776 Preventing Workplace Violence in Healthcare

Workplace Security Analysis

The team or coordinator should periodically inspect the workplace and evaluate employee tasks to identify hazards, conditions, operations and situations that could lead to violence.

To find areas requiring further evaluation, the team or coordinator should:

• Analyze incidents, including the characteristics of assailants and victims, an account of what happened before and during the incident, and the relevant details of the situation and its outcome. When possible, obtain police reports and recommendations.
• Identify jobs or locations with the greatest risk of violence as well as processes and procedures that put employees at risk of assault, including how often and when.
• Note high-risk factors such as:
• types of clients or patients (for example, those with psychiatric conditions or who are disoriented by drugs, alcohol or stress)
• physical risk factors related to building layout or design
• isolated locations and job activities
• lighting problems
• lack of phones and other communication devices
• areas of easy and unsecured access
• areas with previous security problems
• Evaluate the effectiveness of existing security measures, including engineering controls. Determine if risk factors have been reduced or eliminated and take appropriate action.

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