Resource Page:
WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

Can you spot trouble coming? 

February 2002 Mfg.Trust Feature Story

Resources
Books
ProQuest: for NCMS Members Only

Resources

NIOSH Current Intelligence Bulletin 57
Violence in the Workplace. Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/violcont.html

Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Web site on Workplace Violence

University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center
http://www.pmeh.uiowa.edu/iprc/  
Here you will find a Report to the Nation on Workplace Violence (.pdf, 330Kb)

NIOSH Fact Sheet on Workplace Violence
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/violfs.html

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
This site addresses using OSHA to encourage workplace safety.
http://www.afscme.org/health/faq-viol.htm

25 Ways to Prevent Workplace Violence 
During Terminations
http://www.all-biz.com/articles/violence.htm

Books

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Violence in the Workplace. A Prevention and Management Guide for Businesses

By S. Anthony Baron

Baron's book gives the reader a comprehensive review of the human side of workplace violence in an easy-reading format. Perhaps the most helpful part of Baron's book is his inclusion of Maslow's hierarchy that helps the reader to understand why some people behave in threatening or violent ways. The second half of the book covers prevention, hiring practices, training, and how to change employee behaviors to prevent violence. This is a great book to keep in your reference library or to use as a quick refresher when faced with an employee who shows signs of potential violence or uncivil behavior. I highly suggest reading the book if you are involved with drafting a workplace violence policy. (Review from Amazon.com)

When Work Equals Life

By S. Anthony Baron, Suzanne J. Hoffman, and James G. Merrill

Full of step-by-step interventions and procedures for dealing with potentially violent workplace situations, this hands-on guide offers reliable solutions for many anxious employers and managers. It explains how to conduct psychological assessment tests of employees, recognize warning signs, and communicate with troubled workers. Organizational factors that may trigger violence are pointed out, solutions are given on how to eliminate them, and crisis procedures and security features are discussed. Employers learn how to be safe and compliant with the law and when and where to seek legal and medical intervention. Human resource, management, and executive professionals will find practical assistance in determining how they can effectively reduce the risk of workplace violence in their organization. (Review from Amazon.com)

The Violence Prone Workplace

By Richard V. Denenberg and Mark Braverman

Almost every week reports of violence erupting in the workplace make headlines. Contrary to popular opinion, such incidents are not random and senseless but, according to Richard V. Denenberg and Mark Braverman, typically result from conflict that has been allowed to fester. Combining the insights of both crisis management and dispute resolution, their book presents a comprehensive look at the problem of violence on the job, including ways of preventing it.

Rather than focusing on the supposedly "lethal" or dysfunctional employee as the source of danger, Denenberg and Braverman point to the dysfunctional workplace as the problem. They describe underlying factors in the workplace which can foster extreme behavior and prevent an effective response. Calling for early intervention in situations that could result in violence, the authors suggest specific techniques for reducing the risk that an office, plant, or school will suffer crises arising from threats or a climate of hostility. (Review from Amazon.com)

Preventing Workplace Violence: A Guide for Employers and Practitioners

By Mark Braverman

As a forensic psychologist who conducts threat assessments and fitness-for-duty evaluations of potentially violent employees, I found Dr. Braverman's book to be the most informative, readable, and practical text available. I recommend it highly to HR professionals, Occupational Health physicians and nurses, employment lawyers (don't be offended by some of Dr. Braverman's constructive criticism of too-conservative corporate counsel!), Employee Assistance professionals, union officials, security officers, anyone who worries about a co-worker's potential for violence, and anyone who has been accused of threatening violence on the job. If more employers took Dr. Braverman's advice, workplace homicides and other forms of violence (e.g., assaults, harassment, hostile work environment, threats, intimidation) would decrease, employee stress would diminish, and worker productivity would improve. (Review from Amazon.com)

ProQuest: For NCMS Members Only

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CEO to CEO

Association Management; Washington; Nov 2001
(Available full image from ProQuest) 
     Four association executives discuss how they would handle a written personal attack on a supervisor from a disgruntled current or former employee.

When your work is all the rage--literally

Black Enterprise, New York; Nov 2001
(Available full image from ProQuest) 
     A national survey of more than 1,300 workers conducted by Opinion Research Corp. International found that 42% of respondents experienced yelling and verbal abuse at work, and one in 10 said physical violence occurred in their workplace. According to Lynne McClure, Ph.D., president of the anger management coaching firm McClure Associates Inc., desk rage is defined as inappropriate displays of anger in the workplace.

Bringing security to an insecure lab world

Research & Development; Barrington; Nov 2001
(Available full image from ProQuest)
     Although the heightened consciousness of security issues since the September 11 terrorist attacks has encouraged companies to clamp down on their security protocol, it has not changed the multiple options available to an R&D laboratory or engineering facility. In a survey done by "Security Magazine" in 1996, computer security and fire/life safety ranked as the high to medium risk levels of various threats. Five years later, property crime and employee theft ranked highest on the list of security concerns. In that same 2001 "Security Magazine" survey, workplace violence and natural disasters/recovery ranked as the top two safety threats. Terrorist acts aside, the survey shows that commercial and corporate organizations had already planned to spend an average of $667,000 annually on security-related products, systems, and service. Several security options available on the market are briefly discussed.

NCMS SAFE™ Program

Coming Soon!
Workplace Violence Course FREE to NCMS Alliance Partners for a limited time

In an effort to respond to the security awareness needs of manufacturers, the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) has developed SAFE™, a security awareness fundamentals course focused on instructing employees on how to proactively provide for their own safety. The program is the only one of its type designed to help improve productivity and minimize security concerns by focusing attention on knowledge and preparation. The SAFE program is being offered to the business community as an interactive compact disk and guidebook, as well as via the NCMS training portal.

"Issues of personal security - at work, at home and abroad - now affect thousands of modern professionals. More than ever, personal and professional security is a critical issue in business," said Joseph Bastian, Manager, NCMS Knowledge Solutions. "We designed the SAFE™ program to demonstrate the importance of security awareness and its ability to offset risk to a company's critical infrastructure."

NCMS has solicited input from experts in the fields of federal law enforcement, military special operations, counter-terrorism and corporate security to produce SAFE™, a six-module multimedia course focused on encouraging proactive and preventative security awareness and personal safety measures among employees. SAFE™ will guide participants through the psychological implications of proactive and reactive thinking.

Improved awareness and situation analysis skills will be taught to help participants avoid potential threats by better assessing them. Additionally, tactical modules will provide participants with real-world advice for real-world crises, so that intervention or reaction can be timely and appropriate if a crisis occurs.

Be aware. 
Be ready. 
Be SAFE.