3 Ways to Identify Workplace Violence Hazards

California employers, I’ve got one question for you. Are you ready?

Look. There’s not a lot of time. California’s new workplace violence prevention law goes into effect on July 1, 2024. And you can face penalties if you don’t implement a workplace violence prevention program by that date.

As part of this requirement, employers must develop “procedures to identify and evaluate workplace violence hazards”.

In this piece, I’ll walk you through 3 ways you can use to identify and evaluate workplace violence hazards to help you prepare a workplace violence prevention program to keep your employees safer while complying with this new law.

For over 10 years, I’ve helped businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies implement workplace violence prevention programs. I’ve based my approach to workplace violence prevention upon the knowledge I gained during decades spent investigating workplace violence related incidents for attorneys.

Want to get a jump on complying with the new workplace violence prevention law? I’ve got a great tool to help you prepare for the new law. It’s my FREE workplace violence prevention checklist. The checklist is broken down into the different steps that you’ll need to cover as a result of California’s new law. You can download it by clicking here.

Here’s Where To Begin To Identify and Evaluate Workplace Violence Hazards

The California law puts a major emphasis on employers involving their employees in the workplace violence prevention planning process.

And that’s right where employers should start. Begin by surveying employees for their input on the risks to their safety. Here’s some questions to ask in your employee survey:

• Have you experienced a threat of violence while working?
• Describe the circumstances surrounding this threat including, who was involved, where this occurred, such as at work, in the community, a parking lot, on the street, or at another location?
• What factors contributed to your feeling threatened?
• What was the person’s relationship to work who was involved in causing you to feel that your safety was threatened? Client, co-worker, patient, family member etc.
• Did the physical environment increase your sense of vulnerability from violence? If so, how?
• What do you think could be done to prevent this from happening again?
• Do you feel that you have adequate support when it comes to your safety?
• What things can be done overall to improve safety from workplace violence?

Next Identify Which of the 4 Sources of Workplace Violence Poses a Risk to Your Staff

This can be done as part of an employee survey, or these can be identified by the employer using knowledge of the staff’s work. California identifies 4 main types of workplace violence sources. Knowing which ones may effect your staff will help you to focus your workplace violence prevention program to your specific safety needs. To learn more about the 4 sources of workplace violence, click here.

1) Does your staff handle money? Is your work performed in a high crime area?- then you need to consider an approach that addresses violence from those who commit crimes.
2) Does your staff meet with clients, customers, patients, or vendors? Then your prevention plan should address these invitees. Does your staff perform work in the community to work with these people? Such as visiting homes or businesses. Consider those environments and the people within them as part of your prevention plan.
3) How likely are there to be instances of current or former employees, supervisors, or managers making threats or engaging in violence? Then you need to address this in your plan.
4) Is your staff at risk from domestic violence from family, friends, exes? Then you should incorporate this risk into your prevention plan, including how staff can communicate their fears to you.

Then Assess the Physical Environment

This next process can be performed via a walk through of the premises. For employees that work in the community, have them describe the places they work related to these safety factors.

Start with the parking lot or parking garage. Look at the existing lighting and the pathways to and from the parking area to the building. Can a member of the public walk up to the parking area? Are there obstructions like dumpsters, columns, shrubbery that impede movement, block the view, or offer hiding places? Note them.

Next look at entryways and exits and the location’s exterior. Are they well lit? Is there controlled or monitored access? What method is used to see who enters the location? Look at the exterior of the building. Are there shrubs or other things like promotional posters, that can obstruct windows preventing people located inside from seeing a potential safety threat?

Next look at the flow of the interior starting with the reception area. Is the reception person isolated from other employees? Do other employees have a view of the reception area? Is there a path to safety for the person working at reception? What communication methods are in place for the reception person to notify others of a possible threat?

Examine the location of any places, individual offices, exam rooms, conference rooms etc. where your employees meet with members of the public. Can your staff can be physically trapped in the meeting place? Are there ways for them to communicate safety risks to other employees?

Next evaluate the interior layout of your space for interim hiding locations, and internal pathways to those hiding places. Are there places your employees can go quickly and safely in case an incident occurs?

When combined together, these 3 approaches will help you to assess the most likely types of workplace violence hazards that are specific to your organization. And they will help you to identify what changes you need to make to lessen the risk of a workplace violence incident.

It’s important to conduct these assessments when you first start to develop your workplace violence prevention plan and program.

And to do a follow up of the assessment once following any changes being made to determine if those changes were effective. And do so following any workplace violence related incident.

Ready to get started developing a workplace violence prevention program. I’ve got a great tool for California employers to use to help you prepare for the new law. It’s my FREE workplace violence prevention checklist. The checklist is broken down into the different steps that you’ll need to cover in order to comply with California’s new law. You can download it by clicking here.