Creating
Safer Places
to Work
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| A laid-off employee shoots and kills his former
boss...a disgruntled worker sabotages a production line...a co-worker’s spurned
boyfriend stalks her at the office, threatening harm... The stories are all too familiar -- a grim reality
within an increasingly dangerous American workplace. |
The statistics are alarming...
According to a recent U.S. Department of
Justice report, more than 2 million Americans become victims of a violent crime each year
while they are on the job.
Who are the victims?-More than 1,000 are killed.
-About 84,000 are robbed.
-Nearly 51,000 are raped or sexually assaulted.
-Another 400,000 are injured by aggravated assault, typically with a weapon involved.
-And the rest, about 1.5 million, suffer "simple" assaults that may lead to hospitalization.
They are not just police officers, convenience store clerks and taxi drivers. Teachers account for about 149,000 of all workplace victims each year; those in medical occupations, another 160,000. Between 1993 and 1995-96, more executives and managers were killed in the workplace than law enforcement officers. In the process, the lives of bystanders and co-workers are changed forever. What is the cause?
Personality conflicts, family and marital problems, drug or alcohol abuse, stress, firings and layoffs are the main culprits according to a Society for Human Resource Management study. What does it cost us?
In human life, of course, the cost is incalculable. But in terms of lost productivity, absenteeism, re-training, property damage, increased insurance and security, and other factors, the National Safe Workplace Institute reports workplace violence costs this nation more than $4 billion each year. It is important to note that litigation may be a key cost factor: a company can be held liable for its failure to protect its employees. Be prepared.
In 1994, the American Management Association released a survey which found that only a quarter of 311 companies offered formal training to employees in coping with workplace violence, and only 11% offer training to all employees. In fact, many organizations are reluctant to recognize workplace violence for what it is.
The good news is that virtually every
organization can minimize or prevent explosive situations from developing. Perelman
Security Group has helped train businesses and institutions across the country to
recognize potential crises...to stop them before they occur .... and to handle them
effectively if they do.
