IGNORING WORKPLACE VIOLENCE:

A recent follow-up survey by the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) found that many companies and organizations in all industries have yet to address the problem of workplace violence. ASSE said its Risk Management/Insurance Practice Specialty group surveyed ASSE members in 1999 on what was being done to address workplace violence in their workplaces. The survey found that although the number of violent incidents in the respondents’ workplaces stayed the same, 70 percent of employers said their organization had not undergone a formal risk assessment of the potential for violent acts. A follow-up survey of ASSE members, “ASSE 2004 Workplace Violence Survey & White Paper,” found that not much had changed. In response to a question concerning actions taken since the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the anthrax scare, 56 percent of employers said they have established or revised their security policy; 44 percent changed emergency procedures; 34 percent increased employee contact, training and discussions on the topic, while 18 percent made no changes in their organization. According to 2002 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics homicides are the third highest cause of on-the-job deaths. Prior to 9/11, where terrorists killed close to 3,000 workers, workplace violence/homicides were still one of the top causes of on-the-job fatalities. The 2004 ASSE survey also found there was no change from the 1999 survey in response to whether companies had provided training on how to identify the warning signs of violent behavior—58 percent said “yes” and 42 percent said “no.” The 2004 survey also showed that little or no workplace violence training has been provided and there was an increase in the number of respondents from the earlier survey—74 percent—who said their company had not done a formal risk assessment. In 2004, only 1 percent of respondents said their company had a written policy addressing violence in the workplace. However, 90 percent of those responding said their company has a policy addressing weapons in the workplace. Workplace violence includes homicides, physical attacks, rapes, aggravated and other assaults, all forms of harassment and any other act that creates a hostile work environment, noted ASSE member and co-author of the survey JoAnn M. Sullivan. A total of 4,560 surveys were mailed in April 2004 to randomly selected ASSE members and 755 surveys were returned, about a 17 percent return rate. A full copy of the “ASSE 2004 Workplace Violence Survey & White Paper,” which also includes a list of resources, can be found on the ASSE Web site by going to http://www.asse.org and to ASSE News. Or request a copy by contacting ASSE directly at customerservice@asse.org. The Des Plaines, Ill.-based ASSE is a professional safety organization with 30,000 members.

Topics Commercial Lines Business Insurance Training Development