The industries with the highest incidence rates of workplace assaults are:

 

• Health services with a rate of 9 assaults per 100 full time equivalent workers
• Social services with a rate of 14 assaults per 100 full time equivalent workers

 

 

Incidence rates for nonfatal assaults and violent acts by industry, 2000

Incidence rate per 10,000 full-time workers

 

 

         Private       Health          Social           Nursing &

            Sector        Services      Services      Personal

            Overall       Overall                             Care

                                                                         Facilities

 

 

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2001). Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2000.

 

Why are healthcare workers at risk?

 

 

Violence happens more often if a person:

 

 

·        has a mental problem

·        is taking a medicines

·        has a disease that can lead to violence

 

 

The danger is also greater than other places of work because we let patients, visitors, husbands, wives and total strangers pass through our doors when we know little or nothing about the person and their past.

 

 

People in these groups are known to sometimes be violent:

 

 

·        employees who are not happy

·        staff who have been fired

·        angry husbands, wives or friends of your co-workers

·        patients or family members who are angry with the hospital, nursing home, the doctor or other people that work there.

 

 If you would like to read current research regarding violence in the health care setting, click on the link below:

 

www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Volume92004/Number3September30/ViolenceinHealthCare.aspx

 

 

 

There are four types of workplace violence:

 

• Violence by Strangers

  

• Violence by Customers or Clients

 

•  Violence by Co-workers

 

     Examples include:

 

• Bullying or threatening co-workers
•      Dispute with supervisor becoming violent
•      Office shooting triggered by a personnel action such as a firing or mass layoff
•      Co-worker violence could also include threats to family members made by a

             co-worker in the workplace, for example, a disgruntled employee

             threatening to harm his supervisor's family.

 

 

• Violence by Personal Relations

            Perpetrators of this type of workplace violence include:

               Current or former intimate (spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend)

     Relative

     Friend

 

 

 

 

 Aggressive Behavior

 

 

Although it's possible for violence to erupt without warning, a physical assault is often preceded by other aggressive behavior.

Not only can this kind of aggressive and inappropriate behavior qualify as a kind of workplace violence, it may predict an eventual or imminent physical assault.

 

 

Examples of aggressive behavior include:

 

 

     Intimidation                           Bullying

     Harassment                      Belligerent behavior

 

 

 

Warning Signs

 

 

You should be able to recognize potentially violent situations, as well as situations that could lead to violence in the workplace

 

Warning signs may include:

 

• Angry body posture
• Red face
• Protruding neck veins
• Pacing and walking in an angry way
• Squeezing the hands
• Shouting
• Heavy breathing
• Threats

 

 

Things you can do:

 

      ·        Call for help right away

·        Move toward an exit. Do not allow the individual to get between you and the door

·        Remain calm, speak slowly and do not make any quick movements

·        Treat the person with respect and show caring ( if possible) to keep them calm

 

 

OSHA mandates that all healthcare facilities must have:

  

• Security and safety plans
• Find and correct things that can lead to violence and do things to prevent violence
• Give training to employees on safety, security and ways to keep ourselves and our residents and patients safe.

 

 

CCNRC Policy:

 

 Threatening Person Outside of the Building:

  

1. During day, notify CEO or Administrator on call
2. During the evening or night, notify security
3. Call 911
4. Keep residents and staff inside of building
5. If there is gunfire, keep away from windows

 

 Threatening Person Inside of Building:

  

1. During day, notify CEO or Administrator on call
2. During the evening or night, notify security
3. Call 911
4. Do not directly confront or challenge the person
5. Move residents to a safe place
6. Keep person in your sight to report to police

 

 

 Click on the link below to view the OSHA Workplace Violence - Health Care and Social Service Workers Presentation

 

OSHA Power Point Work Place Violence.ppt

 

 

If you are further interested in testing your knowledge about violence in health care, click on the link below.

 

yenoh93.medceu.com/index/courses/OSHAWorkplaceviolence.htm

 

Bomb Threats

 

 If you receive the call of a bomb threat; do the following things:

·        Keep them on the phone as long as possible.

·        Be alert for distinguishing background sounds

·        Note voice characteristics of the caller

·        Ask where and when the bomb will explode

·        Note if the caller indicates any familiarity with the facility

·        Record exact words of the conversation if possible on the pink bomb threat form located on all units

 

 

After completing the call, hang up and immediately then call the front desk to see if they can dial *69 to get the number the call came from

 

 

 

Notify the following people immediately:

 

 

·        Police/Emergency Services/911

·        President, CEO or Admin. on call

·        Senior Director of Clinical Services, Nursing Supervisor, Nurse on Call and all others as needed

 

 

 

Search Procedures

 

 

·        One person will be in charge and make decisions on evacuation procedures

·        Have a master key ready to enable the search procedure

 

 

What can you do?

 

 

• Always be alert of your surroundings.
• If you see unusual items, boxes and bags in places that are not normally there, do not open it.
• Notify the front desk or security and they will start the process.
• Remove all residents away from that area as calmly as possible.

 

 

 Once you have thoroughly read this page regarding Workplace Violence and Bomb Treats, click on the link below to print the quiz. Once you complete it, return it to staff development for credit.

 Workplace Violence and Bomb Threats Quiz.doc