www.dodgensecurity.com plan. prevent. prevail.
Workplace Violence:
Prevention & Response
In the United States, more than seven people per hour die a violent death. �More than 19,100 people were victims of homicide in 2019.�(47,500 died by suicide)
* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Fast facts:
Adverse impact
Research indicates that nearly 40% of US workers have experienced bullying in the workplace.��Between 2014 to 2019, workplace homicides increased by 11%.��One-sixth of violent crimes occur in the workplace.��Over 18,000 are assaulted at work every week.��Violence is the second leading cause of workplace deaths.��According to a recent SHRM survey, nearly half of HR professionals said their organization had experienced a violent incident, with more than half of those occurring in the last few years.�
In 2021-22, workplace assaults resulted in 57,610 injuries.��In 2022, 525 fatalities due to assault were reported.
* Injury Facts, National Safety Council
What is workplace violence?
Workplace violence is any physical assault, threatening
behavior, or verbal abuse occurring in the work setting.
A workplace may be any location either permanent or
temporary where an employee performs any work-related duty.
Forms of workplace violence
Workplace violence history
Not new – as old as relationship between employer and employee
1980s – became recognized nationally
when US Postal Worker Patrick Sherill
killed 14 people and wounded six
Workplace violence spectrum
Behaviors of concern
Threatening behavior
Physical injury
Death
Workplace violence
Type 1 – Criminal type
The perpetrator has no legitimate relationship with the employer or workplace, other than to enter and commit a crime such as robbery.
Type 2 – Customer/client type
A customer or client of the business directs violence at employees, possibly because of dissatisfaction with service or product.
Type 3 – Employee on employee
An employee or former employee perpetrates violence against coworkers, supervisors, or managers.
Type 4 – Domestic Type
Violence is committed in the workplace by someone who doesn’t work there, but has a personal relationship with an employee – an abusive spouse or domestic partner
Awareness
Assessment
Follow-up
Common pre-incident behaviors
Triggering event
This is what triggers a crisis for an individual. When people go into that type of mode, it
affects the way they think, it affects the way they feel, and lastly, and what we need to be
sensitive to, it affects the way they behave.
On the other hand, it might be a series of imagined slights to someone who is overreacting
and blowing a situation out of proportion. Those who blame others for everything, people
who have a short fuse, or are very intolerant to frustration, can be suspicious of others.
Triggering event
Warning signs
Warning signs
Absolute tragedy: 2 dead, 3 hurt in Chester workplace shooting�
May 23, 2024
�At least two workers were killed and three others were hurt in a workplace shooting at a family-owned linen business in Chester, Pennsylvania, Delaware County authorities said.
Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer referred to the shooting as "an absolutely tragedy."
"This is a story that plays out too often across the United States of America," Stollsteimer said at a morning news conference. "A disgruntled employee has walked into the Delaware County Linen shop and shot five people, five co-workers.“
Stollsteimer said that at least five people -- including the gunman's supervisor -- were shot and two had died after showing up for work.
“People who are victims of this shooting today, they came to work to live the American dream," Stollsteimer said. "They came to work to work hard, play by the rules and to get ahead in their lives."
Two victims identified in shooting at UPS facility in Alabama�
Gunman opens fire at Hartford Beer Distributorship, �kills 8 before shooting himself
A gunman opened fire during a shift change at Hartford Distributors, a beer distributorship
near Hartford, Conn., and nine people, including the gunman, died. Police said Thornton killed eight people
and wounded two, then turned the gun on himself in a rampage Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2010, in Manchester,
Conn. The suspect was identified as Omar S. Thornton, 34, according to John Hollis of the Connecticut
Teamsters Union, of which Thornton was a member. Thornton opened fire before turning his gun on himself,
police said. A spokesman said police never fired their own guns. Thornton was being escorted out of the
office building when he opened fire, according to Police Chief Montminy.
"We believe he was offered an opportunity to quit or be terminated," Montminy said. Montminy declined to
say what led to Thornton's termination, but sources said that he was caught on video stealing beer from the
distributor.
Reports emerge of friction between shooter Anthony Ferrill and other workers
The man who opened fire at Molson Coors plant Wednesday, killing five co-workers and himself, had been involved in a long-running dispute with a co-worker that boiled over before he came back with two guns and started shooting, according to law enforcement and brewery sources.
Police confirmed that the shooter was Anthony N. Ferrill, 51, had worked as an electrician for more than 20 years, about 17 of them at Molson Coors. Several co-workers said Ferrill frequently argued with at least one of the victims, and often watched movies on his phone during the day, which the other man took issue with. They also said the two accused each other of going into each others' offices and stealing tools or tampering with computer equipment.
About a year ago, the co-worker said, Ferrill started saying he believed brewery workers were coming into his home, bugging his computer and moving chairs around.
"I was: 'Are you serious, Anthony? What?' We all kind of joked about it, saying we should maybe get him an aluminum hat. Things just started getting weird. But he was dead serious about it," the co-worker said.
Walmart employee where 6 were fatally shot sues company for $50 million
November 29, 2022
An employee at a Virginia Walmart where six of her coworkers were killed said she filed a written complaint to the company of the suspected gunman’s “bizarre” behavior months before the shooting, according to a filing in Chesapeake circuit court.
The filing alleges that Walmart management knew of suspected gunman Andre Bing’s behavior and threats before the mass shooting, “but kept employing him anyway.”
In September, Prioleau “submitted a formal complaint on a Walmart Global Ethics Statement Form,” saying Bing had “bizarrely and inappropriately” commented on her age, height, and had “harassed her for being poor.” In one instance
Bing asked Prioleau “if she liked guns,” and told others working at Walmart that he ran over a turtle once with a lawnmower on purpose, the court document alleges.
Walmart “had received numerous reports that Mr. Bing was bullying, threatening, and harassing other employees,” the complaint says, and the company knew or should have known he was, “acting inappropriately, bizarrely, and dangerously.”
“Prior to the shooting, Mr. Bing repeatedly asked coworkers if they had received their active shooter training,” the complaint said. “When coworkers responded that they had, Mr. Bing just smiled and walked away without saying anything.” Prioleau said he had asked her if she liked guns and said he would retaliate if he were fired.
CA law SB 553
Effective July 1, 2024
Requires almost every employer in CA to establish, implement, and maintain a workplace violence prevention program.
CA law SB 553
The plan must be a written plan made available to employees with clear identification of who is responsible for its administration, and must include procedures for:
Key components of a workplace violence plan
Assess
Plan
Communicate
Train
Reassess
Contact information:
Email: carol@dodgensecurity.com
Phone: (205)901-4334
www.dodgensecurity.com