According to OSHA, workplace violence is any act or threat that can culminate into physical violence or any disruptive behavior at a work site.
It can be broken down into:
- Violence committed by someone who is not part of the company but enters to rob it or to commit any other crime inside it.
- Violent acts directed at employees, patients, students, or any other people who the organization provides services to.
- Violent acts against managers and/or colleagues conducted by a current or ex-employee
- Violent acts in the work site by someone who is not an employee but is related to the employer
Besides employers, employees are also responsible for preventing the aforementioned incidents from occurring in the first place. As an employer, here are some ways you can encourage a work culture that supports this:
Maintain Open Lines of Communication
Keeping communication open in the workplace does more to mitigate violence than anything else. Encourage your workers to remain vigilant during their shifts and keep an eye out for intruders. Holding regular meetings to enforce this rule will clear misunderstandings and prevent violence in the workplace.
Conduct Training Sessions
Employees should be trained to handle violent intruders in the workplace for their own safety. Creating an Emergency Response Plan that they can fall back on will prevent panic from setting in and diffuse the situation at the same time. Similarly, managers should also be trained how to prevent workplace violence before it has time to escalate.
Maintain Codes of Conduct
In order to prevent violence in the workplace, employers need to maintain a zero tolerance policy against all kinds of harassment. A code of conduct should be encouraged and enforced to prevent behavior and incidents that can result in a violation. In addition, small skirmishes and conflicts should be dealt with quickly before they escalate.
Regular training sessions can aid employees in pinpointing issues that can lead to violent acts in the workplace. This should be made a necessary part of talent management and new employees should be made aware of safety policies early.
Maintain an Anti-Harassment Policy
A harassment prevention policy should be set in place and this includes policies that relate repercussions for violations. A proper procedure that can deal with complaints, prevent issues from recurring, and which can assure employees that their concerns are taken seriously should also be maintained. In addition, employees should be updated with anti-harassment information regularly to eliminate incidents that can trigger violence.
Workplace Safety Training by 360Training
360Training has come up with a workplace safety course that addresses all of the abovementioned concerns. Besides determining types of violent acts and what constitutes them, the course also highlights the potential costs that an organization may have to bear because of aggressive incidents. In addition, students are also taught how to prevent accidents in the workplace and how employees can protect themselves.
The objectives of the course include:
- Understanding the OSHA act and its functions
- Understanding the rights of employees in the workplace and their responsibility under the act
- How OSHA conducts inspections in the workplace
- Understanding general health and safety regulations
- Understanding the importance of personal protective gear
- Determining and preventing electrical hazards
- Understanding the basics of a safety and health program
The course does not require any prerequisites from students and can be taken online. It is conducted by an expert who has had decades of experience in maintaining and acquiring global safety standards.
At the end of the course, and having completed the survey that comes after it, students will receive a completion card from the Department of Labor. The card will take a couple of weeks to be processed and shipped to each passing individual who took the course. Please bear in mind that only those who complete the survey will be eligible for the card.
Once this is done, you will be given a certificate of completion which can be printed online. This along with your Department of Labor card will certify that you have completed the course successfully.
Sign up for the course today so that you can protect your employees and provide them with a safe work environment.
