As a business owner, you know keeping your staff and customers safe is essential.
When you think of keeping your employees safe, you are likely thinking of preventing slips and falls, vehicle accidents, exposure to hazardous materials, and other incidents. However, part of keeping your employees and customers safe is implementing workplace violence prevention measures.
Workplace violence includes any incident in the workplace that involves threats, harassment, intimidation, or violence against staff or customers. While it’s a sobering subject to think about, workplace violence results in thousands of assaults and hundreds of deaths every year.
While you cannot eliminate threats entirely, you can use certain measures to reduce your risks. If you are a business owner who wants to protect your company from workplace violence, this short and simple guide is for you.
- Know the Threats
One of the best tips for how to prevent workplace violence is to know the threats you are facing. Some workplace violence threats vary by industry, location, and environment. While you should know the types of workplace violence, you should also know specific situations you might encounter.
- Be Selective During Your Hiring Process
A helpful way to reduce your risk of workplace violence is to be selective during the hiring process. While it can be tempting to rush the process, doing so can lead to a violent situation. Make sure you are running background checks for every candidate you are considering.
- Provide Ongoing Training
Providing prevention of violence in the workplace training is essential for reducing your risks. Employees will learn to spot impending danger and keep themselves, their co-workers, and customers, safe. If you are interested in training programs, you can learn more here.
- Create Policies and Procedures
Part of an effective workplace violence prevention program is creating policies and procedures in case a violent situation occurs. While prevention is ideal, creating a plan to minimize damage is also necessary. This is important as your policies and procedures could be responsible for saving lives.
- Implement Security Measures
Along with implementing workplace violence prevention training programs, you need to also implement security measures. Make sure your security staff is well trained and your technology is up-to-date. Doing so is an ideal way to deter would-be offenders.
- Take Threats and Concerns Seriously
One of the most important tips is to take threats and concerns seriously. This involves analyzing and researching the threat or concern thoroughly. Make sure your staff is also responding to suspicious activity right away.
Workplace Violence Prevention: These Are the Tips to Use
By using these workplace violence prevention tips, you can do your part to keep your workplace safe.
Start by knowing the threats and being selective during the hiring process. You should also provide ongoing training, create policies and procedures, and implement security measures. Make sure you are taking threats and concerns seriously and responding right away.
Follow these tips to reduce your risk of workplace violence.
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