Workplace Violence is a topic that plagues America. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there was a total of 4,551 work fatalities reported in 2008. Of this number, Workplace Violence accounted for 18 percent of all fatal work injuries occurring in 2008, at 837 fatalities. The report further states that of the 335 fatal injuries to female workers, 29 percent were due to violence at 98 fatalities. Consequently, of the 4,216 fatalities to male workers, 18 percent were due to violence, at 739 fatalities.

Workplace violence is not always about work-related issues. Most people assume that disgruntled workers are usually the culprit. However, that is not necessarily the case. As reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in two-thirds of workplace homicides, the attacker has no known personal relationship with the victims. Furthermore, most assailants who are employees commit workplace violence due to something else going on in their lives. Some of the more typical reasons for workplace violence are mental illness, drug abuse, divorce, or perceived personal failure.

Moreover, close to half of all workplace violence happens in a public environment. It is virtually impossible to work on solving the issue of violence in the workplace when most companies do not see it as a problem. Furthermore, the estimated cost of a workplace homicide to the employer is a whopping $800,000.00. It is safe to say that it would be less expensive to take action against workplace violence. Moreover, did you know that 27% of businesses have experienced at least one violent workplace incident within the last five years?

What are Some of the Indicators and Risk Factors for Workplace Violence?

There are several signs and risk factors for workplace violence. Researchers have configured and identified a list of factors that may increase the possibility of violence in the workplace. However, the good news is if employers pay attention to the warning signs and risk factors, they can address the problem issues beforehand.

Risk Factors for Workplace Violence from an Outside Assailant

1. Working alone or in an isolated area
2. Where alcohol is served
3. Working late at night
4. Working in high crime rate areas
5. An environment where money is exchanged with the public

Indicators for Workplace Violence as a Whole

1. Verbal threats to other employees
2. Displaying paranoia
3. A fascination with violence
4. Bizarre behaviors
5. Being unreasonable
6. Irresponsible actions
7. A vindictive nature
8. Chronic depression
9. Substance / Alcohol Abuse
10. Changes in performance

Five Surprising Acts of Workplace Violence

The threat of violence in the workplace is real. Moreover, these statistics validate the reality that violence in the workplace is often a deadly incident that can happen to any business.

For example, an early example of workplace violence took place on August 20, 1982. Carl Brown, of Miami, Florida, walked into Bob Moore’s Welding & Machine Service Inc and opened fire upon those inside. The day before the assault, the assailant argued with a clerk about not accepting a $20 presented and about the quality of work done. The gunman was killed by a gunshot from a witness as he tried to exit the premises on his bicycle.

1. June 25, 2008

   Wesley Higdon, 25, an employee at Atlantis Plastics in Henderson, Kentucky, shot at co-workers inside the factory. The assailant had reportedly been arguing with his supervisor, who had been escorting the assailant from the premises.

2. February 7, 2008 

   Charles Thornton, 52, of Kirkwood, Missouri, opened fire at a city council meeting. The assailant had previous arrests due to disorderly conduct at previous city council meetings. He also had several code violation tickets stemming from his construction company to the tune of several thousand dollars.

3. July 27, 2008

   Jim Adkisson, 58, of Knoxville, Tennessee, opened fire at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville. The congregation was watching a play being put on by the youths of the church. The assailant himself said in an interview with police that the shooting was politically and racially motivated.

4. February 2, 2008 

   An unidentified shooter in Tinley Park, Illinois, opened fire at a Lane Bryant clothing store. Authorities believe it was a robbery “gone awry.” To date, the assailant has not been identified or captured.

5. February 14, 2008 

   Steven Kazmierczak, 27, a former student at Northern Illinois University, opened fire on a class in progress in an auditorium-style lecture hall. The assailant was a student at the University of Illinois at the time. Reports say that the gunman suffered from mental illness and had ceased taking his medication in the days and weeks prior to the assault.

Active Shooter Situations in the Workplace

Proper planning and training can reduce injuries related to an active shooter incident. Controlling the impact of an active shooter involves many layers of security. Those layers can consist of an incident response plan, a panic button system, security staff and surveillance cameras.

The first step is to know what to do in those critical moments. The first minute of an active shooter incident is the most important moment of your company’s emergency response. Training and being mentally prepared to take action in a crisis can make a big difference. Furthermore, just knowing where all of the building exits and locking doors are located can help boost a person’s survival.

Moreover, there is no foolproof way to avert an active shooter incident. However, with the speed and accuracy of information given in the initiated alert can contribute to impact a positive result. Additionally, there is new technology available that enables mass notification to those who need to know about the crisis to increase the probability of a successful emergency response.

In conclusion, I encourage you and your staff to become familiar with the violence prevention and incident response plans for your facility. An essential part of violence prevention is to utilize those policy resources when you feel it is necessary. Report unusual or suspicious behavior to administrators immediately. Moreover, trust that “uh-oh” feeling when things just don’t seem legit. Practice incident response plans at least quarterly so that the training remains fresh. If employees have clear policies and procedures to follow during a crisis, they can protect themselves more efficiently. Hundreds people’s lives are lost every year to violence in the workplace. Arm your employees with the tools and knowledge they need to make an appropriate decision.

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