Executive's Guide to Personal Security, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 4Violence in the Workplace

WORKPLACE VIOLENCE IS AN ISSUE that is familiar to anyone working in the private or public sector. As defined by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, workplace violence is “any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site. It ranges from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and even homicide.”¹

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 2 million people in the United States each year report being the victims of workplace violence and it is a virtual certainty that even more incidents go unreported. Violent acts directed at employees, clients, contractors, vendors, customers, and visitors resulted in injury and death. These statistics also show that homicide is currently the third leading cause of fatal injuries in the workplace. Many of these homicides are the result of personal relationships, and most of the victims in this category are women.²

Violence perpetrated by employees presents a number of difficulties from a security viewpoint because typically employees have unrestricted access to the facility unless they have already been terminated and have had their access revoked. However, even after termination, employees' familiarity with entry points, screening, and camera locations makes it possible for even banned employees to get into the building and act violently if that is their intention. Nevertheless, the level ...