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Dangers among employees: How to prevent violence between coworkers?
In today's workplace, violence between employees is a growing concern. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, workplace violence includes a wide range of behaviors, from physical abuse to threats, which not only endanger the health of workers but also affect overall workplace safety. This phenomenon has far-reaching consequences, and both management and employees must begin to face up to this problem and take active measures to prevent and respond.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, violence and other injuries caused by people or animals accounted for 17 percent of all occupational deaths in 2011.
Workplace violence can generally be divided into four types: violence between employees, violence in personal relationships, violence by customers or clients, and violence with criminal intent. These categories can be broken down into three levels, which are assessed based on the intensity of the violent behavior. Level 1 resembles early warning signs, such as bullying, rudeness or uncooperative behavior; Level 2 represents more obvious threats, involving verbal attacks; Level 3 includes extreme violence and may even result in murder. occurs.
"You hear more and more people saying 'we didn't think this would happen here' but it could happen anywhere and at any time."
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), approximately 2 million American workers report experiencing workplace violence each year. Although the majority of these incidents were non-fatal, they nonetheless caused significant psychological and material damage. Industry experts such as Katherine M. Bunchik point out that in the past, people were shocked when shootings occurred in the workplace, but now it seems to have become the norm.
Prevention and Intervention
To prevent co-worker violence, supervisors and workplace managers must develop clear behavioral policies, educate employees on potential warning signs, and ensure an open and safe work environment. In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor’s recommendations include training employees on the risks of violent behavior and providing accessible support services.
"Our goal is to create a safe, violence-free work environment."
A sense of self-preservation is equally important, especially when it comes to recognizing warning signs. The FBI lists some behavioral characteristics of potential perpetrators, such as decreased productivity, an obsession with weapons and volatile moods. Being alert to these signs will help prevent potential violent incidents.
Global Perspective
There is no universal definition of workplace violence worldwide. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), different countries have different views on workplace violence. This makes the identification of violent incidents, data collection and development of prevention strategies challenging around the world.
“22.8% have experienced violence and harassment at work.”
In light of this, the ILO has launched a number of programmes and policies aimed at reducing the impact of violence in the workplace. In addition, a global survey conducted in 2021 showed that the incidence of violence and harassment varied in different regions, especially in the Americas and Africa, where the reporting rate of violent incidents was significantly higher than in other regions.
By paying attention to and understanding the types of workplace violence and why it occurs, we can develop more effective prevention and response strategies. Since workplace violence can occur at any time and place, how can we further strengthen prevention in our own work environment so that every employee can enjoy a safe working space?
