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Five Surprising Acts of Workplace Violence in Alabama

Workplace Violence is a topic that plagues the state of Alabama. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there was a total of 70 work fatalities reported in 2015 in Alabama. Of this number, Workplace Violence accounted for 7 percent of all fatal work injuries occurring in 2015, at five deaths. A similar report done in 2000 shows that there were 103 fatal injuries reported for the state of Alabama. Of that number, 11 were due to assaults and violent acts. This equates to 11 percent of all workplace fatalities in the state of Alabama.

Many people assume that workplace violence always involves disgruntled workers. Little known fact: this is not always the case. As reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the assailant has no known relationship to the victims in two-thirds of workplace homicides. Additionally, many people who commit workplace violence have something else going on in their lives such as mental illness, drug abuse, divorce or what they may believe is a failure.

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

There are several signs and risk factors for workplace violence. If employers and employees pay close attention to the warning signs and risk factors, workplace violence could potentially be prevented from happening in the first place.

Not all workplace violence is committed by a disgruntled employee. The following risk factors reflect risks for workplace violence perpetrated by an outside assailant who is not an employee:

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

As a whole, there are also risk factors for workplace violence committed by disgruntled employees and outside assailants:

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 in Alabama

The threat of violence in the workplace is genuine. Additionally, these statistics prove the harsh reality that no kind of workplace is immune to violence.

  1. July 27, 2001 

    Cecil Shields, 50, an employee at Dravo Lime Plant in Saginaw, shot and killed a coworker at an onsite locker room. Reports state that the two men had been arguing over a pack of cigarettes before the shooting.

  2. February 5, 2002 

    Roderick Seals, 42, an employee at the Mobile Press-Register newspaper in Mobile, shot and killed a co-worker. Reports state that the gunman was upset over a shorted paycheck.

  3. December 5, 2006

    LeKelvin Carlton, 25, an employee at the Austal USA Shipyard in Mobile, shot and killed a co-worker. Reports state that the two men had been arguing over a face shield before the assault.

  4. February 12, 2010

    Amy Bishop, 44, a professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, opened fire at a faculty meeting. The assailant had recently been denied tenure and was working her last semester. Colleagues and students reported her increasingly bizarre behavior several times before the assault took place.

  5. September 23, 2014

    Joe Tensney, 45, a former employee at UPS in Birmingham, shot and killed two former co-workers before turning the gun on himself. Reports state the assailant was terminated from his job on Monday; the shooting occurred on the following Friday.

How to Avoid Workplace Violence

Proper planning and training can significantly reduce the injuries and victimization caused by workplace violence. Security, whether it is staff or just general procedures, should be taken extremely seriously. Several safety measures that can help reduce victimization include an incident response plan, panic button system, and surveillance cameras.

The first minute of a workplace violence incident is the most critical moment of a company’s emergency response. Simple steps, such as knowing where building exits are located, can help boost survival in the case of workplace violence.

There is no one failsafe way to prevent instances of workplace violence. However, technologies offered by CRS Notify can lessen the chances of victimization. CRS Notify panic buttons can notify authorities in an instant with E911 integration. Additionally, those who are set to receive alerts can know what is happening and plan accordingly.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is important for staff to become familiar with violence prevention and incident response plans within the facility. Furthermore, without these kinds of policies in place, staff may not know how to act in the face of an emergency. When certain policies are enacted, employees can be more confident in their reactions. It is always smart to trust intuition when something just doesn’t seem right. Suspicious behavior should always be reported. Remember: informed employees can help keep workplace violence and the repercussions of workplace violence down to a minimum.

The post Five Surprising Acts of Workplace Violence in Alabama appeared first on Community Response Systems.



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Five Surprising Acts of Workplace Violence in Alabama

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