Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
330,000.being.attacked.each.year..They.were.followed.by.police,.with.an..average.of.
234,200.oficers.victimized..The.risk.rate.for.various.occupations.per.1,000.workers.
was.as.follows:
Police.oficers—306
Mental.health.custodial.workers—63
Private.security.guards—218
Junior.high/middle.school.teachers—57
Taxi.drivers—184
Bus.drivers—45
Prison.guards—117
Special.education.teachers—41
Bartenders—91
High.school.teachers—29
Mental.health.professionals—80
Elementary.school.teachers—16
Gas.station.attendants—79
College.teachers—3
Convenience,.liquor.store.clerks—68
Factors.that.may.increase.a.worker's.risk.for.workplace.assault,.as.identiied.by.
the.National.Institute.for.Occupational.Safety.and.Health.(NIOSH),.are
•.
Contact.with.the.public
•.
Exchange.of.money
•.
Delivery.of.passengers,.goods,.or.services
•.
Having.a.mobile.workplace.such.as.a.taxicab.or.police.cruiser
•.
Working. with. unstable. or. volatile. persons. in. health. care,. social. services,.
or criminal.justice.settings
•.
Working.alone.or.in.small.numbers
•.
Working.late.at.night.or.during.early.morning.hours
•.
Working.in.high-crime.areas
•.
Guarding.valuable.property.or.possessions
•.
Working.in.community-based.settings
The. Occupational. Safety. and. Health. Administration's. (OSHA's). response. to.
the. problem. of. workplace. violence. in. certain. industries. has. been. the. production.
of. OSHA's. guidelines. and. recommendations. to. those. industries. for. implementing.
workplace. violence. prevention. programs.. In. 1996,. OSHA. published. “Guidelines.
for. Preventing. Workplace. Violence. for. Health. Care. and. Social. Service. Workers.”.
In. 1998,. OSHA. published. “Recommendations. for. Workplace. Violence. Prevention.
Programs.in.Late-Night.Retail.Establishments.”.The.guidelines.and.recommenda-
tions.are.based.on.OSHA's.Safety.and.Health.Program.Management.Guidelines.and.
contain.four.basic.elements:
.
1.. Management's.commitment.and.employee.involvement.may.include.simply.
clear. goals. for. worker. security. in. smaller. sites. or. a. written. program. for.
larger.organizations.
.
2.. Worksite.analysis.involves.identifying.high-risk.situations.through.employee.
surveys,.workplace.walkthroughs,.and.reviews.of.injury/illness.data.
.
3.. Hazard.prevention.and.control.calls.for.designing.engineering,.administra-
tive,.and.work.practice.controls.to.prevent.or.limit.violent.incidents.
