Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
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4.. Training.and.education.ensure.that.employees.know.about.potential..security.
hazards.and.ways.to.protect.themselves.and.their.co-workers.
Although. not. exhaustive,. OSHA's. guidelines. and. recommendations. include.
.policies,.procedures,.and.corrective.methods.to.help.prevent.and.mitigate.the.effects.
of.workplace.violence..Engineering.controls.remove.hazards.from.the.workplace.or.
create.a.barrier.between.the.worker.and.speciic.hazards.
Administrative. and. work. practice. controls. affect. the. way. jobs. or. tasks. are.
.performed..Some.recommended.engineering.and.administrative.controls.include
. 1.. Physical.barriers.such.as.bullet-resistant.enclosures,.pass-through.windows,.
or.deep.service.counters
. 2.. Alarm.systems,.panic.buttons
. 3.. Convex.mirrors,.elevated.vantage.points,.clear.visibility.of.service.and.cash.
register.areas
. 4.. Bright.and.effective.lighting
. 5.. Adequate.stafing
. 6.. Arrange.furniture.to.prevent.entrapment
. 7.. Cash-handling.controls,.use.of.drop.safes
. 8.. Height.markers.on.exit.doors
. 9.. Emergency.procedures.to.use.in.case.of.robbery
. 10.. Training.in.identifying.hazardous.situations.and.appropriate.responses. in.
emergencies
. 11.. Video.surveillance.equipment.and.closed-circuit.TV
. 12.. Establish.liaison.with.local.police
Post-incident.response.and.evaluation.are.essential.to.an.effective.violence.pre-
vention. program.. All. workplace. violence. programs. should. provide. treatment. for.
victimized. employees. and. employees. who. may. be. traumatized. by. witnessing. a.
workplace.violence.incident..Several.types.of.assistance.can.be.incorporated.into.the.
post-incident.response,.including
•.
Trauma-crisis.counseling
•.
Critical.incident.stress.debrieing
•.
Employee.assistance.programs.to.assist.victims
Workplace. homicides. are. the. second. leading. cause. of. death. in. the. workplace..
Homicide.is.the.number-one.cause.of.death.for.women.on.the.job..Although.work-
place.murders.appear.to.be.declining.somewhat,.they.still.represented.15.percent.of.
all.deaths,.that.is,.more.than.900.workers.who.went.to.work.but.never.came.home,.
and.80.percent.of.them.died.at.the.hands.of.robbers.or.other.criminals..Almost.half.
of. workplace. homicides. occur. in. the. retail. industry,. where. those. working. late. at.
night. are. particularly. vulnerable.. Employers. and. employees. will. want. to. examine.
their. operations. from. a. variety. of. perspectives—from. work. practices. to. physical.
barriers.to.employee.training..The.options.they.select.to.reduce.the.risk.of.violence.
will.depend.upon.their.individual.circumstances.
