| The most difficult type of workplace violence to | | | | but being PREPARED is the key! |
| prevent comes from individuals not affiliated with the | | | | If you should find yourself in a situation that makes |
| company who have some grievance or grudge | | | | you feel uncomfortable your goal is to get out of or |
| against the company itself or someone working for | | | | away from the situation safely. There are a number |
| the organization. Unless a friend, neighbour or family | | | | of things that you can do to help this happen and |
| member notices telltale warning signs and reports | | | | they are: |
| them it is almost impossible to prevent random | | | | - Listen to this uncomfortable feeling. Don't ignore it!! |
| violence of this type. | | | | It is there for a reason. It is one of your innate |
| The easiest types of violent acts to prevent are | | | | survival mechanisms and it is trying to tell you |
| those from individuals working for the company. I | | | | something |
| say easiest only if you raise your awareness level, | | | | - Once you have acknowledged these feelings start |
| look for, recognize and report the warning signs that | | | | looking around for escape routes just in case the |
| are ALWAYS present before a violent workplace | | | | situation becomes unsafe |
| incident. | | | | If you find yourself in a situation that is |
| This article will focus on preventing violence from | | | | uncomfortable but not unsafe and you feel that you |
| individuals working for the company. | | | | can deal with it by yourself then by all means go |
| At my seminars someone always asks: "What is the | | | | ahead. It can be very empowering knowing that you |
| single most important thing that one can do to | | | | can and have dealt with it yourself. |
| enhance their personal safety?" And the answer is: | | | | OK, OK, what's the bottom line? What can you do to |
| Get your head out of the sand! The reason why a | | | | make sure that you are safe at work? |
| large percentage of violent acts in the workplace | | | | Ask for appropriate workplace violence prevention |
| come as a surprise is because people just do not | | | | and preparation training! When I say appropriate I |
| want to believe what they are seeing or hearing well | | | | mean training that includes ALL the skills that you |
| before the incident occurs. | | | | need to protect yourself! Verbal and physical skills. |
| If everyone in the workplace felt comfortable | | | | When I say Preparation Training I mean just that, |
| confiding in and reporting incidents to their | | | | realistic and relevant training that PREPARES you for |
| supervisors most incidents could be prevented. | | | | a workplace violence incident because you cannot |
| Therein lies one of the keys to the prevention of | | | | prevent all incidents of workplace violence. |
| violence in the workplace. The company must have | | | | I cannot emphasize this enough! If you can't get this |
| an open door policy in regards to the reporting of | | | | happening at your workplace then take a personal |
| harassing, criminal and potentially violent behaviour. | | | | safety course. Most people agree that they would |
| Staff have to feel that they will be listened to and | | | | like to be and feel safer but most people will not |
| more importantly that their concerns will be acted on. | | | | take the necessary steps to make this happen. |
| The best predictor of future violence is past violence. | | | | The best way for you to successfully resolve a |
| If you have information that someone you work | | | | potentially violent situation is to prepare yourself by |
| with, or are thinking of becoming involved with, has a | | | | taking appropriate training from an instructor who has |
| violent past, the best thing that you can do is to | | | | been in these situations and knows what works. |
| avoid them, be aware and alert, and, don't invite or | | | | Anything less and you are just fooling yourself! |
| engage in communications which you know you aren't | | | | If you are a manager and one of your staff has |
| prepared to handle. Most of all, listen to your instincts | | | | approached you with a concern, take it seriously, |
| and be on the lookout for other warning signs | | | | investigate it, document what you have found and |
| The next layer of protection in your arsenal of | | | | deal with it. You are ethically responsible for resolving |
| violence prevention skills is to be able to recognize | | | | this. You are also bound by a number of powerful |
| the telltale signs of impending trouble. Those signs are | | | | legislations that compel you to take the appropriate |
| called pre-incident indicators or threat cues. | | | | action. |
| How many times on the 11 o'clock news have we | | | | If your companies' workplace violence prevention |
| heard people say "He was such a nice guy. No one | | | | program consists only of policies, reporting |
| saw this coming. He just snapped." I am here to tell | | | | procedures, signs in the workplace telling staff that |
| you that no one saw it coming because of a | | | | violence is unacceptable and won't be tolerated and a |
| combination of two things: lack of awareness and | | | | ban on weapons your company is only paying lip |
| denial that what they were observing was actually | | | | service to the prevention of and preparation for |
| happening. Most people who commit violent acts give | | | | workplace violence. |
| quite a few warning signs well before acting. | | | | I will leave you with this thought: |
| As Gavin Debecker states: "People don't just snap. | | | | In regards to personal safety both in and out of the |
| There is a process as observable, and often as | | | | workplace, there are two kinds of people in the |
| predictable as water coming to a boil." Every type of | | | | world: |
| violence whether it is workplace violence, domestic | | | | Those who mistakenly believe that ALL conflicts, |
| assault or date stalking follows a predicable pattern." | | | | confrontations and attacks can be defused by the |
| The nice thing about incidents precipitated by people | | | | use of properly applied communication skills and |
| within the workplace, if there is such a thing as "nice", | | | | verbal de-escalation tactics. |
| is that it offers many opportunities for people to pick | | | | AND |
| up on the signals that offenders give us. Employees | | | | Those that know better! |
| in this situation should feel free to approach | | | | Be prepared! Provide your staff with all the skills they |
| co-workers and their management with their | | | | need to protect themselves. |