TOOL TYPE
SAFETY TALK &
INSTRUCTION PLAN
LAST REVIEWED
8/31/10
GEOGRAPHY
ALL
SOURCE:
WPV TOOLKIT
WPV TRAINING KIT:
SAFETY TALK & LESSON PLAN TO HELP WORKERS PROTECT
THEMSELVES AGAINST ATTACK BY CO-WORKERS OR
OUTSIDERS
PRIMARY SOURCE
Before you use this tool, you should access the OHS Insider webinar “Complying with Workplace Violence
Laws Webinar”
BENEFITS
Each worker’s exposure to violence hazards varies depending, in part, on where the worker is stationed and
the nature of the job he or she is expected to do. One of the factors that heightens the risk of violence is
having contact with members of the public. Accordingly, front desk and reception personnel are vulnerable
to violence and need specific training so they can recognize and protect themselves. This Safety Talk and
Lesson Plan will help you deliver that training.
HOW TO USE THE TOOL
T HIS TOOL
IS
M ADE
UP OF
4 C OMPONENTS
1. A link to a Poster Pro template you can use to announce a training session that addresses the topic;
2. A set of Meeting Discussion Points to cover in providing training on the topic;
3. A Fatality Report of a real life case where one or more person died as a result of the hazard or failure
to take the precaution addressed in the training session; and
4. A Safety Talk on the topic that your supervisors or other training personnel can deliver to workers.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
O HS I N S I D E R | B O N G A R D E M E D I A C O M P A N Y | 5 01 M A I N S T . P E N T I C T O N , B . C. | V2 A 9 A6 | 1. 80 0 .6 67 . 93 00 |
INFO@OHSINISDER .COM
| WWW.OHSINISDER .COM
Community: Post a question in the discussion forum to identify other members who have dealt with this
issue.
O HS I N S I D E R | B O N G A R D E M E D I A C O M P A N Y | 5 01 M A I N S T . P E N T I C T O N , B . C. | V2 A 9 A6 | 1. 80 0 .6 67 . 93 00 |
INFO@OHSINISDER .COM
| WWW.OHSINISDER .COM
WPV TRAINING KIT:
SAFETY TALK & LESSON PLAN TO HELP WORKERS PROTECT
THEMSELVES AGAINST ATTACK BY CO-WORKERS OR
OUTSIDERS
STEP 1: Create Poster Announcing the Safety Talk Meeting:
http://www.safetysmartonline.com/article.asp?article=018849
STEP 2: Prepare for Meeting with These Discussion Points:
1. This safety talk about workplace violence includes advice about how to avoid physical assault such as
hitting, shoving, kicking or attack with a weapon. Remind your workers that workplace violence also
includes any abusive, threatening or intimidating behavior.
2. Ask your workers for examples of what they would consider threatening behavior. Shaking fists,
destroying property and throwing objects are possible answers.
3. Discuss what should be done if a worker receives a verbal or written threat from a co-worker,
supervisor or member of the public. A common definition of a threat is any expression of an intent to
inflict harm.
4. Lead a discussion on harassment, which is also considered a form of workplace violence. Harassment
is not just sexual. Harassment includes any behavior that demeans, embarrasses, humiliates, annoys,
alarms or verbally abuses a person.
5. Verbal abuse is also related to workplace violence, and so it should be discussed here. It can include
swearing, insults or condescending language.
6. Review your company’s policy on workplace violence and summarize it for this meeting.
STEP 3: Open the Meeting with this Fatality Report:
Killer Gave Warning:
That’s what you get for firing me," said the man shooting rounds from a semi-automatic handgun at a group
of managers. Three were killed and two were injured when the ex-employee found the group in a coffee shop
near the workplace.
The gunman had been fired the day before after a troubled work history that included threats to other
employees and carrying a handgun to work. When he was fired he said, "You haven’t seen the last of me."
When people think about workplace violence, stories like this come to mind. Lethal violence involving
employees and ex-employees has affected large and small workplaces, including government bureaus,
restaurants, schools, insurance offices and many others.
T H I S T O O L A N D H U N D R E D S M O R E A V A I L A B L E I N T H E O H S T O O L B O X A T w w w. oh sin si d e r. co m
Researchers say clear warning signs preceded 85 percent of workplace violence incidents. In many of the
cases, supervisors and managers failed to check the worker’s history before he was hired. One worker who
was fired for strange behavior at one job repeated the same behavior at his new workplace and took a fellow
worker hostage. Large firms with personnel departments may routinely check work histories but smaller firms
need to do so also, possibly with help of an outside agency.
In many cases companies ignored or failed to take seriously warning signs that violence was going to occur.
In other cases they did not recognize warning signs while they were occurring, or they recognized the warning
signs but failed to act quickly and decisively. In one such case, there was a plan to talk to the police on
Monday but the killer struck before that on the weekend.
Co-operate with your employer in efforts to maintain a violence-free workplace. Follow the company’s
security rules, and report potential problems.
STEP 4: Deliver this Safety Talk:
How You Can Prevent Violence in Your Workplace
What’s at Stake
Workplace violence can happen anywhere, any time. It can come from a co-worker or a stranger. And it isn’t
limited to physical assault. Workplace violence is any form of threatening or disruptive behavior. It can be as
simple as a gesture, such as a raised fist, or as complicated as sabotage.
What’s the Danger
Every year about two million workers in the US experience workplace violence. The situation is similar in
Canada, where 17 percent of all self-reported incidents of violence, including sexual assault, physical assault
and robbery, occur in the workplace.
Example
A Kentucky plastics factory employee, who was known to not get along with his co-workers, fatally shot his
supervisor and four other workers before taking his own life.
The press operator, said to be 25 years old, argued with his supervisor about wearing protective eyewear and
using a cell phone at his workstation, before being escorted from the factory. He then returned and fatally shot
his supervisor before shooting several other workers, apparently at random.
How to Protect Yourself
Before people explode in violence at work, they may give signals that something is wrong. There are a
number of warning signs to let you know that trouble is brewing. Here are a few:


Social isolation
Decrease in personal hygiene
T H I S T O O L A N D H U N D R E D S M O R E A V A I L A B L E I N T H E O H S T O O L B O X A T w w w. oh sin si d e r. co m








Complaints of unfair treatment
Excessive lateness or absenteeism
Faulty decision-making
Blaming others for mistakes
Inappropriate comments about revenge, violence or weapons
Disrespect for authority
Swearing
Overreacting to criticism
There are precautions workers can take to minimize or prevent violence on the job. For example:












Don’t get drawn into arguments. Loud and aggressive arguments can easily escalate into physical fights.
Take verbal threats seriously, but don’t respond to them.
Report all threats to your supervisor or the company’s security department.
Report all incidents of bullying and sexual harassment.
Watch for unauthorized visitors, even those who appear to have legitimate business at your plant. Crimes
have been committed by people posing as employees, contractors and repair persons.
Report any suspicious person or vehicle to security personnel.
Don’t give out information about fellow employees.
Keep doors locked before your business officially opens and after closing time.
Always have access to communication devices so you can notify someone for help. Speed-dialing
numbers should be programmed into phones and emergency numbers should be listed at each phone.
Some workplaces have predetermined code words so one employee can tell another about a dangerous
customer or visitor without tipping off the suspect. Learn the distress signals used in your workplace.
Wear your identification badge as instructed, and never lend your key or entry card to anyone. Notify the
security office if you have lost your keys or pass cards. Keep your entry password a secret by memorizing
it instead of writing it down.
Trust your instincts. They act as your early warning system.
Final Word
Knowing what workplace violence is, what you can do about it and what your company’s policy is on the
topic will go a long way to ensuring your safety and to curbing violence in your workplace.
T H I S T O O L A N D H U N D R E D S M O R E A V A I L A B L E I N T H E O H S T O O L B O X A T w w w. oh sin si d e r. co m