Workplace violence has been a worker issue difficult for regulators and policymakers to get their arms around.
Requiring safety glasses in manufacturing and respirators in chemical plants are examples of fairly cut-and-dried solutions to workplace hazards. But workplace violence, despite its obvious impact, crosses many blurred lines – such as when a worker beset by personal troubles brings them into the workplace with often devastating consequences.
‘One of my Priorities’
After what he believes has been inaction at OSHA during the Bush administration, OSHA acting administrator Jordan Barab is promising to elevate the workplace violence as a worker safety issue. Barab, addressing events before an audience of labor union and safety activists in November in Connecticut, called workplace violence “one of my priorities. It's obviously a worker safety issue,” according to a newspaper account.
Add to that, Barab earlier in November addressed an international conference on occupational stress and health in San Juan, PR, saying that “workplace violence and other occupational hazards that threaten workers’ health and safety should be a concern for employers everywhere.” Sponsored by the American Psychological Association, NIOSH, Society for Occupational Health Psychology and University of Puerto Rico, Barab and other OSHA staff participated in presentations examining the global effect of work, stress and health on people in developed and developing countries.
When he wrote his popular “Confined Space,” which examined issues in workplace safety, Barab also expressed his support in several columns that workplace violence to be treated as a safety issue. Now, as the primary enforcer of OHSA regulations, Barab is able to pursue that course within the agency apparatus.
Viewed Often as Crime
Barab’s view often is in conflict with industry, which sees workplace violence in a much different light – primarily as a criminal issue. Incidents such as robberies of convenience stores and taxi drivers, for instance, do have a worker component, but have been viewed more commonly as being in the realm crime.
But because violence that occurs in the workplace draws considerable media attention when incidents happen – such as the October 2009 shooting spree in an Orlando, FL office building allegedly by a fired worker of an engineering firm that killed a worker – policymakers and regulators will need to outline specifically how they will address the issue. Proponents of workplace violence interventions consider, for example, that the killing of 13 soldiers and civilians at the Fort Hood, TX Army installation falls under the category of workplace violence despite it also being labeled a terrorist event.
Further, safety activists in the healthcare industry are shining a light on violence that might occurs against workers in psychiatric hospitals or in home health setting.
Where they may not have had to do so in the past, employers certainly will want to develop policies within their safety and health management systems to addresses violence in the workplace. Few have them now. In addition to establishing protocols on how to address incidents, policies probably also should extend outreach and training directly to workers. Having policies in place may be enough to satisfy OSHA.
Requiring safety glasses in manufacturing and respirators in chemical plants are examples of fairly cut-and-dried solutions to workplace hazards. But workplace violence, despite its obvious impact, crosses many blurred lines – such as when a worker beset by personal troubles brings them into the workplace with often devastating consequences.
‘One of my Priorities’
After what he believes has been inaction at OSHA during the Bush administration, OSHA acting administrator Jordan Barab is promising to elevate the workplace violence as a worker safety issue. Barab, addressing events before an audience of labor union and safety activists in November in Connecticut, called workplace violence “one of my priorities. It's obviously a worker safety issue,” according to a newspaper account.
Add to that, Barab earlier in November addressed an international conference on occupational stress and health in San Juan, PR, saying that “workplace violence and other occupational hazards that threaten workers’ health and safety should be a concern for employers everywhere.” Sponsored by the American Psychological Association, NIOSH, Society for Occupational Health Psychology and University of Puerto Rico, Barab and other OSHA staff participated in presentations examining the global effect of work, stress and health on people in developed and developing countries.
When he wrote his popular “Confined Space,” which examined issues in workplace safety, Barab also expressed his support in several columns that workplace violence to be treated as a safety issue. Now, as the primary enforcer of OHSA regulations, Barab is able to pursue that course within the agency apparatus.
Viewed Often as Crime
Barab’s view often is in conflict with industry, which sees workplace violence in a much different light – primarily as a criminal issue. Incidents such as robberies of convenience stores and taxi drivers, for instance, do have a worker component, but have been viewed more commonly as being in the realm crime.
But because violence that occurs in the workplace draws considerable media attention when incidents happen – such as the October 2009 shooting spree in an Orlando, FL office building allegedly by a fired worker of an engineering firm that killed a worker – policymakers and regulators will need to outline specifically how they will address the issue. Proponents of workplace violence interventions consider, for example, that the killing of 13 soldiers and civilians at the Fort Hood, TX Army installation falls under the category of workplace violence despite it also being labeled a terrorist event.
Further, safety activists in the healthcare industry are shining a light on violence that might occurs against workers in psychiatric hospitals or in home health setting.
Where they may not have had to do so in the past, employers certainly will want to develop policies within their safety and health management systems to addresses violence in the workplace. Few have them now. In addition to establishing protocols on how to address incidents, policies probably also should extend outreach and training directly to workers. Having policies in place may be enough to satisfy OSHA.
Photo: Jordan Barab (Source: OSHA)
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