Congratulations to Anne Soiza

Congratulations to Anne Soiza, Asst. Director for Washington Division of Occupational Safety & Health (DOSH) as she was recently appointed by OSHA  to the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health.

Established under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, NACOSH has advised the secretaries of labor and health and human services for nearly 40 years on worker safety issues. The committee meets at least twice a year and members are appointed for two-year terms. The other newly appointed members are: Mark Carleson, Safety Manager for Orange County in Santa Ana, Calif and Jacqueline Agnew, a professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Baltimore, Md., has been appointed as the committee's new health representative.  

They join the following members who were-appointed for additional terms:   Safety Representative Peter Dooley of LaborSafe in Dexter, Mich.; Management Representative Joseph Van Houten, Senior Director of Worldwide Environmental Health and Safety for Johnson & Johnson in New Brunswick, N.J.; and Labor Representatives William Borwegen, Director of Occupational Health and Safety for the Service Employees International Union, and Margaret Seminario, Director of Safety and Health for the AFL-CIO, both in the District of Columbia. Linda Rae Murray, the Chief Medical Officer of the Cook County Department of Health in Chicago, Ill., has been re-appointed as a Public Member and as the new Chair for the committee.

Contributed by Tom Odegaard, Executive Director, Evergreen Safety Council

A Brief Safety Quiz

Here are six general workplace safety questions to get your brain working this morning.  The answers are below (no peeking) and feature helpful links for more information.  Good luck and have fun!

1. Who is responsible for a safe workplace per OSHA?

A. The sales rep

B. The manufacturer

C. The employer

D. Your coach

2. What is the definition of a confined space?

A. An open hallway

B. Any space smaller than a shower

C. A space too small for a grown man to enter standing up

D. Limited access, limited egress, not made for contentious occupancy

3. What is a MSDS?

A. Mostly Scattered Disorganized Safety

B. Must Speak and Do Something

C. Material Safety Data Sheet

D. Material Storing Document Sheet

4. What is the lowest height that triggers fall protection in Washington State?

A. 15 feet

B. 6 feet

C. 10 feet

D. 4 feet

5. Who is required to purchase PPE according to OSHA?

A. The employee

B. Carpool buddy

C. The employer

D. NIOSH

6. What state agency enforces worker protection?

A. L&I/DOSH

B. OSHA

C. EPA

D. IDLH

scroll down for the answers...

ANSWERS

C - This refers to the General Duty clause

D - This definition could save your life

C - These documents are available for your safety. A name changes is coming soon and these are going to be know as a Safety Data Sheet (SDS)

D - Falls are a hazard at height as well as 4 and 10 feet

C - This rule was effective on February 13, 2008 and implemented by May 15, 2008

A - This state agency has been keeping workers safe longer than the federal agency

Contributed by Al Filmore, Trainer / Consultant, Evergreen Safety Council

Workplace safety - Respiratory Protection

Contributed by Eric Tofte, Director of Training, Evergreen Safety Council

Respirators protect the user in two basic ways. The first is by the removal of contaminants from the air. Respirators of this type include particulate respirators, which filter out airborne particles; and "gas masks” which filter out chemicals and gases. Other respirators protect by supplying clean respirable air from another source. Respirators that fall into this category include airline respirators, which use compressed air from a remote source; and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), which include their own air supply.

Respirators should only be used when engineering control systems are not feasible. Engineering control systems, such as adequate ventilation or scrubbing of contaminants are the preferred control methods for reducing worker exposures.

If engineering controls cannot protect employees, then an employer must provide respiratory protection and develop and implement a respiratory protection program and you need to address the following:

• Selecting respirators
• Medical evaluations
• Fit testing respirators (applies if tight fitting respirators are required)
• Maintaining and caring for respirators
• Using respirators including routine and emergency use procedures
• Supplied Air quality (applies if airline or SCBAs will be used)
• Training users and supervisors
• Evaluating the Respirator Program

This can be confusing, but necessary to ensure the protection of your employees.

If you do need to develop a program there are several avenues you can take to get help. Both OSHA and DOSH have great resource pages on this topic, or you can give Evergreen a call. We can help with training, fit testing and more 800-521-0778.

2011 Top 10 OSHA Violations

Contributed by Tom Odegaard, Executive Director, Evergreen Safety Council

OSHA has released their “Top 10” list of most frequently cited violations for FY 2011 (Oct 1 2010-Sept 30, 2011). Over the last several years the list has not changed much year to year. OSHA points out that this list is not meant to either evaluate enforcement efforts on the part of OSHA or how safe US companies have become. It is intended for organizations to take and use as a tool to improve safety at their worksites. For more information, go to OSHA’s website.


OSHA Top 10 Violations FY 2011

1. Fall Protection (FY 2010 rank: #2) Total Violations: 7,139
2. Scaffolding (FY 2010 rank: #1) Total Violations: 7,069
3. Hazard Communication (FY 2010 rank: #3) Total Violations: 6,538
4. Respiratory Protection (FY 2010 rank: #4) Total Violations: 3,944
5. Lockout/Tagout (FY 2010 rank: #6) Total Violations: 3,639
6. Electrical – Wiring Methods (FY 2010 rank: #7) Total Violations: 3,584
7. Powered Industrial Trucks (FY 2010 rank: #8) Total Violations: 3,432
8. Ladders (FY 2010 rank: #5) Total Violations: 3,244
9. Electrical – General Requirements (FY 2010 rank: #9) Total Violations: 2,863
10. Machine Guarding (FY 2010 rank: #10) Total Violations: 2,728

Top 10 OSHA Serious Violations FY 2011

1. Scaffolding
2. Fall Protection
3. Hazardous Communication
4. Lockout/Tagout
5. Ladders
6. Electrical – Wiring Methods
7. Powered Industrial Trucks
8. Machine Guarding
9. Respiratory Protection
10. Electrical – General Requirements

OSHA Top 10 Willful Violations – FY 2011

1. Excavation – Protective Systems
2. Fall Protection
3. Process Safety Management – Hazardous Chemicals
4. Grain Handling Facilities
5. Asbestos
6. Lockout/Tagout
7. Machine Guarding
8. Specific Excavation Requirements
9. General Recording Requirements
10. General Duty Clause

We Need to Change Course

ASSE's President: We Need to Change Course

"For far too long, occupational safety and health has been dominated by a politically charged yes and no conversation about occupational safety and health that, as these statistics demonstrate, is not advancing worker protections," Terrie Norris said in response to the BLS preliminary fatality data from 2010.

August 31, 2011
The preliminary 2010 fatality numbers released Aug. 25 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics is a call for action and a clear sign that a "new paradigm" is needed to advance U.S. employers' safety, Terrie Norris, president of the American Society of Safety Engineers, said Aug. 30. The BLS report said 4,547 workers died from occupational injuries in 2010 compared with 4,551 in 2009. ASSE extended its condolences to the families of the 4,547 people who died last year.

"ASSE urges everyone concerned with worker safety not to accept as reasonable the preliminary results of this report that show little change in the number of workplace fatalities between 2009 and 2010," said Norris, CSP, ARM, CPSI. "Despite the dedicated efforts of ASSE's members, employers, workers, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the fact that this nation's fatalities are not significantly decreasing should be a call for action, not complacency, especially at an economically challenging time when some of the most dangerous industries are not at full employment. A statistical plateau of worker fatalities is not an achievement, but evidence that this nation's effort to protect workers is stalled. These statistics call for nothing less than a new paradigm in the way this nation protects workers."

"For far too long, occupational safety and health has been dominated by a politically charged yes and no conversation about occupational safety and health that, as these statistics demonstrate, is not advancing worker protections. This oppositional approach leaves too many of this nation's workplaces mired in efforts that do not achieve better safety but merely meet the most minimal standards for safety. That needs to change. Instead of a tug of war over compliance to prescriptive standards that cannot address each workplace, this nation's approach to workplace safety must encourage a specific dialogue about the most important risks in each workplace that engages employers, workers, and OSHA in a cooperative effort to address those risks, supported not only [by] enforcement but by NIOSH research and education resources."

"ASSE and its members are engaged in helping move this nation towards that goal. ASSE has supported the idea of an OSHA injury and illness prevention program (I2P2) standard with the knowledge that this standard, if done well, can begin to move OSHA's focus from prescriptive approaches to safety to risk-based and more cooperative efforts. We have established a Risk Assessment Task Force of members and others who will work to engage the occupational safety and health community in moving towards more risk-based approaches to managing safety in all workplaces. ASSE's Sustainability Task Force is intent on making sure the quickly growing voluntary fervor among employers to address sustainability encompasses worker safety and health now. Our federal occupational safety and health reform bill seeks to be a platform for compromise and addresses ways the 40-year-old OSH Act fails to advance workplace safety, including helping make the standard-setting process work, allowing the adoption of updated permissible exposure limits, and better defining who is qualified to do safety, among a variety of measures."

"The time has come for all stakeholders in occupational safety and health to come down off the plateau of acceptance and work together to find conciliatory ways that help make sure our economy, our jobs and corporate bottom lines can benefit from a safe and healthy workforce."

Reprinted from Occupational Safety & Health

Issues with the Draft Fall Protection Code

Well, I’ve been told that I need to come up with a blog that might rattle some cages, here goes...but before, my apologies to my friends at DOSH. I do believe in their mission, but have heartburn with the draft fall protection code that is sitting in the wings.

Here are a couple of my issues.

First OSHA has exempted rolling stock from their definition of walking/working surfaces. - OSHA’s Definition - Walking/working surface means any surface, whether horizontal or vertical on which an employee walks or works, including, but not limited to, floors, roofs, ramps, bridges, runways, formwork and concrete reinforcing steel but not including ladders, vehicles, or trailers, on which employees must be located in order to perform their job duties.

Whereas, Washington State DOSH has not addressed vehicles, etc. in their draft rule. - DOSH’s Definition - Walking/working surface means any area including but not limited to floors, a roof surface, bridge, the ground, and any other surfaces whose dimensions are 45 inches or more in all directions, through which workers can pass or conduct work.

And since Washington triggers fall protection at 4 feet - The employer shall ensure that the appropriate fall protection system is provided, installed, and implemented according to the requirements in chapter 296-155 WAC, Part C-1 when employees are exposed to fall hazards of 4 feet or more to the ground or lower level when on a walking/working surface. I see an issue with an employee, say on a flat bed over 4 feet off the ground, and may have to be tied off or otherwise protected from falling. See how this can potentially be an issue for employers. Let’s have guard rails on equipment, yeah.

One other part of the draft regulation that may cause an issue for employers is work on steep sloped roofs (greater that a 4:12 pitch) because the new code will require fall protection on these steep slopped roofs at 4 feet:

Fall protection on steep-pitched and low-pitched roofs.
(a) Steep-pitched roofs. Regardless of the work activity, employers shall ensure that employees exposed to fall hazards of 4 feet or more while working on a roof with a pitch greater than 4:12 use one of the following:

(i) Fall restraint system. Safety monitors and warning line systems are prohibited on steep-pitched roofs;

(ii) Fall arrest system; or

(iii) Positioning device system.

I just thought I’d make you aware of what is coming down the pike. If you would like, you can read the entire draft fall protection code for yourself.

Stay safe

Eric C. Tofte

Director of Training

Office - 206-382-4090

Cell - 206-459-4843

Prevent heat-related illnesses

As most of you know Washington State and California has a heat illness rule that requires employers to protect outdoor workers from heat illnesses. OSHA is now getting into the mix.

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced on April 26th a national outreach initiative by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration to educate workers and their employers about the hazards of working outdoors in the heat and steps needed to prevent heat-related illnesses.

To see her complete release, please check out this link. Also, if you do have outdoor workers you need to get your heat illness prevention program up and running, because it is time.

Law protects Washington state health care workers from hazardous drugs

A new law requires the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries to adopt requirements for handling hazardous drugs (.pdf file) in the health care industry.

Senate Bill 5594, signed into law April 13 by Gov. Chris Gregoire (D), mandates that L&I develop rules consistent with recommendations from NIOSH.

Washington is the first state to require health care employers to take precautions such as proper ventilation or using protective equipment to prevent exposure. Without these measures, workers may be at risk for harmful effects such as cancer, reproductive and developmental problems, and allergic reactions, L&I said in a press release.

In related news, NIOSH, OSHA, and accreditation and certification organization The Joint Commission issued a letter on April 4 to health care employers outlining appropriate precautions to prevent exposure to hazardous drugs.

Source: National Safety Council

State law requires businesses to fix hazards during appeal

Businesses in the state of Washington must correct serious safety violations and hazards even while fighting a citation, under a law signed April 14 by Gov. Chris Gregoire (D).

Senate Bill 5068 changes existing rules, under which businesses had no obligation to correct cited hazards until after an appeal was resolved. The appeals process can take months or even years, according to a press release from the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.

L&I cited a recent federal OSHA analysis that found from 1999 to 2009, employers involved in at least 30 appealed cases had a fatality occur at the same site before the appeal was resolved. In Washington, about 10 percent of all citations are appealed each year.

The new law allows businesses to seek a stay to the requirement. Such requests will receive an expedited review.

L&I said it plans to form a stakeholder group to work on the rule.

Source: National Safety Council

A little light reading from OSHA and NIOSH

Contributed by Eric Tofte, Director of Training, Evergreen Safety Council
Did you know that According to OSHA that more than 145,000 people work in over 7,000 warehouses and the fatal injury rate for the warehousing industry is higher than the national average for all industries. OSHA has also developed a pocket guide for warehouse safety.

According to NIOSH workers are at risk of severe injury and death during machine maintenance and servicing if proper lockout and tagout procedures are not followed. NIOSH recommends developing and implementing a hazardous energy control program including lockout and tagout procedures and worker training to prevent such incidents. NIOSH has a LOTO publication for you to review.

UW Seminar to Commemorate 100th Anniversary of Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

The UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) has organized a special seminar to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911. The tragic fire killed 146 garment workers and sparked a new era in regulation and labor activism focused on worker rights, health, and safety. The seminar is co-sponsored by the Harry Bridges Labor Center and the UW-Bothell Master of Arts in Policy Studies program.

Responding to Disasters in the Workplace:
Lessons from the Past, of the Present, and for the Future.
A symposium marking the 100th anniversary of The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

Date: Thursday, March 31st
Time: 4:00pm-6:00pm
Location: South Campus Center, Room 316
Post Event Reception: South Campus Center, Room 354 (Crow's Nest)
More info: contact Sean Schmidt, 206-543-2837

Speakers:
The Past: Gerald Markowitz. "The Revolution in Workplace Safety and Health: The Triangle Fire and its Aftermath."
Gerald Markowitz is Distinguished Professor of History at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the Graduate Center, City University of New York. Together with David Rosner he has authored books and articles on the history of public health, environmental health, and occupational safety and health, including Deceit and Denial: The Deadly Politics of Industrial Pollution (University of California Press, 2002).

The Present: Tom O'Connor. "Confronting the Anti-Regulatory Agenda: Current National Advocacy Campaigns to Advance Worker Health and Safety Protections."
Tom O’Connor is the Executive Director of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, the umbrella organization for 20 state and local “COSH” groups, or Coalitions on Occupational Safety and Health. He has over 20 years of experience working as an advocate for workers’ health and safety. He has been involved with the “COSH” groups since 1994. He also coordinates the national policy advocacy efforts of the Protecting Workers Alliance, a broad-based group of worker health and safety advocates.

The Future: Interdisciplinary panel of students from across UW, including DEOHS and the Harry Bridges Labor Center.

Safety & Health Solutions Newsletter - April edition

Evergreen Safety Council produces a monthly newsletter covering a variety of safety topics. Each month we will provide a link here to the online PDF.

Inside this Issue:
Lead Article – Enforcement vs. Compliance Assistance
People in Safety – IMCO General Construction
It Will Get Hot Again, We Promise!
Stopping at Intersections
Improving Response to Major Incidents – Part 3 of 3

Regular Features:
Membership Corner
Forklift Corner
Calendar of Events
Safety Gallery
And more....

You can also sign up to receive an electronic copy via email or hard copy via the mail. This link will also take you to a full archive with over four years of past issues.

So pour yourself a cup of coffee, sit back and read all about what's going on in the world of safety & health.

2011 Oregon GOSH Conference coming to Portland

Registration is open for largest safety and health event in Northwest

With more than 140 workshops and sessions, registration is now open for the Oregon Governor’s Occupational Safety and Health (GOSH) Conference. The largest event of its kind in the Northwest, the conference will be held March 7-10, 2011 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland.

ESC will be hosting booth #125 on March 8-9 in the Exhibitors Hall. Stop by our booth and tell Eric or Tom you read our blog to receive an extra gift.

On Thursday, March 10 from 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., ESC's very own Director of Training Eric Tofte will participate in a panel presentation on OSHA 10 hour - General Industry.

On Wednesday, March 9, the event features a moderated panel discussion with Northwest business leaders who will share their perspectives on the importance of safety and health within their organizations.

“This is a unique opportunity to hear from small business leaders on how to achieve management commitment and employee participation in safety and health,” said Michael Wood, Oregon OSHA administrator. “I believe their tools for success could apply to any organization.”

Other general topics covered at conference include:

• Safety committee training
• What to expect from an OSHA inspection
• Hazard communication
• Advanced accident investigation

The conference also will feature session tracks on specialties such as health care, ergonomics, construction, emergency preparedness and response, alternative energy, safety for school districts, workplace culture and wellness.

New to the conference this year is the Columbia Forklift Challenge. Trained forklift drivers will compete for cash in an obstacle course designed to test their skills and safe operation on Tuesday, March 8.

The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA), a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, is partnering with the Columbia-Willamette Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers to sponsor the conference.

Hexavalent Chromium Standard

Contributed by Eric C. Tofte, Director of Training, Evergreen Safety Council

Just recently the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revised their Hexavalent Chromium Standard to adopt new requirements related to the notification requirements in the exposure determination provisions. OSHA now requires employers to notify employees of the results of all hexavalent chromium exposure level monitoring results, not just exposures that exceed the permissible exposure limit (PEL).

The Department of Labor and Industries changed the current 15-day notification requirement to a 5-day notification requirement to be at least as effective as OSHA’s standard. The changes were adopted 12/1/2010 and will be effective on 1/1/2011.

OSHA Distracted Driving Campaign

Contributed by Eric Tofte, Director of Training, Evergreen Safety Council

On October 4^th OSHA announced its education campaign to prevent work-related distracted driving and its on-line resource for employers. The press release states that - In conjunction with Drive Safely Work Week, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today announced an education campaign calling on employers to prevent work-related distracted driving, with a special focus on prohibiting texting while driving.

Since vehicle crashes are the number one killer on the job, this is an important step for OSHA to start looking at driving issues on the job and begin to require that employees who drive for a company are trained and capable of safe driving and that the employer does all that is possible to eliminate distraction to their drivers.

Improper Housekeeping Can Cost You

Contributed by Mary Czaja, ESC Safety Intern

We all know the safety requirements for our core work duties. What if you spend time away from your everyday duties? Would you be aware of hazards in a different setting?

A business in OSHA Region 1 was sited and levied fines of $89,000 for hazard violations.

Boxes and pallets blocking an exit may seem like a temporary issue, but if a fire happened, workers lives could be in danger.

Is your emergency action plan up to date? Are all employees trained in what to do in case of fire or other emergent situation? What about the worker on light duty that is temporally reassigned? On the job training is a great tool for learning, but not during an emergency. Safety is important in all aspects of business, from top to bottom. Safe use of boxes, pallets, fire extinguishers, and clearly marked exit doors may seem trivial in the big picture of our working day, but that training might just save a life.

General Duty Clause - HiViz

Contributed by Sandy Paquette, Roadway Programs Trainer, Evergreen Safety Council
Did you know the Stimulus legislation included $27 million dollars for OSHA to step-up inspections of stimulus-financed projects? There were 100 new OSHA enforcement positions filled. Did you know that OSHA is beginning enforcement of the High Visibility Clothing rules using its “General Duty Clause?”

Question:
Construction employees working on highway/road construction work zones often risk being struck by traffic. Do the OSHA standards require high-visibility apparel for these construction workers?

Answer:
Road and construction traffic poses an obvious and well-recognized hazard to highway/road construction work zones employees. OSHA standards require such employees to wear high visibility garments in two specific circumstances: when they work as flaggers and when they are exposed to public vehicular traffic in the vicinity of excavations. However, other construction workers in highway/road c construction work zones are also exposed to the danger of being struck by the vehicles operating near them. For such workers, section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act, 29 U.S.C. 654(a)(1), also know as the General Duty Clause, requires similar protection. Section 5(a)(1) requires employers to provide their employees: ….employment and place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his his/her employees…..

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) rationale underlying the rule well illustrates that the industry recognizes that construction workers in highway/road construction work zones need protection against the hazard posed by moving traffic. The FHWA’s recent mandatory standard for workers on federal-aid highways shows that struck-by hazards in highway/road construction work zones are well recognized by the construction industry. Furthermore, the standard indicates that a feasible means of addressing that hazard is the wearing of high-visibility apparel.

Accordingly, high-visibility apparel is required under the General Duty Clause to protect employees exposed to the danger of being struck by public and construction traffic while working in highway/road construction work zones. Typically, workers in a highway/road work zone are exposed that hazard most of the time.

The fines can start at $7000. per ticket, so if you have several workers on foot in the work zone without high-visibility apparel you can multiply the fine by that number of employees that are not wearing it.

Worker Hospitalization

Contributed by Eric Tofte, Director of Training, Evergreen Safety Council
On May 18 the Department of Labor and Industries adopted changes that will clarify the definition of the term “hospitalization” to reduce confusion and bring the department's rules into line with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's interpretation of the word. According to L&I there was some confusion about the requirement to report a hospitalization within eight hours in Chapter 296-800 WAC, Safety and Health Core Rules.

To take a look at the rule language, follow this link.

Training and Unsafe Workers

Contributed by Roger Hurst, Evergreen Safety Council
Unsafe workers are a chronic problem in some industries more than others. They might ignore cohort’s safety concerns while influencing others at the same time. You need to identify these individuals before everyone’s safety is jeopardized.

A safe working environment is not only more productive but is also more profitable. Your ROI will rise with a properly administered program. You must use the techniques OSHA recommends: Training/information, enforcement and rewards. This also must be repeated to become effective. You need to repeat safety training in a downward path from management with safety rules, training programs and internal communications. You must also repeat safety training in an upward motion to make sure your message is being received and understood.

The OSHA most cited standards for 2009 are:
1. Scaffolding
2. Fall Protection
3. Hazard communications
4. Respiratory protection
5. Lockout/tagout
6. Ladders
7. Powered industrial trucks
8. Electrical wiring
9. Electrical design
10. Fall Protection, training

These same infractions occur year-after-year. This is why repetition of training is so important for the safety of all your employees. As you know OR-OSHA, DOSH, AKOSH, OSHA and MSHA are all upping their fines for these infractions.

You can purchase all the safety equipment you want, but only safety training will assure your workers use and implement this equipment. We are the company who can provide this training for your companies. We have the all new Total Safety Compliance program which saves you time, money and the hassle of keeping records of your safety training. Please give us a call to get your program started today. 206-382-4090.

Monitoring the Risk of Violence

Contributed by: Kevin Calder, CPP
Safety professionals are increasingly at the forefront of managing the risk of workplace violence. Both general and specific occupational safety and health (OSHA) regulations require companies to provide a work environment safe from acts of violence.

While the focus remains on personnel and physical security applications to mitigate threats, creating an environment where staff members are comfortable sharing information and reporting concerns is the best approach to early identification of individuals who pose a threat of violence. Training frontline staff in violence risk recognition and reporting procedures allow employees to bring concerns forward safely while respecting confidentiality.

Workers are often afraid to report troubling comments or behaviours to supervisors. Concerns include; appearing to over-react, getting others in trouble, or fear of retaliation. Adopting a structured approach to identify, assess and manage threats of workplace violence can minimize these concerns. By increasing staff awareness of pre-incident warning signs, companies can significantly increase opportunities to intercede and assist individuals moving on a path towards violence.

Research shows that workplace violence aggressors often have a history of “leaking” violent ideation prior to actual acts of violence. Leakage may occur through comments, references or actions. Warning signs include identifying with individuals who have carried out workplace mass murders, feelings of having nothing left to lose, or failing to consider non-violent alternatives to deal with work or personal stressors. Individually, these factors may not suggest that an individual poses a risk of violence, but as these begin to appear in clusters, further assessment and support should be prioritized.

Now more than ever, it is critical to monitor for the risk of violence impacting on our workplaces. While the risk of workplace homicide is very low, a single incident can have catastrophic consequences.

As our world continues to become more complex, there is often an increase in personal stressors impacting on the workplace. The breakdown of financial stability and loss of personal relationships can trigger increased violence risk potential.

A 2009 article in the Vancouver Sun identified the rise of violence related to the current economic downturn. The article quoted a report in the London Times that 58 fatalities were linked to eight incidents in one month alone.

Increasing personal and financial pressures are regularly identified as a factor in significant acts of workplace-related homicide and suicide. Of particular concern is the increase in familial homicide/suicides where the aggressor has recently experienced workplace difficulties then goes on to kill themselves and family members.

Incidents of harassment, bullying, intimidation and physical violence are much more commonplace and, depending on the wording of OSHA regulations, are often defined as “workplace violence”.

A corporate violence risk awareness training session provides your employees with a platform to help them see and understand the types of workplace violence, associated company and individual dynamics and the tools to recognize and report statements and behaviors of concern. Early recognition and intervention provides the best opportunity to minimize or mitigate the risk of workplace violence.

K Calder & Associates is a fully licensed and insured security and threat management consulting practice, working in Canada and the United States. thee provide practical threat management solutions and services to private and public sector organizations and individuals.

Kevin will be presenting more information about what actions your organization should be taking to prevent workplace violence during the Safety & Health Specialist course Security Programs / Workplace Violence on Thursday, June 3rd. Register today.