Developing the Positive, Healthy & Safe Workplace

Developing the Positive, Healthy & Safe Workplace A 7-Step Management Process Leading to a Culture of Personnel Safety and Security

Guide for Government and Corporate Managers and Leaders

Published by

ISBN: 978-1-937246-81-5

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Developing the Positive, Healthy & Safe Workplace

About the Publisher – Government Training Inc.™ Government Training Inc. provides worldwide training, publishing and consulting to government agencies and contractors that support government in areas of business and financial management, acquisition and contracting, physical and cyber security and intelligence operations. Our management team and instructors are seasoned executives with demonstrated experience in areas of Federal, State, Local and DoD needs and mandates. For more information on the company, its publications and professional training, go to www.GovernmentTrainingInc.com. Copyright © 2011 Government Training Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. This publication is protected by copyright, and permission must be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or likewise. For information regarding permissions, write to: Government Training Inc. Rights and Contracts Department 5372 Sandhamn Place Longboat Key, Florida 34228 [email protected] ISBN: 978-1-937246-81-5 www.GovernmentTrainingInc.com Sources: This book has drawn heavily on the authoritative materials published by a wide range of sources. These materials are in the public domain, but accreditation has been given both in the text and in the reference section if you need additional information. The author and publisher have taken great care in the preparation of this handbook, but make no expressed or implied warranty of any kind and assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. No liability is assumed for incidental or consequential damages in connection with or arising out of the use of the information or recommendations contained herein.

Security Guides and Handbooks - Security For more information on the company, its publications and professional training, go to http://www.governmenttraininginc.com/index.asp#Bookstore.

CARVER + Shock Vulnerability Assessment Tool A Six Step Approach to Conducting Security Vulnerability Assessments on Critical Infrastructure CARVER has served as the standard for security vulnerability assessments for many years but it has now morphed into an even more useful tool that can be used to help protect almost any critical infrastructure. This new no-nonsense handbook provides the security professional with background on CARVER, one of its very successful morphs into CARVER + Shock and then demonstrates how these methodologies can be applied and adapted to meet today’s specific needs to protect both hard and soft targets.

The Integrated Physical Security Handbook Securing the Nation One Facility at a Time The Integrated Physical Security Handbook has become the recognized manual for commercial and government building and facility security managers responsible for developing security plans based on estimated risks and threats—natural or terrorist.

The Integrated Physical Security Handbook II, 2nd Edition 5-Step Process to Assess and Secure Critical Infrastructure From All Hazards Threats This new edition covers a number of additional areas including convergence of systems, building modeling, emergency procedures, privacy issues, cloud computing, shelters and safe areas and disaster planning. There is also a comprehensive glossary as well as access to a dedicated website at www.physicalsecurityhandbook.com that provides purchasers of the book an on-line library of over 300 pages of additional reference materials.

Security Guides and Handbooks - Security, continued For more information on the company, its publications and professional training, go to http://www.governmenttraininginc.com/index.asp#Bookstore.

School Security A Physical Security Handbook for School Security Managers The School Security Handbook provides an easy to follow, easy to implement five step process for developing an emergency response plan that covers almost any eventuality. It covers the four phases of an emergency: mitigation and prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.

Crisis Communications How to Anticipate & Plan For, React To, and Communicate During a Crisis Every company and organization could one day find itself facing a crisis, and how it is handled in the first minutes and hours is crucial. If handled well, you can manage the crisis, and the purpose of this book is to assist you in that process. Crisis management and communications is all about being ready. This book is your essential first step in being prepared.

Business Management For more information on the company, its publications and professional training, go to http://www.governmenttraininginc.com/index.asp#Bookstore.

Handbook for Managing Teleworkers A 5-Step Management Process for Managing Teleworkers This book is an A-Z guide aimed at managers tasked with introducing teleworking or overseeing teleworkers and ensuring that everything runs smoothly. The rules for managing teleworking are the same whether you are a federal or state employee or work for a private company or organization. The book is also very useful to people who are thinking of teleworking or trying to persuade their employers to introduce it.

Handbook for Managing Teleworkers – Toolkit The Handbook discusses all the arguments that have been put forward against teleworking and debunks them using all the latest surveys and case studies. There are chapters on problems and how to overcome them and how to motivate through counseling, coaching and developing trust. It is an invaluable resource for all telework managers and those who might be tasked with taking on this responsibility and an essential companion guide to Government Institute’s Handbook for Managing Teleworkers published earlier this year.

Executive Briefings & Presentations Best Practices Handbook A step by step process and guide to making powerful presentations to colleagues and the press This book will teach how you to develop a plan so that you know what to do, what to say and how best to say it. These techniques will stand you in good stead whenever you need to communicate whether it is in the office or in front of millions of people during a live television interview.

Business Management, continued For more information on the company, its publications and professional training, go to http://www.governmenttraininginc.com/index.asp#Bookstore.

How To Get Others To Do What You Want Them To Do (Or... Never Kick a Kangaroo!) Wouldn’t it be great if you always got your way in negotiations and never lost another argument? We all have the tools to achieve this but most of us don’t know how to use them. That is what Never Kick a Kangaroo is all about. It may be a strange title but you would never get into a kick boxing fight with a kangaroo – you would lose. In order to be successful you must understood the other participants – what they want and the tools they use. You can then pick the tools and techniques that will work in your favor.

GovCloud: Cloud Computing for the Business of Government A Five-Step Process to Evaluate, Design and Implement a Robust Cloud Solution The book describes the key characteristics of cloud computing and various deployment and delivery models. It contains case studies and best practices, how to set and meet goals, developing a robust business case analysis, how to implement and use cloud computing and how to make sure it is working.

Grant Writer’s Handbook A 5-Step Process & Toolkit to Achieve State & Local Grant Success Goals The easy to follow Five Step process leads you through the tortuous world of grant writing – starting with how to select the right grant writer and then following the process from where to find grants in the first place to writing winning grant submissions.

Contracting and Acquisition For more information on the company, its publications and professional training, go to http://www.governmenttraininginc.com/index.asp#Bookstore.

The COTR Handbook A Five-Step Process for Stronger Organizational Performance This handbook looks at the complex duties performed by COTRs and explains how best to carry them out in order to achieve a stronger organizational performance. The easyto-follow Five Step Process explains the environment in which the COTR operates, how the COTR and other team players are selected, key skill areas required and how these are applied throughout the contracting process. Finally, we discuss how the COTR’s influence can be extended through developing a career model, continuous training and extending this to broader applications across other organizational activities.

Performance-Based Contracting Process to Achieve–Checklist–Toolkit The book shows you how to write a successful performance-based statement of work with lots of case studies and examples. Chapters lead you through all the steps necessary – from planning and market research to writing the performance-based statement of work and everything in between.

Managing Cost Reimbursable Contracts Providing Guidance in Difficult Waters The Handbook is packed with practical information, handy hints, real-life case studies, best practices and checklists. It describes the different types of cost-reimbursable contracts, when they should be used and why, and when they are not the appropriate contracting vehicle. It also details the dangers inherent in this type of contract and how they can be recognized and controlled.

Contracting and Acquisition, continued For more information on the company, its publications and professional training, go to http://www.governmenttraininginc.com/index.asp#Bookstore.

Guide to Independent Government Cost Estimating (IGCE) Five Step Process Leading to Best Practice Estimates The Guide provides an expanded overview of the federal acquisition process and the role played by independent government cost estimates. The information is accented by well-grounded discussion of the statutory and regulatory basis for cost estimates. The Guide then introduces a five-step process leading to best practice estimates. The five steps are presented with clarity and designed to be quickly understood and applied.

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Two Book Set: Desk Reference For Government and Corporate Acquisition and Contracting staff Includes all updates through January 12, 2011 2 Book Set: Desk Reference This two volume set is designed for ease of use and transport. Both volumes (Volume 1 and 2) include a full Table of Contents and reference matrix to facilitate look-ups and research. Paper choice was selected to allow marking and highlighting without serious bleed-through – an important ease of use feature.

Small Business Guide to Government Contracting A Guide to Small Businesses Entering Government Contracting If you have never done business with the federal government before, the manual leads you through an easy to understand five-step process of what to do and how to do it in order to maximize your chances for a successful contract bid. If you already do business with the Federal government, the manual is packed with tips and hints, best practices and case studies to help you improve your outcomes.

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Contents Introduction......................................................................................................................................................1 The Challenges ................................................................................................................................................... 8 Step 1. Understanding the Violence Cycle......................................................................................................17 Five Ways to Manage Conflict ........................................................................................................................... 19 Step 2. Uncover Workplace Bullying ..............................................................................................................37 The Burden of Bullying ...................................................................................................................................... 40 Prevention ........................................................................................................................................................ 48 Domestic Violence and Stalking in the Workplace ............................................................................................... 53 Step 3. When to Refer Employees to EAP: Detecting Mental Health Concerns..............................................59 Personality Disorders ......................................................................................................................................... 59 Bipolar Disorder ................................................................................................................................................ 62 Schizophrenia ................................................................................................................................................... 63 Interviewing Persons With Mental Health Issues ................................................................................................. 65 Interviewing Persons who Abuse Substances ..................................................................................................... 66 Behavioral Management of the “Insight Resistant” Person ................................................................................. 66 Interest-Based Problem Solving ......................................................................................................................... 67 Step 4. Improve Safety and Security at Work and in the Field.......................................................................71 Customer Service: Check Yourself Out ................................................................................................................ 72 Case Studies ..................................................................................................................................................... 72 Safety Tips for Home Visitors and Workers in the Field ........................................................................................ 98 Step 5. What to Do Until Help Arrives: Training Staff in Immediate Response Strategies ...........................101 Unarmed Threat – Managing a Potentially Violent Incident ............................................................................... 101 Armed Threat ................................................................................................................................................. 102 Examples of Useful Handouts for Employees .................................................................................................... 103 Desk Cards .................................................................................................................................................... 103 Dealing with the Aftermath ............................................................................................................................. 106 Step 6. Avoid Negligent Hiring ....................................................................................................................109 Step 7. Managing Threat With Policy and Response Teams .........................................................................117 Strategies to Creating or Refining a Workplace Violence Program ..................................................................... 117 Form a Threat Management Planning Group................................................................................................... 117 Legal Considerations ....................................................................................................................................... 121 Resources .....................................................................................................................................................125 Attachments .................................................................................................................................................129 Attachment 1. Workplace Violence Policy ......................................................................................................... 129 Attachment 2. Personnel Policy Example .......................................................................................................... 130 Attachment 3. FBI’s Questions to ask in a Threat Assessment .......................................................................... 132 Attachment 4. Threat Assessment .................................................................................................................... 134 Attachment 5. The Changing Role of Law Enforcement .................................................................................... 140 Attachment 6. Violence Against Health Care Workers ....................................................................................... 144 Attachment 7. Prevention Strategies for Retail Workers .................................................................................... 146

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Personal Security and Safety Attachment 8. School Safety ............................................................................................................................ 147 Attachment 9. Profile of an Active Shooter ....................................................................................................... 150 Attachment 10. Sample Directive – Reporting Assault, Harassment, Interference, Intimidation or Threat ............ 157 Attachment 11. Terrorism ................................................................................................................................ 165

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About the authors Rita M. Rizzo MSc, CMC Rita Rizzo is the Principal of Rizzo & Associates LLC, an Ohio based consulting and training firm. She holds a Masters Degree in Training and Human Resource Management from University of Leicester in Leicester, England and received her undergraduate education in the field of psychology from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. Rita is a published author and is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC), a prestigious distinction awarded to her by the Institute of Management Consultants in 2002. She is also certified as a conflict mediator, and a recruitment and retention specialist. Rita has over 26 years’ experience as a training professional. She has provided training and consulting services for over 8000 audiences from corporations, associations, and government. She does extensive work for human service agencies internationally and specializes in working with governmental and health care facilities. Each and every presentation Rita delivers is done with warmth, wit, and sincerity, and she never fails to engage her audience in fun and fulfilling ways. Rita’s interest and expertise lies in the areas of Workplace Violence Mitigation, Recognition and Elimination of Bullying, Organizational Development, Human Resource Development, Stress Management, Diversity Issues and Systems Approaches. Don Philpott Don Philpott serves as Publishing Editor for Government Training Inc. and has been writing, reporting and broadcasting on international events, trouble spots and major news stories for more than 40 years. For 20 years he was a senior correspondent with Press Association -Reuters, the wire service, and traveled the world on assignments including Northern Ireland, Lebanon, Israel, South Africa and Asia. He writes for magazines and newspapers in the United States and Europe and is a contributor to radio and television programs on security and other issues. He is the author of more than 90 books on a wide range of subjects and has had more than 5,000 articles printed in publications around the world. Among his most recent books include The COTR Handbook, How to Manage Teleworkers, Small Business Guide to Government Contracting, The Integrated Physical Security Handbook and The Grant Writer’s Handbook – all published by Government Training Inc. He is a member of the National Press Club.

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Symbols Throughout this book you will see a number of icons displayed in the margins. The icons are there to help you as you work through the Seven Step process. Each icon acts as an advisory – for instance alerting you to things that you must always do or should never do. The icons used are:

This is something that you must always do

This is something you should never do

Really useful tips

Points to bear in mind

Have you checked off or answered everything on this list?

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Introduction

On the night of Thursday, September 9, 2010, Yvonne Hiller, armed with a .357 Magnum, walked into the Kraft food plant in Northeast Philadelphia where she worked and shot dead two coworkers and critically injured a third. She then called 911 and complained of years of alleged harassment by the three. Before the shooting, the victims had felt so threatened by her behavior that they complained to their supervisor who suspended Hiller and she was escorted off the premises. Within minutes she returned and at gunpoint ordered two unarmed security guards to open the gate to let her in. She found the three victims in a break room with a fourth employee who she let go, and then she opened fire. Hiller later fired a shot at her supervisor and another employee who was following her and talking to the police on his cell phone. Both shots missed. She then barricaded herself in a room and made several phone calls before a SWAT team gained access and arrested her. The Kraft shooting is just the latest incident of workplace violence which continues to be a major problem in the nation’s workplace. Effective workplace violence prevention (WVP) programs are essential to identify potential trouble spots and trouble makers, mitigate the effects of any outbreaks and ensure all members of staff know what policies are in place to protect and safeguard them. The importance of management commitment to WPV prevention policies and programs cannot be overemphasized. Top management support helps ensure that adequate resources (including staffing) will be applied to the program, that the program will be launched from the top down, and that the effort will likely be accepted throughout the organization and sustained. Worker participation in planning, development, and implementation of programs and strategies is also important. The concept of dynamic commitment (i.e., involving both management and workers) in WPV prevention is a fundamental necessity underlying the allocation of adequate prevention program resources and the development of a violence prevention culture within an organization.

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Another important element is the need for collaboration of people from different disciplines, company units or departments, and levels of the organization. The involvement of persons with diverse expertise and experience is especially critical due to the depth and complexity of WPV prevention. Such teamwork is crucial for planning, developing, and implementing programs, as well as serving discrete functions, such as threat assessment teams formed to review and respond to reported physical, verbal, or threatened violence. Some of the key levels, disciplines, and departments include management, union, human resources, safety and health, security, medical/psychology, legal, communications, and worker assistance. The pre-arranged use of outside expertise and collaboration with local law enforcement and local service providers is also a way for companies to ensure effective programs, particularly in smaller companies with fewer workers, departments, and resources. Proactive planning/collaboration with local law enforcement will be helpful should an incident requiring police response occur. This book aims to assist you in developing safe and effective WVP programs. In order to do this, you must understand the root causes of workplace violence and the threats that they pose. These threats are not just in terms of personal attacks – whether verbal or physical – but also the cost and damage they can do in economic terms. Once you understand the cause and types of workplace violence, you can then develop a plan to interrupt it, mitigate its effects or, ideally, eliminate it completely from the workplace. Learning Objectives Enable you to assess your work environment for unsafe conditions through the use of threat assessment guidelines Be able to detect 14 warning signs of impending workplace violence Know how to spot and counteract safety threats while visiting clients in their homes and neighborhoods Recognize signs of escalating situations and respond with a four-step verbal deescalation process to interrupt the violence cycle

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Major Topics 

The Violence Cycle: Warning Signs of Impending Violence

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Workplace Bullying Begets Workplace Violence: Is Your Workplace Toxic?

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When to Refer Employees to Employee Assistance Programs (EAP): Detecting Mental Health Concerns

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Assessing Your Workplace to Improve Safety and Security

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What to do Until Helps Arrives: Training Staff in Immediate Response Strategies

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Introduction 

Avoid Negligent Hiring: Screen out High-Risk Individuals

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Managing Threat with Policy and Response Teams

Take-aways:  Reference card for handling telephone threats and keeping emergency numbers  Best practice guidelines for immediate response to an impending threat  Lessons learned: Ways to address workplace bullying that leads to violence  A primer to detect mental health disorders and aid in appropriate referrals to EAP  Sample template to create or revise your workplace violence policy  Process to create or refine your organization’s threat response team(s)  An action plan checklist to proactively prevent violence in your workplace

Types of Workplace Violence There are four general categories of workplace violence: Table 1. Typology of workplace violence Type

Description

I: Criminal intent

The perpetrator has no legitimate relationship to the business or its employee, and is usually committing a crime in conjunction with the violence. These crimes can include robbery, shoplifting, trespassing, and terrorism. The vast majority of workplace homicides (85 percent) fall into this category.

II: Customer /client

The perpetrator has a legitimate relationship with the business and becomes violent while being served by the business. This category includes customers, clients, patients, students, inmates, and any other group for which the business provides services. It is believed that a large portion of customer/client incidents occur in the health care industry, in settings such as nursing homes or psychiatric facilities; the victims are often patient caregivers. Police officers, prison staff, flight attendants, and teachers are some other examples of workers who may be exposed to this kind of WPV, which accounts for approximately three percent of all workplace homicides.

III: Worker-on-worker

The perpetrator is an employee or past employee of the business who attacks or threatens another employee(s) or past employee(s) in the workplace. Workeron-worker fatalities account for approximately seven percent of all workplace homicides.

IV: Personal relationship

The perpetrator usually does not have a relationship with the business but has a personal relationship with the intended victim. This category includes victims of domestic violence assaulted or threatened while at work, and accounts for about five percent of all workplace homicides. Sources: CAL/OSHA 1995; Howard 1996; IPRC 2001.

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Which of these relationships are potentially at play in your workplace today? That’s right, all four types of violence could occur in your workplace. One might assume that if you work in an office environment that criminal intent might not impact your workplace. This assumption would be incorrect. Office equipment and the information contained on computers are considered quite valuable to identity thieves. Women’s purses, expensive coats, and even the food stored in the break room refrigerator can provide temptation for the homeless and hungry. Customer or client violence occurs when those your company serves become dissatisfied with the company’s policies and/or personnel. In some instances the reputation of the firm is enough to evoke a violent response from disgruntled clientele. In this anti-government era it is possible that generalized anger towards certain segments of government is ample justification for some to strike out violently against unpopular agencies. A recessionary period, such as the one the nation is currently enduring, creates tension throughout society. Fear of job loss, or actual job loss through layoff or termination, is enough to cause depressed or angry individuals to lose control and perpetrate violence against those they formerly depended upon. By the same token, a scarcity of resources also boosts incidence of domestic violence that sometimes spills over into the workplace. Some recent incidents: 

On September 8, 2009, a Yale University student’s strangled body was found in the university laboratory where she conducted research. A co-worker, Raymond J. Clark III, was later charged with the murder.



An engineer who was dismissed for poor performance two years before, allegedly returned to his former workplace in Orlando, FL, the morning of Friday, November 6, 2009, and shot and killed one person while wounding five others, authorities said.



The Orlando shooting came a day after an Army psychiatrist went on a shooting rampage that left 13 dead and 27 wounded at the Fort Hood Army post where he worked. The suspected gunman, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, had reportedly opposed his upcoming deployment overseas.



On November 10, 2009, at an Oregon drug-testing clinic, a man with a rifle opened fire, killing his estranged wife and injuring two of her co-workers.



On February 12, 2010, three people were shot dead, and a fourth was injured when Amy Bishop began shooting in a faculty meeting on the campus of the University of Alabama. Ms Bishop was upset because she was denied tenure.

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On February 18, 2010, Joseph Stack flew his plane into an Austin, TX, building where the IRS is housed, killing two and injuring 13, two seriously. Mr. Stack left a suicide note in the form of a manifesto, and burned his house down before the plane crash.



A man carrying two handguns, and apparently angry over a poor performance evaluation, entered an Ohio State University maintenance building in Columbus, OH, early on March 9, 2010, and opened fire, killing one manager and wounding a second, before turning the gun on himself.

5

Introduction 

On April 19, 2010, a man opened fire outside a Tennessee hospital, killing a woman and himself, after taking a cab to the scene and asking the driver to wait. Two other women were injured in the shooting. The cab driver said the man seemed angry and depressed, but no connection has yet been established between him and the victims, and no motive has been determined.

Some remain unconvinced of the rising threat of workplace violence from the inspection of anecdotal evidence and need to see more credible and concrete data. But, the statistics bear out the fact that workplace violence is on the rise, and is taking its toll in human and monetary costs in both the public and private sectors.

Is Workplace Violence a Significant Threat Today? Percent of establishments experiencing an incident of workplace violence by type of incident and ownership, United States, 2005

State governments experienced higher percentages of all types of workplace violence than did local governments or private industry. Thirty-two percent of state Government establishments experienced some form of workplace violence in the previous 12 months. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Workplace Violence, 2005

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Establishments with workplace violence incidents in the previous 12 months and their impact on programs and employees, United States private industry, 2005

Nearly five percent of private industry establishments experienced an incident of workplace violence in the last year. While one-third reported a negative impact on employees, only 11 percent changed their policy after the incident; 9 percent had no program or policy. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Workplace Violence, 2005

Impacts of Workplace Violence Percent of establishments with an incident of workplace violence in the previous 12 months by effect on employees, United States, 2005

Employees can be affected by workplace violence in a number of ways including increased fear, lower morale, and higher absenteeism. Employees in 36 percent of the establishments having an incident of workplace violence in the previous 12 months were negatively affected. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Workplace Violence, 2005

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Introduction Percent of establishments by selected types of security and ownership, United States, 2005

State governments tend to have more security precautions than either private industry or local governments. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Workplace Violence, 2005

Cost of Violence Prevention Percent of establishments providing training on workplace violence prevention by topic and ownership, United States, 2005

Twenty-one percent of all establishments provided training on workplace violence prevention, while 58 percent of State governments provided this training. Only four percent of all establishments provided training on domestic violence. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Workplace Violence, 2005

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Percent of establishments by types of costs tracked for incidents of workplace violence, United States, 2005

Where costs of workplace violence incidents were tracked, workers’ compensation costs were most frequently tracked. Among other costs tracked, absenteeism and property damage were tracked more often than other items. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Workplace Violence, 2005

The Challenges More than 20 million Americans, nearly one in every five in the non-government U.S. labor force, work for firms that have fewer than 20 employees. Firms with payrolls between 20 and 100 employ almost another 20 million U.S. workers. Small businesses account for the vast majority of employers. Among the nation’s 5.6 million private employers, almost four-fifths have between one and nine employees. Why is this of concern to government agencies? A significant number of government contractors come from the small business sector. Government employees visit their facilities, and their work often shares a public image with the government agency that contracts with them. In other words, WPV in any sector of the national workforce can create a potential hazard to the state, local and federal workplace. While small employers cover the full range of income and occupations, they are also the typical employers of the lowest-paid, lowest-status workers, including immigrants and members of ethnic minorities. (Small Business Administration statistics indicate that annual pay in businesses with fewer than 20 workers is almost 25 percent less than in firms employing 500 or more.) Minority employers represent a large majority in the small-business category. Employees working in lower-paying jobs for small employers face no less risk of violence on the job than any other group of workers. For many reasons, however, they are almost certainly the least likely to get protection from violence-prevention efforts. Consequently, reaching those employers and employees

Introduction

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and finding ways to extend antiviolence programs into their workplaces may be the most challenging task facing any national effort to reduce workplace violence. The hurdles to violence prevention in small businesses are numerous and high. With very few exceptions, small businesses will not have their own security force, training capability, employee assistance program, medical service, legal advisers, or human resources department. They will ordinarily have less capacity than big companies to screen job applicants and are less likely to have formal policies or procedures for employees to report threats or violence. They are similarly less likely to have an established, continuing relationship with law enforcement or social service agencies. Small business owners and managers typically lack specialized knowledge or skills in legal and human resources issues related to workplace violence and may not be aware of resources available to help deal with a troubled or potentially violent worker, threats, stalking, or domestic abuse affecting an employee or other violence-related problems. This may be even truer when the employee, the workforce, or both are from immigrant or minority communities and are separated by culture or language from the majority culture and its institutions. Employees in small firms, especially low-wage workers, are less likely than other U.S. workers to have medical insurance or sick leave and thus are more vulnerable to the consequences of a violent incident. In many cases, they may also be less aware and less able to pursue their legal rights and thus are more vulnerable to threats and punish-the-victim practices. To meet the special challenge of extending workplace violence protection to small businesses, the business, law enforcement, occupational safety, and social service communities should consider a variety of possible actions. These could include programs to:  Design model violence-prevention programs and accompanying training courses and materials that are specifically tailored to the needs and resources of small employers.  Conduct outreach and awareness campaigns to familiarize small employers with the violence issue and disseminate model programs.  Put workplace violence on the agenda for community policing programs, and add it to the list of concerns police officers address in their contacts with community groups and neighborhood businesses in a proactive effort to encourage reporting of incidents and/or problematic behavior to prevent violence.  Compile and distribute lists of resources available to help employers deal with harassment of all types, threats and threatening behavior or violent incidents (e.g., mental health providers, publicinterest law clinics, police, or other threat assessment specialists, etc.)  Enlist the help of existing advocacy and community groups in publicizing workplace violence and prevention issues. Potential partners in this effort include neighborhood antiviolence and crimewatch committees, antidomestic violence activists, antidiscrimination organizations, ethnic associations, immigrant rights groups, and others. GTI books.com

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Developing the Positive, Healthy & Safe Workplace

 Develop proposals for economic incentives, such as insurance premium discounts or tax credits for small business managers who attend training or implement anti-violence plans.  Establish cooperative projects in which larger local employers, labor unions, insurers, and business or industry associations, in cooperation with local law enforcement, help provide training and assistance in violence prevention for small business owners and employees.  Incorporate an antiviolence message and suggested prevention plans in material distributed with Small Business Administration loan applications, licensing forms, inspection notices, correspondence on workers’ compensation claims, and other federal, state, and local government documents that reach all employers.  Create public service announcements and Web pages that call attention to workplace violence issues, outline antiviolence measures, and list sources of assistance and support. These and similar measures will be more effective if they occur in the context of a broader national effort by government, employer groups, and law enforcement agencies to raise awareness of workplace violence prevention. During the last two decades, the Occupational Safety and Health Act has heightened public consciousness of other workplace hazards, while the activities of women’s rights and other advocacy organizations brought increased recognition and dramatically changed attitudes toward domestic violence. In similar fashion, if a national constituency evolves with the aim of expanding knowledge and public concern about workplace violence, it almost certainly represents the best avenue to extend preventive efforts to those employers and employees with the fewest resources of their own.

Barriers to WPV Prevention Practice For some companies, a prevailing corporate attitude or denial of the potential for WPV, may be strong enough that employers and managers remain unconvinced that they need to address it. In some, violence is not recognized as a high priority among competing threats until a tragic, violent event occurs. In many organizations, the value of WPV prevention in reducing liability and turnover and increasing productivity is not well understood. Employers may also hesitate to explore WPV risks and issues because they are wary about negative company image, legal liability, assuming responsibility for workers’ private lives, and worker enlightenment and empowerment. One line of thinking is that workers who become aware of these issues will certainly file complaints and claims. Some employers worry that discussing workplace violence will only serve to scare employees and cause them to become hyper-vigilant and distracted. Others claim that talking about violence preparedness could incite disgruntled employees to test the system, or will inspire thoughts of violent retaliation to workplace grievances. All of these factors are barriers to developing policies, providing training, recognizing and reporting violence, and developing and implementing WPV prevention programs. Workers readily perceive the lack of management acknowledgment of WPV and support for WPV prevention. On the other hand, corporate leaders who set out to raise awareness of WPV and improve workplace communication, dem-

Introduction

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onstrate their acknowledgement of WPV and provide a foundation for improved reporting and risk assessment, and program development and implementation. Violent events (especially Type 1 violence) are prevalent in small businesses where workers may lack a voice. Workers without a voice – that is, those without a personal opportunity to provide their concerns or participate in leadership decisions, or without an advocate to speak for them – have great difficulty influencing the adoption or even the consideration of prevention programs. In many businesses, large and small, disconnects exist between management and workers that impede communication of concerns and collaboration. Many experts believe there are too few incentives for companies to implement WPV prevention programs. Few regulatory requirements address violence, many guidelines addressing violence are outdated, and the many legal issues prompted by federal, state and local statutes, ordinances, and regulations present challenges to WPV prevention and can seem an impenetrable thicket. Current laws are often ineffective, not enforced, and inconsistent from state to state. Employers who might consider WPV prevention programs may feel at a competitive disadvantage if no mandatory, enforced regulations exist that cover the entire industry sector. If more compelling data on costs of violence, and costs/benefits of prevention programs and strategies were available, companies would likely have more incentive to invest resources in WPV prevention programs. In addition, the positive effects of knowledgeable workers empowered to provide input and participate in planning and decision making, which can include improved safety and health, morale, efficiency, and productivity, provide an important incentive to management. For some, the most substantial barrier is simply a lack of awareness of the scope and importance of the problem on the part of employers and workers alike. This lack of awareness extends beyond company walls to all levels of the public and private sector and the general public. For other knowledgeable employers, a lack of access to risk information or evidence-based prevention programs or strategies may form a difficult barrier to action. Those programs and interventions that have been evaluated and shown effective in specific settings – for instance, the interventions addressing violence resulting from convenience-store robberies – have not been adopted in all workplaces where similar risks and circumstances are present. Further, they have not been evaluated for other workplaces and industry sectors facing similar risks. Many other programs and interventions that have been adopted or suggested for different types of WPV and different workplace settings and circumstances have not been rigorously evaluated, if evaluated at all. If evidence-based prevention programs and strategies are available, the information mostly resides in academia or government agencies. Researchers in academia and government are often satisfied with publication of their findings in the peer-reviewed literature, or lack the knowledge and means to further disseminate or translate their results for use in at-risk companies. As a result, employers may not be fully cognizant of the risks they and their workers face. Or, an employer or practitioner who is aware of the risks and who has the desire to establish and implement a prevention program may not be able to find or access evidence-based programs and interventions from which to use or choose.

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Developing the Positive, Healthy & Safe Workplace

Among companies with WPV programs, some are reluctant to share WPV information (e.g., statistics, program information, effectiveness data), even among other departments in the same company. Privacy issues and proprietary and competitive attitudes may influence companies and agencies to guard their data, thus hindering data sharing. Compounding the effect of this barrier, researchers may fall short of the efforts needed to engage and partner with employers. This, in turn, limits the ability of researchers to determine characteristics of violent events, characteristics of those who are involved in and affected by them, and potential preventive approaches and their effectiveness. OSHA has guidelines for late night retail [OSHA 2004], but companies not under OSHA jurisdiction may not be aware of this information. Potential sources of information useful to businesses include police department crime prevention units, Web-based violence prevention and security sites, and insurance companies. A major barrier to awareness and prevention of WPV is an overall lack of adequate and effective communication and training about what constitutes violence (definition); when violence has occurred (incident reporting); what the company does about violence (policy, procedures, disposition); and what peers and partners have learned and are doing (research, prevention, collaboration). In the pursuit of individual responsibilities and tasks, the importance of communication may be overlooked entirely or given a low priority among competing demands. Many of the companies facing high risks of WPV are small companies with limited resources for research, prevention, and evaluation. In an increasingly pressurized economy and in the absence of sufficient cost-benefit data, prevention may be seen as an unwarranted expenditure rather than an investment with a return. Employers may address competing demands first unless a tragic violent event has already occurred to gain their attention and prompt action. Small companies often have neither the resources nor the staff to address problems from a multi-disciplinary perspective. Violent events, wherever they occur, may not be reported for various reasons. When WPV occurs in companies that lack an enlightened, prevention-oriented culture, victimized workers may be inhibited from reporting single incidents or patterns of abusive behavior that would be reported and addressed in other companies. In such companies, victims or witnesses of violence may feel that nothing will be done if they do report. Otherwise well-meaning employers or managers in companies that do not communicate to workers the behaviors that are considered to be violent, the mechanisms for reporting them, and assurances of security, confidentiality, and prompt response, may be unwittingly fostering a violent work environment that could ultimately experience a tragic, violent event. Too often, in the aftermath of such a tragedy, people remember precursor events or behaviors that should have prompted reporting, response, and intervention at the time they occurred. Sadly, failures to report verbal or physical abuse represent lost opportunities for prevention. Lack of reporting is also a fundamental barrier to effective surveillance, a critical component of WPV prevention at all levels, from company-level to national-level prevention. Victims and recipients of threats or harassment expect a firm response. When management fails to respond promptly and firmly to reported WPV incidents, or does not follow through according to company policies and procedures, workers will perceive the lack of management commitment. Workers will then be hesitant to report future violent events and behaviors.

Introduction

13

A company or corporation without a written WPV prevention program or policy may fail to provide critical information necessary to protect workers. Prevention efforts may not succeed without written documentation that includes company policy on WPV, definitions that clearly indicate what specific behaviors constitute WPV and are therefore prohibited actions, the specific consequences of those actions, who is accountable for the program and specific elements, and the roles and responsibilities of all workers. Interdisciplinary and interdepartmental work is very difficult to initiate and maintain, even within the walls of one company. Effective programs require the combined efforts of employers, workers, law enforcement, and, for larger companies, the multiple departments with a stake in violence prevention and worker safety and health. Please check any prevention barriers at play in your organization.  Corporate Attitude, Denial: A prevailing corporate attitude of denial of the potential for WPV may be strong enough that employers and managers remain unconvinced that they need to address it. In some, violence is not recognized as a high priority among competing threats until a tragic, violent event occurs. In many organizations, the value of WPV prevention in reducing liability and turnover and increasing productivity is not well understood.  The Culture of Violence; De-humanization of Workplaces: A profound barrier to WPV prevention is related to the culture of violence that permeates U.S. society, including workplaces.  Lack of Worker Empowerment: Violent events are prevalent in businesses where workers may lack a voice. Workers without a voice – that is, those without a personal opportunity to express their concerns, or participate in leadership decisions, or without an advocate to speak for them – have great difficulty influencing the adoption or even the consideration of prevention programs.  Lack of Incentives, Disincentives: There are too few incentives for companies to implement WPV prevention programs. Few regulatory requirements address violence, many guidelines addressing violence are outdated, and the many legal issues prompted by federal, state and local statutes, ordinances, and regulations present challenges to WPV prevention.  Lack of Awareness: A lack of awareness of the scope and importance of the problem on the part of employers and workers alike.  Lack of Information: A lack of access to risk information or evidence-based prevention programs or strategies may form a difficult barrier to action. Those programs and interventions that have been evaluated and shown effective in specific settings – for instance, the interventions addressing violence resulting from convenience store robberies – have not been adopted in all workplaces where similar risks and circumstances are present.  Lack of Communication/Training: An overall lack of adequate and effective communication and training about what constitutes violence (definition); when violence has occurred (incident reporting); and what the company does about violence (policy, procedures, disposition).

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 Lack of Resources: Resources for research, prevention, and evaluation.  Lack of Reporting: When WPV occurs in companies that lack an enlightened, prevention-oriented culture, victimized workers may be inhibited from reporting single incidents or patterns of abusive behavior that would be reported and addressed in other companies. In such companies, victims or witnesses of violence may feel that nothing will be done if they do report.  Lack of Follow-up to Reported Events: When management fails to respond promptly and firmly to reported WPV incidents, or does not follow through according to company policies and procedures, workers will perceive the lack of management commitment. Workers will then be hesitant to report future violent events and behaviors.  Lack of Written WPV Policy, Definitions, and Consequences: A company or corporation without a written WPV prevention program or policy may fail to provide critical information necessary to protect workers.  Lack of Teamwork, Partnerships: Interdisciplinary and interdepartmental work is very difficult to initiate and maintain, even within the walls of one company. Source: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2006-144/2006-144a.html

Gaps in WPV Prevention Research Remember The ideal situation is for employers and practitioners planning and implementing WPV prevention programs to have credible, evidencebased interventions, strategies, curricula, and programs available. A primary research need in WPV prevention is to obtain evaluation data on strategies and interventions for a variety of workplace applications.

The need for practical and proven guidance for program implementation goes hand-in-hand with the need for evidence-based prevention programs and strategies. Critical information about best practices for WPV programs is needed by employers and practitioners. Currently available data – based largely on police responses, emergency room admissions, workers’ compensation claims, insurance payments to victims, and death certificates – do not reflect the scope of WPV, especially considering the incidence of non-injury and nonphysical events (e.g., threats, bullying, harassment, stalking). Reluctance on the part of corporations and companies to release data and to admit researchers into their environments for the purpose of collecting incidence data or evaluating interventions and programs impedes description of the WPV experience, as well as further investigations of causation and prevention.

In addition, the victims and witnesses of WPV may be reluctant to report incidents for a variety of reasons. Aside from cultural and behavioral impediments to the acquisition of better data, technical issues exist that must be overcome. For example, a commonly accepted, operational definition of what constitutes WPV, while not perfectly fitting every scenario imaginable, will be necessary to the uniform collection of data. Standardized data collection using common definitions is essential to draw reasonable conclusions on effective prevention.

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The economics of WPV represents a substantial gap in knowledge. Understandably, employers desire and respond to solid, empirical cost data on actual and potential losses from WPV and benefits of prevention programs and interventions. They are interested in understanding costs relative to benefits and return on investment when it comes to development and implementation of programs. Employers may not expect each and every intervention to pay for itself, but they do seek a general idea of what to expect as a result of investing in prevention. A difficult concept to calculate and convey is the cost of a nonevent – that is, one that is prevented through programmatic investment. Other important cost considerations include the loss of experienced workers and the resultant new personnel hiring and training costs. Research is needed to provide evidence about effectiveness of specific environmental, behavioral, and administrative interventions in non-convenience-store settings. Also uncertainties about effectiveness of other suggested interventions require additional research to enable the attainment of consensus in controversial topics, such as effectiveness of onsite guards, bullet-resistant barriers, certain training elements, and multiple clerks. Currently, not enough is known about what produces violence in social service, health care, and other settings for worker-client interaction. What is known has not always been widely reported in the scientific literature or by the national media. Risk estimates are not available that clarify the influence of various situational and environmental factors.

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STEP 1

Understanding the Violence Cycle

Before an organization can decide upon proper mindset and strategies needed to address and prevent WPV, it is essential to understand what propels a person toward the commission of a violent act. To this end, we will discuss the violence cycle, the nature of conflict and how to resolve it, and major causes of WPV. There is no way to predict how quickly an individual will progress through the violence cycle. Some go through all four steps in rapid succession. Others simmer and ruminate for long periods before progressing through all the steps. Timing and progression is primarily dependent on the severity of the precipitating event, the amount of stress an individual is under before the event occurs, and the personality of the person who is reacting to the event.

Stress: The Precipitating Event 

An event occurs that creates an imbalance between the demands of social and physical environment and the person’s coping ability.

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Reactions to the stressor are triggered in the individual’s perceptions, beliefs and emotions about the situation.

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The degree of the stress depends upon what the individual infers about the event.

Thoughts: The First Response 

Personality specific thoughts and predisposition cause a person to interpret a stressor in a certain manner, and to infer its ramifications to their life.

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This appraisal of an event gives meaning to it.

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Expectations of future harm or duress will affect actions and have an impact on the outcome.

The Emotional Reaction 

The emotional reaction a person has to a stressor depends upon his/her origins; thoughts about the event and the person’s temperament, personality and disposition.

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Empathy and guilt deter striking-out behaviors.

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Emotional reactions are often triggered by others’ behavior.

Taking Action: Violence or Avoidance 

The upset individual chooses between fight (violence) or flight (avoidance or delayed response).

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Avoidance can increase stress and precipitate rumination that causes the person to return later and take action.

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Violence is a way of gaining power or control in a situation where a person feels powerless.

The Nature of Conflict Phases of Conflict

In order to fully appreciate the nature of violence, it is necessary to know how conflict develops. Conflict becomes apparent with the advent of a trigger event. This event may be large and significant or small and unassuming. Regardless of its size, this event causes a conflict to surface and become apparent to others. The trigger event is sometimes referred to as “the straw that broke the camel’s back.” After the conflict surfaces, it begins to develop. An example might be an employee who has been dissatisfied with his job for some time. He believes that his workplace is no longer “employee friendly” and feels the loss of the “family feel” that the workplace held for him when he was first hired. He suffers in silence until a new policy is implemented which states that all personal coffee pots must be removed from cubicles due to the high electric bill associated with multiple coffee pots in each work unit.

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The new rule causes the caffeine-loving employee to visit his fellow employees who have brought in coffee pots from home to see how they feel about the new rule. Once he discovers that all coffee pot owners feel the rule is unfair, he goes to see his manager about the issue. This is when the conflict peaks. At the peak of a conflict, any issues that are resolved to the satisfaction of all parties will simply dissipate. Any issues that remain unresolved will require those who remain concerned and upset to adapt to the current situation. The concern doesn’t disappear just because it is no longer discussed. It merely goes into an undercurrent where the dissatisfaction tends to grow and may even take on a life of its own, as is the case with our caffeinated employee. Once he discovers that his manager is powerless to influence the new policy, he returns to his cubicle, packs up his coffee pot, and stews about the unfairness of the situation. Over the next six weeks, the worker makes snide remarks in staff meetings about being sleepy due to caffeine deprivation. On payday, he comments that half his check should be deposited in the cafeteria coffee machine where most of his money is now being spent. He continues to be angry, and he allows his anger to seep out in small ways as it grows. In the middle of the sixth week, a memo is released announcing that employees will now need to pay more for their health insurance coverage. This announcement becomes the next trigger event that surfaces the employee’s conflict with the company anew. If the employee’s anger about insurance premiums isn’t effectively dealt with at the peak of the conflict, it becomes part of his ever-expanding undercurrent. Over time, the accumulated weight of the heavy undercurrent of anger and impotence can propel the employee towards violent action.

Five Ways to Manage Conflict Five Ways to Manage Conflict

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Avoid – Neither you nor I satisfy our concerns.

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Accommodate – I satisfy your concerns at my expense.

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Compete – I satisfy my concerns at your expense.

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Compromise – We give up some of our concerns for other concerns.

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Collaborate – Together we discover alternatives to satisfy all concerns.

There are only five ways to deal with conflict; avoid the conflict altogether, accommodate the other person(s) in the conflict and let them have their way in a gracious manner, compromise to incur a partial win, collaborate to invent a win-win outcome, or compete in a “may the best man win” style that results in a clear winner and a clear loser. Most often, people choose their conflict management strategy in a personality dependent way. If a person claims to “love a good fight,” she/he will adopt a competitive stance each time one arises, whether the situation at hand is appropriate to the approach or not. The model shown here suggests a more functional and successful means of dealing with conflict. This model asks the conflicted person to weigh the importance of the task or issue at hand with the importance of the relationship she/he has with others involved in the conflict. If the issue is of low importance, and the relationship is of high importance, the person will choose to demonstrate cooperativeness by avoiding the conflict all together, or willingly accommodating the wishes of others. If the task or issue at hand and the relationships involved are of equal importance, and there is room to be flexible, a compromise will work to resolve the conflict. If the conflict involves both issues and relationships that are of high importance, collaboration is in order. Collaboration involves creating a container for thinking. Everyone “It is the inability to manage drops in their ideas and a resolution is produced by capitalagreement that leads to conflict.” Brian Tracy izing on the combined thinking and goals of all involved. It is only when the issue or task is more important than preserving relationships that a competition needs to occur. At the end of the competition there is a clear winner who has been able to push through his/her agenda, sometimes at the expense of others involved. Thoughtful evaluation of the dynamics involved in a conflict will move the situation towards targeted and lasting resolution that effectively breaks the conflict cycle.

Remember

Major Causes of Workplace Violence 

Violent Society – We live in a society where violence is prevalent and glorified. The evening news, video games, television shows, military training, gun rights rallies and fear mongering are all at play in today’s national environment.

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De-Institutionalization – Due to prison overcrowding, violent individuals are being released earlier and without completing rehabilitation programs designed to decrease anger and violence. Additionally, those with mental health issues are seldom institutionalized these days. Many attend outpatient treatment, and others get no treatment at all.

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

Staffing – Business are typically working with the smallest staff possible. In many instances the skeleton staff isn’t trained to employ strategies that would diminish the potential for violence.

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Public Policies – A rash of new laws and changes in laws are causing public fervor. Inflammatory social issues, such as gay marriage, abortion, and immigration reform, are inflaming public passion.

Type 1 violence by criminals otherwise unconnected to the workplace, accounts for the vast majority – nearly 80 percent – of workplace homicides. In these incidents, the motive is usually theft, and, in a great many cases, the criminal is carrying a gun or other weapon, increasing the likelihood that the victim will be killed or seriously wounded. This type of violence falls heavily on particular occupational groups whose jobs make them vulnerable: taxi drivers (the job that carries by far the highest risk of being murdered), late-night retail or gas station clerks, and others who are on duty at night, who work in isolated locations or dangerous neighborhoods, and who carry or have access to cash. Preventive strategies for Type 1 include an emphasis on physical security measures, special employer policies, and employee training. In fact, it is suggested that one of the reasons for the decline in workplace homicides since the early 1990s is due to the security measures put in place by businesses that may be vulnerable to this type of activity. Because the outside criminal has no other contact with the workplace, the interpersonal aspects of violence prevention that apply to the other three categories are normally not relevant to Type 1 incidents. The response after a crime has occurred will involve conventional law enforcement procedures for investigating, finding and arresting the suspect, and collecting evidence for prosecution. For that reason, even though Type 1 events represent a large share of workplace violence (homicides in particular) and should in no way be minimized, the rest of this paper will focus mainly on the remaining types. Terrorism is included as Type 1 violence. For more information on terrorism see Attachment 11. Type 2 cases typically involve assaults on an employee by a customer, patient, or someone else receiving a service. In general, the violent acts occur as workers are performing their normal tasks. In some occupations, dealing with dangerous people is inherent in the job, as in the case of a police officer, correctional officer, security guard, or mental health worker. For other occupations, violent reactions by a customer or client are unpredictable, triggered by an argument, anger at the quality of service or denial of service, delays, or some other precipitating event Employees experiencing the largest number of Type 2 assaults are those in healthcare occupations – nurses in particular, as well as doctors, and nurses’ aides who deal with psychiatric patients; members of emergency medical response teams; and hospital employees working in admissions, emergency rooms, and crisis or acute care units. Type 3 and Type 4 violence involve incidents involving violence by past or present employees and acts committed by domestic abusers or arising from other personal relationships that follow an employee into the workplace. Violence in these categories is no less or more dangerous or damaging than any other violent act. But when the violence comes from an employee or someone close to an employee, there is a much greater chance that some warning sign will have reached the employer in the form of

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observable behavior. That knowledge, along with the appropriate prevention programs, can at the very least mitigate the potential for violence or prevent it altogether.

Strategies Specific to Type I (Criminal Intent) Prevention The potential for Type I WPV exists across all industries but is prevalent in certain industries characterized by interaction with the public, the handling of cash, etc. Certain industries in the retail trade sector (convenience and liquor stores, for example) face higher than average risks. Specific environmental, behavioral, and administrative strategies have been implemented and evaluated as a result, particularly in convenience stores. A core group of interventions has been determined to be effective in convenience stores [Hendricks et al. 1999, Loomis et al. 2002], including the following: 

Environmental interventions

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Cash control

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Lighting control (indoor and outdoor)

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Entry and exit control

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Surveillance (e.g., mirrors and cameras, particularly closed-circuit cameras)

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Signage

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Behavioral interventions

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Training on appropriate robbery response

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Training on use of safety equipment

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Training on dealing with aggressive, drunk, or otherwise problem persons

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Administrative interventions

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Hours of operation

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Precautions during opening and closing

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Good relationship with police

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Implementing safety and security policies for all workers

Some interventions for convenience stores and other workplaces are controversial or not universally agreed upon by researchers. These instructions will require additional study, including the following: 

Having multiple clerks on duty

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Using taxicab partitions

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Having security guards present

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Providing bullet-resistant barriers

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Strategies Specific to Type 2 (Customer/Client Violence) Prevention Adequate Staffing, Skill Mix One strategy that emerged from discussions of the Type 2 panel is that of ensuring adequate staffing and mix of skills to effectively serve client, customer, or patient needs. Low responsiveness and quality of service, which can result from inadequate staffing and skills of personnel, can produce frustration and agitation in clients or patients. For clients and patients, acute needs and accompanying real or perceived urgency combined with a history of violence, can place both staff and other clients/patients at risk. In addition, social services or health care workers who work alone may be vulnerable to assault, especially in worker-client relationships where the client has a criminal background or is mentally ill or emotionally disturbed. Training In addition to general training on WPV hazards and organizational policies and procedures, training specific to Type 2 violence could include recognition of behavioral cues preceding violence, violence deescalation techniques and other related interpersonal and communication skills, new requirements (in health care) for patient seclusion and restraint, and proper restraint and take-down techniques. Accreditation Criteria Tied to WPV Prevention Another strategy would have accreditation bodies specify WPV program and training requirements as criteria for successfully meeting accreditation standards for social service and health care organizations and facilities. Specific programming and training in response to the demands of meeting such criteria should improve workplace protection from client/patient-based violence.

Strategies Specific to Type 3 Violence (Worker-on-Worker) Prevention Evaluating Prospective Workers Preventing worker-on-worker violence begins during the hiring process by employers who ensure that job applicants are properly and thoroughly evaluated by means of background checks and reference verification. Training in Policies/Reporting A key in worker-on-worker violence prevention is the comprehensive reporting of all prohibited behaviors among workers, including threatening, harassing, bullying, stalking, etc. Therefore, training during new worker orientation and subsequent refresher training should focus on company WPV definitions, policies, and procedures. Also, reporting should be strongly encouraged and supported. Focus on Observable Behaviors The perpetrators are present or former workers who usually have substantial knowledge of coworkers, physical surroundings, and often security and violence prevention measures. Observation and reporting of changes in behavior that become a concern are critical. Therefore, a successful prevention strategy GTI books.com

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will provide procedures for reporting and addressing observable behaviors that elevate to concerns. A strong company focus and emphasis on the observation and reporting of behaviors that generate concern, coupled with timely and consistent response, may help create a climate that deters violent behavior. Show Workers Trust We are all happy to the extent we feel we have control over our own lives. In work environments where workers don’t feel trusted, frustration tends to grow. Potentially violent responses are reduced in workplaces where workers feel trusted and valued. The table that follows shows how varying levels of trust can cause workers to feel empowered or disempowered. The Interaction of Power and Trust Only I Low Trust

Only He

Coercion

Submission

Exploitations

Compliance

Neither Indifference

Both Competition Individualist Task focused

High Trust

Nurturance

Dependence

Mutual Empathy

Cooperation

In order to obtain worker cooperation without the use of coercion, managers and coworkers will want to formulate shared goals, allow their thinking to be influenced by one another (shared power), and negotiate trustworthy behaviors before tackling a task together. The Cooperation Model

Strategies Specific to Type 4 (Personal Relationship Violence) Prevention Training in Policies and Reporting To prevent Type 4 violence, company policies and procedures must provide workers with clear-cut information about the nature of personal relationship or intimate partner violence (IPV), its observable traits and cues, and methods for discerning it in coworkers. Employers must train workers in what to do if they suspect that a coworker is involved in interpersonal violence, either as a victim or perpetrator. Training should emphasize the relevant company policies and procedures.

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Step 1. Understanding the Violence Cycle A Culture of Support

A company should strive to create a culture of support for victims, including assurances that no penalties exist for coming forward, complete confidentiality will be observed, safety and security protocols will be implemented, and referrals to appropriate community services will be provided as options to workers. A company should also inform all workers about the consequences of being a perpetrator of IPV or any other form of WPV. The company should communicate clearly through policies and training that IPV behavior is inappropriate and will be dealt with. Furthermore, the company should attempt to create a culture that both supports victims and enables perpetrators to seek help. Providing referrals to appropriate community services and implementing long-term programs that address battering and bullying behavior are reasonable approaches. Why does it matter? Violence in the workplace affects society as a whole. The economic cost, difficult to measure with any precision, is certainly substantial. There are intangible costs, too. Like all violent crime, workplace violence creates ripples that go beyond what is done to a particular victim. It damages trust, community, and the sense of security every worker has a right to feel while on the job. In that sense, everyone loses when a violent act takes place, and everyone has a stake in efforts to stop violence from happening. The success of that effort will depend on the concern and actions of a number of constituents: Employers have a legal and ethical obligation to promote a work environment free from threats and violence, and, in addition, can face economic loss as the result of violence in the form of lost work time, damaged employee morale and productivity, increased workers’ compensation payments, medical expenses, and possible lawsuits and liability costs. As more fully discussed in the sections that follow, employers’ important roles in violence prevention can include: 

Adopting a workplace violence policy and prevention program and communicating the policy and program to employees.

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Providing regular training in preventive measures for all new/current employees, supervisors, and managers.

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Supporting, not punishing, victims of workplace or domestic violence.

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Adopting and practicing fair and consistent disciplinary procedures.

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Fostering a climate of trust and respect among workers and between employees and management.

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When necessary, seeking advice and assistance from outside resources, including threat-assessment psychologists, psychiatrists and other professionals, social service agencies, and law enforcement.

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Employees have the right to expect a work environment that promotes safety from violence, threats, and harassment. They can actively contribute to preventive practices by doing the following: 

Accept and adhere to an employer’s preventive policies and practices.

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Become aware of and report violent or threatening behavior by coworkers or other warning signs.

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Follow procedures established by the workplace violence prevention program, including those for reporting incidents.

Law enforcement agencies, over the last several years, have been leading the way in how they and the rest of the criminal justice system respond to domestic and school violence. Those changes have placed greater emphasis on prevention and responding to threats and minor incidents, rather than the traditional view that police become involved only after a crime has occurred and that serious effort and police resources should be reserved for serious offenses. This proactive approach, utilizing community policing concepts, can be applied to workplace situations, as well. This approach can include: 

Outreach to employers, especially to smaller employers that do not have the resources to maintain their own security staff.

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Establishing contact and regular consultation with mental health and social service providers.

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Setting up a system for assisting employers in background checks, workplace site reviews, evacuation plans, etc.

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Assisting employers in developing prevention programs and assuring that threats or less serious incidents will be responded to.

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Training officers in threat assessment and, if a department’s resources permit, establishing a specialized threat assessment unit.

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Training officers in relevant laws (e.g. harassment and stalking) and response procedures for workplace problems.

Unions should regard workplace safety, including safety from violence, as an employee’s right, just as worthy of union defense as wages or any other contractual right. A responsible union will include these among its obligations to its members: 

Support for employers’ violence prevention policies and practices.

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Being a partner in designing and carrying out violence prevention programs.

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Defending workers’ rights to due process, but also supporting appropriate disciplinary actions that protect everyone’s safety (e.g. sanctions for bringing a weapon to the workplace).

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Cooperating with and contributing to training efforts.

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Step 1. Understanding the Violence Cycle

Occupational safety and criminal justice agencies at the state and federal level can play an obvious and important role in meeting the workplace violence challenge. Their contributions can include efforts to: 

Improve monitoring and refine methods of calculating the incidence and costs of workplace violence.

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Continue developing and refining model policies and violence prevention plans and conduct public awareness campaigns to inform employers about preventive strategies.

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Give special attention to developing strategies that can improve violence prevention in smaller companies and for lower-paid, lower-status workers.

Medical, mental health, and social service communities also have a valuable role to play. Their contributions can include: 

Refining and improving threat assessment methods and intervention strategies.



Outreach to employers, including smaller employers, to educate about risks and offer services for problem employees or in violence prevention planning.

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Additional research in such areas as detecting warning signs, treatment of potentially dangerous people, workplace violence prevention training, incident monitoring and measurement, support services for victims, and helping employees after a traumatic event.

Legislators, policymakers, and the legal community can review legal questions raised by efforts to prevent and mitigate threats and violence. Legislators, policymakers, and the legal community might consider whether adjustments to gun laws, laws governing privacy and defamation, the Americans with Disabilities Act, wrongful termination, and other legal areas have to be made to facilitate preventive efforts while still protecting individual rights.

Planning and Strategic Issues Planning Principles:

Tip Any organization, large or small, will be far better able to spot potential dangers and defuse them before violence develops and will be able to manage a crisis better if one does occur, if its executives have considered the issue beforehand and have prepared policies, practices, and structures to deal with it.

As with most other risks, prevention of workplace violence begins with planning. Also, as with other risks, it is easier to persuade managers to focus on the problem after a violent act has taken place than it is to get them to act before anything has happened. If the decision to plan in advance is more difficult to make, however, it is also more logical. In forming an effective workplace violence strategy, important principles include: There must be support from the top. If a company’s senior executives are not truly committed to a preventive program, it is unlikely to be effectively implemented. 

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

There is no one-size-fits-all strategy. Effective plans may share a number of features, but a good plan must be tailored to the needs, resources, and circumstances of a particular employer and a particular workforce.



A plan should be proactive, not reactive.



A plan should take into account the workplace culture: work atmosphere, relationships, traditional management styles, etc. If there are elements in that culture that appear to foster a toxic climate – tolerance of bullying or intimidation; lack of trust among workers, between workers and management; high levels of stress, frustration and anger; poor communication; inconsistent discipline; and erratic enforcement of company policies – these should be called to the attention of top executives for remedial action.

Planning for and responding to workplace violence calls for expertise from a number of perspectives. A workplace violence prevention plan will be most effective if it is based on a multidisciplinary team approach. Managers should take an active role in communicating the workplace violence policy to employees. They must be alert to warning signs, the violence prevention plan and response, and must seek advice and assistance when there are indications of a problem. Practice your plan! No matter how thorough or well-conceived, preparation won’t do any good if an emergency happens and no one remembers or carries out what was planned. Training exercises must include senior executives who will be making decisions in a real incident. Exercises must be followed by careful, clear-eyed evaluation and changes to fix whatever weaknesses have been revealed.

Reevaluate, rethink, and revise. Policies and practices should not be set in concrete. Personnel, work environments, business conditions, and society all change and evolve. A prevention program must change and evolve with them. The components of a workplace violence prevention program can include:  A statement of the employer’s no threats and violence policy and complementary policies, such as those regulating harassment, and drug and alcohol use.  A physical security survey and assessment of premises.  Procedures for addressing threats and threatening behavior.  Designation and training of an incident response team.  Access to outside resources, such as threat assessment professionals.

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Step 1. Understanding the Violence Cycle  Training of different management and employee groups.  Crisis response measures.  Consistent enforcement of behavioral standards, including effective disciplinary procedures.

Written Workplace Violence Policy Statement Remember In defining acts that will not be tolerated, the statement should make clear that not just physical violence but threats, bullying, harassment, and weapons possession are against company policy and are prohibited.

Here, an employer sets the standard for acceptable workplace behavior. The statement should affirm the company’s commitment to a safe workplace, employees’ obligation to behave appropriately on the job, and the employer’s commitment to take action on any employee’s complaint regarding harassing, threatening, and violent behavior. The statement should be in writing and distributed to employees at all levels.

Preventive Practices Preventive measures can include pre-employment screening, identifying problem situations and risk factors, and security preparations: 

Pre-employment Screening. Identifying and screening out potentially violent people before hiring is an obvious means of preventing workplace violence. Pre-employment screening practices must, however, be consistent with privacy protections and antidiscrimination laws.

A thorough background check can be expensive and time-consuming. The depth of pre-employment scrutiny will vary according to the level and sensitivity of the job being filled, the policies and resources of the prospective employer, and differing legal requirements in different states. However, as an applicant is examined, the following can raise red flags: 

A history of drug or alcohol abuse.

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Past conflicts (especially if violence was involved) with coworkers.

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Past convictions for violent crimes.

Other red flags can include a defensive, hostile attitude; a history of frequent job changes; and a tendency to blame others for problems.

Identifying Problem Situations and Risk Factors of Current Employees Problem situations – circumstances that may heighten the risk of violence – can involve a particular event or employee, or the workplace as a whole. No “profile” or litmus test exists to indicate whether an employee might become violent.

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Instead, it is important for employers and employees alike to remain alert to problematic behavior that, in combination, could point to possible violence. No one behavior in and of itself suggests a greater potential for violence, but all must be looked at in totality. Risk factors at times associated with potential violence include personality conflicts (between coworkers or between worker and supervisor); a mishandled termination or other disciplinary action; bringing weapons onto a worksite; drug or alcohol use on the job; or a grudge over a real or imagined grievance. Risks can also stem from an employee’s personal circumstances – the breakup of a marriage or romantic relationship; other family conflicts; financial or legal problems; or emotional disturbance. Other problematic behavior also can include, but is not limited to: 

Increasing belligerence

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Ominous, specific threats

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Hypersensitivity to criticism

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Recent acquisition/fascination with weapons

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Apparent obsession with a supervisor or coworker or employee grievance

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Preoccupation with violent themes

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Interest in recently publicized violent events

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Outbursts of anger

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Extreme disorganization

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Noticeable changes in behavior

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Homicidal/suicidal comments or threats

Though a suicide threat may not be heard as threatening to others, it is nonetheless a serious danger sign. Some extreme violent acts are in fact suicidal – wounding or killing someone else in the expectation of being killed, a phenomenon known in law enforcement as “suicide by cop.” In addition, many workplace shootings often end in suicide by the offender. While no definitive studies currently exist regarding workplace environmental factors that can contribute to violence, it is generally understood that the following factors can contribute to negativity and stress in the workplace, which, in turn, may precipitate problematic behavior. Such factors include: 

Understaffing that leads to job overload or compulsory overtime

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Frustrations arising from poorly defined job tasks and responsibilities

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Downsizing or reorganization

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Labor disputes and poor labor-management relations

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Poor management styles (for example, arbitrary or unexplained orders; over-monitoring; corrections or reprimands in front of other employees, inconsistent discipline)

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Inadequate security or a poorly trained, poorly motivated security force

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Step 1. Understanding the Violence Cycle 

A lack of employee counseling



A high injury rate or frequent grievances that may be clues to problem situations in a workplace

Security Survey and Measures: One important tool can be a questionnaire or survey for employees to get their ideas on the occurrence and potential for violent incidents and to identify or confirm the need for improved security measures. Surveys can be repeated at regular intervals, or when operations change or an incident of workplace violence has occurred, to help identify new or previously unnoticed risk factors. Responses can help identify jobs, locations, or work situations where the risk of violence appears highest. As well as being trained in how to respond to violent incidents, security personnel should be trained in techniques for handling threats or other confrontations without letting them escalate into violence. Security supervisors should have an up-to-date contact list for all employees, in case there is a need to advise workers of an emergency or distribute other information. There should also be a list of outside emergency contacts: police, rescue, medical, social service, violence assessment and employee assistance professionals, etc. The security director should maintain regular liaison with local law enforcement agencies, familiarizing them with the company’s location and with evacuation and other emergency plan. The floor plan and physical layout of a workplace should be reviewed and, if necessary, modified to improve employees’ safety. Aspects to consider include: 

Visibility



Alarm signals or emergency phones

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Control of access



Arrangement of workspace so employees cannot be trapped in a small enclosure

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Adequate and clearly marked escape routes A plan for emergency evacuation should be designed and practiced. The evacuation plan should include not only procedures for getting workers out of a building, office, or plant, but some method for those evacuated to assemble or report in so that it can be determined who is safe and who may still be missing. Evacuation plans should include provisions for workers with disabilities – for example, a way to make sure warnings are received by employees who may be hearing-impaired and a system for safely evacuating anyone who uses a wheelchair.

Addressing Threats and Threatening Behavior Many times, a violent act is preceded by a threat. The threat may have been explicit or veiled, spoken or unspoken, specific or vague, but it occurred. In other instances, behavior may be observed by others, which might suggest the potential for some type of violent act to occur. Yet in other cases, it may be the

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off-handed remark or comments made to people close to the individual, which may suggest problematic behavior. Dealing with threats and/or threatening behavior – detecting them, evaluating them, and finding a way to address them – may be the single most important key to preventing violence. Any workplace violence strategy must include measures to detect, assess, and manage threats and behavior. Saying that is easier than doing it. Most people agree that it is much easier to deal with a physical assault or homicide than with a threat. Normally there is no doubt that a homicide or assault has been committed; often it is harder to establish that a threat has been made. In addition, the effects of a threat are subjective and subtle, and usually there is no physical evidence. Some threats are not criminal and, therefore, not subject to law enforcement intervention and prosecution. Despite these difficulties, threat response is an essential component of any workplace violence plan. The first need, obviously, is to define the term. What Constitutes a Threat? Webster’s Dictionary defines a threat as “a statement or expression of intention to hurt, destroy, punish, etc., as in retaliation or intimidation.” That’s clear enough, as far as it goes, but it leaves open a question that legal authorities or employers have to answer in framing and carrying out a policy on threats: who determines when an intention to hurt has been expressed? A purely subjective determination – whatever makes someone feel threatened is a threat – is an uncertain guide for behavior, since different people can respond differently to the same words or acts. Employees who are required to observe “no threat” rules have a right to a reasonably clear statement of what will be considered threatening behavior. That does not mean that subjective factors can or should be completely excluded from the definition, however. Employees can and should be held responsible for a reasonable regard for the feelings and concerns of coworkers and others in the workplace, and employers properly have an obligation to make sure employees do not feel frightened or intimidated. For these reasons, a workplace violence prevention program addressing threats needs to include both a subjective and objective component. It must set reasonably explicit standards of behavior so employees know how they are expected to act or not act; it must also make clear to employees that no one has a right to make anyone else feel threatened. The definition of a threat for workplace conduct standards need not be the same as the definition of a threat as a criminal offense. A sample definition could be “an inappropriate behavior, verbal or nonverbal communication, or expression that would lead to the reasonable belief that an act has occurred or may occur which may lead to physical and/or psychological harm to the threatened, to others, or to property.” Alternative: “Any verbal or physical conduct that threatens property or personal safety or that reasonably could be interpreted as intent to cause harm.” Identifying and Reporting Threats and Threatening Behavior: The best plans for threat assessment and response will be useless if employers or those assigned to respond to workplace violence don’t know that a threat has been made. Detecting threats depends in large

Step 1. Understanding the Violence Cycle

Tip To encourage reporting, employers can create a climate in which safety is accepted as a common goal for workers and management, and all employees, including management, feel free to report disturbing incidents or possible danger signs.

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measure on the workplace culture. If employees are too afraid or too alienated from management to report violent or threatening behavior by coworkers, no violence prevention program will be effective. Along with encouraging employees to report violence or threats, employers also have to inform them where to report and what to report. A designated office or person to whom complaints are directed, and perhaps a hotline number or suggestion box for employees who prefer to remain anonymous, can provide a concrete and clear venue for reporting.

To the extent that employees feel comfortable in reporting incidents to their immediate supervisors, the information may come through the normal management channels. However, having additional reporting channels can facilitate reporting where an employee finds it difficult to report through a supervisor. Whatever reporting system is adopted, publicizing it on bulletin boards, employee newsletters, and notices distributed with paychecks, or other means, will help ensure that all workers know how to report any behavior they consider troubling. Knowing that reports will be heard and responded to is just as important as knowing how to report incidents. A feedback procedure, through which employees will be notified and subject to confidentiality rules on how their reports were investigated and what actions were taken, will provide assurance and helpful “closure” to employees who make a report. To further facilitate the identification of threats, employees, supervisors, and managers can receive training to help them detect out-of-bounds behavior or other warning signs. Training can also help educate workers and supervisors on how to respond to someone who seems troubled or potentially dangerous and how to report that behavior to managers. Training can also include a very clear statement to all employees on what to do if they see or become aware of a weapon (in almost all circumstances, leave the location and call for help). Any training program should be sensitive to cultural assumptions and stereotypes and emphasize focusing on an individual’s manner, conduct, and behavior rather than ethnic or other group identity or a “profile” of a dangerous person. For more information on how to conduct a threat assessment see Attachment 4.

Fourteen Warning Signs of Impending Violence Place a checkmark beside each item that might describe a member of your workforce.  Persons who exhibit an obsession with weapons.  Persons who make veiled or clear threats.  Persons who attempt to intimidate or instill fear in others.

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 Persons who demonstrate obsessive behavior concerning their job.  Persons who are overly isolative or brooding and don’t relate often with others.  Persons who are persistent in demonstrating unwanted romantic interest in others.  Persons exhibiting paranoid behavior.  Persons who cannot calmly accept criticism.  Persons who hold grudges, either silently or with ongoing verbalization.  Persons having recent family, financial, social, legal, or spiritual distress.  Persons exhibiting undue interest in recently publicized violent acts.  Persons who consistently test the boundaries of acceptable behavior.  Persons who have recently made extreme changes in their behavior or beliefs.  Persons who are easily agitated and take longer to “wind down” after each episode of agitation or aggression. Although a person exhibiting a single behavior from this list is less likely to react with violence than a person who possesses multiple behaviors, it is still quite possible that a person with only one violent propensity will react violently to a specific stressor. Recently a young man on the East Coast received a text from a young woman he didn’t even know. She was a friend of a friend. During the text exchange, the young woman mentioned the fact that she knew the young man’s brother had committed suicide in the not-too-distant past. The reference to his brother so enraged the young man that he rode his bicycle across town and hunted until he found the woman, and then violently attacked her, kicking her in the head until she was unconscious. Just after the attack, during police questioning, the man admitted that he didn’t even remember what the young woman wrote; the reference to his brother’s death so enraged him that he acted without even reading the full text message. It is difficult to predict what might trigger an episode of violence. It depends entirely on what a person infers about the situation at hand, however the 14 signs should not be ignored. It is quite appropriate to refer a person, with one, or several of these signs, to see a counselor for evaluation and treatment.

Intervening with Dangerous People It is not uncommon these days to discover that business must be conducted with a dangerous person. Nurses, social workers, police, security guards, and customer service representatives might find themselves face to face with an agitated person with a history of violence, or violent propensities. These guidelines will assist in keeping workers safe when interfacing with dangerous people. When you have to respond to a dangerous person, you need to react in a manner that reduces the danger inherent in the situation and adheres to your agency’s threat management policies. If your agency does not have a policy that gives specific guidance about the management of dangerous interviewees, these guidelines are recommended:

Step 1. Understanding the Violence Cycle

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

Hostility and anger are often reaction to fear. Do whatever possible to lessen the person’s need to be afraid of you.

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Maintain an attitude of confidence. A violent person is more likely to attack someone who appears weak, afraid, or easily intimidated. However, do not do or say anything that the interviewee might interpret as aggressive or challenging.



Do not raise your voice, argue, lecture, confront, accuse, or give advice. Instead, remain composed and speak in a gentle, soothing manner.

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Demonstrate empathy for the interviewee’s feelings of frustration and anger. Use both reflecting and paraphrasing skills to ensure that you accurately understand the person’s thoughts and feelings.

No No Do not move into the person’s space. Do not touch an angry person. Try to sit rather than stand, because sitting is a less confrontational posture. Encourage the person to sit as well; that usually has a calming effect.

If the interviewee is angry because of a mistake or inappropriate statement you made, admit your error and apologize. Position office furniture, and yourself, so that you have easy access to the door or an escape route. Avoid seating the person between you and the door. Make certain that the person also has easy access to the door so that she/he doesn’t feel trapped. When you enter a room containing a potentially violent person, move slowly. Remain on the periphery until you have sized up the situation. Watch the person’s body language for any signs of potentially violent behavior.

When in the home of a potentially violent person, try to interview the individual in the living room. Avoid both the kitchen and bedroom, since weapons are often kept in those rooms. If the person moves quickly to one of those rooms, leave immediately. Never attempt to disarm a person with a weapon. If the person has a weapon, explain calmly that you intend no harm and back away slowly, or try otherwise to get out of the situation. Never enter a potentially dangerous situation alone or without first informing others of your plans. When making home calls, always leave an itinerary with coworkers, and check in by phone according to a prearranged schedule. Never hesitate to call the police for assistance. Review the case history of potentially violent people, if possible. Advance knowledge and preparation can help you avoid a dangerous situation – or, at least, better prepare for it. Set up a code at your agency to alert coworkers and supervisors about potential danger in your office. For example, calling a coworker or supervisor and asking for “the green file” could mean “Danger, come fast!” Likewise, a buzzer system could be used to alert coworkers and supervisors that you are in a dangerous situation.

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Never overestimate your ability to handle a dangerous situation. Never underestimate the paralyzing effect of fear. Questions Worth Considering 

How has violence impacted you as a person or as a professional?

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How does workplace violence impact co-workers and clients?

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How does society respond to violence? How does it condone it? How does it condemn it?

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What frightens you the most about your workplace and the people you see daily?

It is a good exercise to ask yourself these questions at this stage in the book – either as an individual or in a group setting – and then to revisit the questions after you have completed reading the entire book.

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STEP 2

Uncover Workplace Bullying

Taken from http://www.workplacebullying.org/research/WBI-Zogby2007Survey.html

Results of the WBI U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey The Workplace Bullying Institute wrote the survey and commissioned Zogby International to collect data for the first representative study of all adult Americans on the topic of workplace bullying. The survey was sponsored by a generous gift from the Waitt Institute for Violence Prevention. The principal findings convinced doubters that bullying was a substantial problem of epidemic proportions. The findings of the study follow.

Key Findings Zogby International conducted 7,740 interviews to create a representative sample of all American adults in August, 2007. The margin of error was +/- 1.1 percentage points.

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Key Findings

Source: http://www.workplacebullying.org/research/WBI-Zogby2007Survey.html 

37 percent of workers have been bullied: 13 percent currently and 24 percent previously.

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Most bullies are bosses (72 percent).

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More perpetrators are men (60 percent) than are women (40 percent) .

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Most targets (57 percent) are women.

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Women bullies target women (71 percent), men target men (54 percent).

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Bullying is four times more prevalent than illegal discriminatory harassment.

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62 percent of employers ignore the problem.

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45 percent of targets suffer stress-related health problems.

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40 percent of bullied individuals never tell their employers.

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Only three percent of bullied people file lawsuits.

Prevalence Thirty-seven percent of the U.S. workforce (an estimated 54 million Americans) report being bullied at work; an additional 12 percent witness it. This totals 49 percent of workers. Simultaneously, 45 percent report neither experiencing nor witnessing bullying. Hence, it’s a silent epidemic.

Step 2. Uncover Workplace Bullying

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Source: http://www.workplacebullying.org/research/WBI-Zogby2007Survey.html

A Different Kind of Harassment Bullying is four times more common than harassment (based on illegal discrimination). Discriminatory conduct plays a role in only one of five bullying cases. Bullying (general harassment) is far more prevalent than other destructive behaviors covered by legislation, such as sexual harassment and racial discrimination. A Canadian survey on workplace violence found that physical violence is often reported from outside sources, such as customers, students and patients. Psychological violence is more often reported from within the organization. A U.S. study estimates one in five American workers has experienced destructive bullying in the past year. Bullying Damages Employees’ Health The mythology surrounding bullying is that targets complain and litigate frequently. However, 45 percent of targets had stress-related health problems. WBI 2003 research found that targeted individuals suffer debilitating anxiety, panic attacks, clinical depression (39 percent), and even post-traumatic stress (PTSD, 30 percent of women; 21 percent of men). In addition, once targeted, a person has a 64-percent chance of losing their job for no reason. Despite the health harm, 40 percent never report it. Only three percent sue and four percent complain to state or federal agencies. Workplace Bullying is Psychological Violence This is taken from The Canadian’s Safety Council Website at http://www.safety-council.org/info/OSH/ bullies.html. A 1999 International Labour Organization (ILO of Canada) report on workplace violence emphasized that physical and emotional violence is one of the most serious problems facing the workplace in the new millennium. The ILO definition of workplace violence includes bullying:

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“Any incident, in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work. These behaviors would originate from customers, and/or coworkers at any level of the organization. This definition would include all forms or harassment, bullying, intimidation, physical threats/assaults, robbery and other intrusive behaviors.”

Perpetrators and Targets The common stereotype of a bullied person is someone who is weak, an oddball or a loner. On the contrary, the target chosen by an adult bully will very often be a capable, dedicated staff member, well liked by co-workers. Bullies are most likely to pick on people with an ability to cooperate and a nonconfrontational interpersonal style. The bully considers their capability a threat, and determines to cut them down. Profile of a Bully Adult bullies, like their schoolyard counterparts, tend to be insecure people with poor or non-existent social skills and little empathy. They turn this insecurity outwards, finding satisfaction in their ability to attack and diminish the capable people around them. A workplace bully subjects the target to unjustified criticism and trivial fault-finding. In addition, he or she humiliates the target, especially in front of others, and ignores, overrules, isolates and excludes the target. If the bully is the target’s superior, he or she may: set the target up for failure by setting unrealistic goals or deadlines, or denying necessary information and resources; either overload the target with work or take all work away (sometimes replacing proper work with demeaning jobs); or increase responsibility while removing authority. Regardless of specific tactics, the intimidation is driven by the bully’s need to control others.

The Burden of Bullying Bullied employees waste between 10 and 52 percent of their time at work. Research shows they spend time defending themselves and networking for support, thinking about the situation, being de-motivated and stressed, not to mention taking sick leave due to stress-related illnesses. Bullies poison their working environment with low morale, fear, anger, and depression. The employer pays for this in lost efficiency, absenteeism, high staff turnover, severance packages and law suits. In extreme cases, a violent incident may be the tragic outcome. The target’s family and friends also suffer the results of daily stress and eventual breakdown. Marriages suffer or are destroyed under the pressure of the target’s anxiety and anger. Friendships cool because the bullied employee becomes obsessive about the situation.

Step 2. Uncover Workplace Bullying

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Moreover, our health care system ends up repairing the damage: visits to the doctor for symptoms of stress, prescriptions for antidepressants, and long-term counseling or psychiatric care. In this sense, we all pay.

Facts About Bullying This section is by Sam Vaknin, Ph.D, author of the book, “Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited.” Workplace bullying is also known as “workplace harassment” or “mobbing.” Tim Field of bullyonline.org defines workplace bullying as a “persistent, unwelcome, intrusive behavior of one or more individuals whose actions prevent others from fulfilling their duties.” Workplace bullying is repeatedly attacking someone verbally or physically with the intent of causing hurt, humiliation, belittlement, isolation and discrimination. Sexual harassment and racial, gender, disability, and age discrimination are also forms of workplace bullying. The bully can be an employer, peer, subordinate, or even client or a supplier. The typical bully uses aggression and violence to compensate for overwhelming feelings of inadequacy. Some bullies suffer from mental health disorders (such as Narcissistic, Paranoid and Antisocial personality disorders). Most bullies lack self-discipline, the ability to pursue long-term goals, or to work in a team. According to the United Kingdom (UK) National Workplace Bullying Advice Line, bullies feel entitled to special treatment, seek attention, lack empathy, are full of rage and envious, exploit and then discard their co-workers, and are consummate liars. In other words, bullies are emotionally immature and are exploitative control freaks. Bullying is a traumatic, stressful experience that often results in the mental breakdown and otherwise ill-health of the victim. Physical and mental health problems, fatigue, low functioning, and even suicide are common. The victims can no longer be productive at work and are sometimes forced to resign even as the bully is rewarded and promoted. Surveys in the UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and the U.S. indicate that physical violence in the workplace is rare, but one in five workers is exposed to verbal and emotional abuse. The direct and indirect costs – in healthcare, increased workloads, stunted creativity, staff turnover, reduced productivity, absenteeism, and corporate dysfunction – may amount to circa $40 billion in the UK and $200 billion in the United States. Only few countries, such as Sweden and the United Kingdom, have specific laws which tackle workplace violence, abuse, and bullying. Workers and employers lack education on how to recognize abuse, curb it, and effectively cope with its aftermath.

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Workplace bullying is exacerbated by socially sanctioned conduct, such as denial, narcissism, exploitation, and rampant competition. Questions to Ponder and Discuss How does bullying impact morale and productivity in your workplace? What measures have you taken to end workplace bullying in your organization? What is the difference between high self-esteem and narcissism?

Evil Firms, Toxic Workplaces This section is taken from http://www.kickbully.com/main.html Six signs that your workplace is toxic ... Are you working in a toxic environment?  Widespread anger and frustration: Disenchanted employees outnumber the enthusiastic ones, frustration and anger are rampant, morale is low and getting worse, nothing realistic is being done to improve morale, turnover is high and the most talented employees are quitting.  Bully is admired and his victims are belittled: A bully usually gets his/her way. There are few complaints about a bully’s brutal tactics. The company culture is to admire the winners, regardless of their tactics. A bully is widely admired as an aggressive, competitive leader. Scapegoats are found to take the blame. Blaming others is a very popular method for explaining mistakes. Problems in a bully’s department are never blamed on the bully. A bully’s victims are criticized for incompetence and a bad attitude. Employees who are accused of incompetence used to be strong performers. Personal problems are suggested as the cause of slipping performance. When employees leave, they are criticized for poor performance.  Dysfunctional processes: Here are a few questions to ask yourself about the efficiency with which your company operates:  Are there logical procedures for getting things done?  Does management conduct minimal reviews?  Do you only prepare reports that provide exactly what people need to manage the company?  Is everything you do highly targeted towards the company’s objectives?  Are assigned tasks always relevant and necessary to do your job successfully?  Does your boss always seek your input before making decisions that impact you?  Are deadlines realistic, allowing you to successfully complete your assignments without excessive overtime?

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Step 2. Uncover Workplace Bullying  Are deadlines established based on logical scheduling of larger goals?  Does your boss fight successfully to extend unrealistic deadlines?  Is it clear why and how everything is done around the company?

 Dysfunctional relationships: How employees relate to each other in a toxic workplace. Do employees in your workplace relate in the following ways?  Communicate in an insincere and intermittent manner  Hold grudges for long periods  Have negative conversations about people without them present  Criticize people before they are allowed to explain themselves  Run people down behind their back in a joking manner  Form cliques that stick together in the office and at lunch  Play favorites in work assignments to benefit people in their clique  Frequently close doors to offices when talking to someone in their clique  Obvious hypocrisy in company: Here are a few questions to ask yourself about the level of hypocrisy in your workplace:  Is there inconsistency between the publicized values of your company and the reality of day-today events?  When employees see the framed motivational posters on the walls of the break room, do they roll their eyes and make jokes?  Do speeches from company executives lack integrity?  Is a bully preaching company values, even as he violates them?  Is a bully rewarded for contributing to the bottom line instead of punished for violating company values?  Are reprimands for breaking company values ineffective and meaningless? If so, then your company is suffering from widespread hypocrisy. Symptoms of Hypocrisy in a Workplace What is Preached

What Occurs

Teamwork

Aggressive behavior

Putting company first

Internal competition

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What is Preached

What Occurs

Valuing others

Undermining others

Respecting others

Belittling others

Clear communication

Poor communication

 Cold-hearted systems for controlling people: A bully lives to control others. He thrives in a workplace that tends to dehumanize employees and control their behavior. Companies fall into this mode of operation by designing and implementing highly detailed, cold-hearted operational systems.  Operational systems include detailed reports, work programs, job descriptions and performance evaluations. Employees are criticized and punished for failing to comply, regardless of whether the task makes any sense. Ask yourself or others ... Is your workplace toxic? Support your answer by saying what symptoms, just discussed, are relevant to your workplace. Four Most-Common Workplace Bullies By Jay MacDonald • Bankrate.com

When the Campaign Against Workplace Bullying (CAWB) surveyed bullied individuals in September 2000, it found that nearly all bullies, 81 percent, were bosses. And while there were as many women bullies as men, both targeted female staff: 84 percent of women bullies aimed their actions at other women, and men pushed women around 69 percent of the time. Small businesses offer little refuge. Experts agree that bullies are as common in mom-and-pop companies as they are in large corporations. In fact, in family businesses the bully is often the tyrannical head of the family. Do you have a bully in your company? If so, CAWB data indicates that he or she probably fits into one (or more) of these bully types:  Constant critic: This extremely negative person may be viewed as a nitpicker, a perfectionist, a whiner, a complainer or a constant faultfinder. She/he is prone to lying and masks personal insecurity with public bravado. The critic uses putdowns, insults and belittling comments to undermine your self-confidence. She/he demands eye contact when speaking but avoids eye contact in a disrespectful way when you speak.  Two-headed snake: This type has a passive-aggressive, two-faced, dishonest style of dealing with people and issues. The snake pretends to be nice while sabotaging you behind your back. She/he uses friendliness to get information to use against you and works to destroy your reputation with superiors. And she/he usually takes credit for your work.

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Step 2. Uncover Workplace Bullying

 Gatekeeper: This bully is the ultimate and most transparent of control freaks. She/he constantly seeks to “one-up” you, orders you around or tries to control your circumstances. A gatekeeper seeks control of all resources – time, supplies, praise, approval, money, staffing – and makes up rules on a whim. His/her chief tool: social isolation techniques to single out and exclude you.  Screaming Mimi: This is the stereotypical bully. She/he controls through fear and intimidation. This person is emotionally out of control, impulsive, explosive, overbearing, self-centered and insensitive to needs of others. She/he’s very worried about being detected as an imposter, and her bombast often masks incompetence. Her primary bullying means: the threat of physical violence. Describe the kind of person who would be most likely to be bullied in your workplace. Describe the kind of person who would be most likely to be a bully in your workplace. Identifying “Group Bullying” Behavior: “Mobbing” Mobbing (group bullying) occurs where one bully, “through innuendo, rumors, and public discrediting” …, creates a hostile environment for the targeted person and, “gathers others willingly, or unwillingly, to participate in continuous malevolent actions to force a person out of a job or the workplace. “When the mobbing behavior finally does result in resignation, termination, or early retirement from a job or the workplace, the targeted person is portrayed as being at fault and “voluntarily” leaving. Mobbing in an organization is like cancer in that, “beginning with one malignant cell, it can spread quickly, destroying vital elements of the organization.” Discussion Does mobbing occur in your workplace? Give examples. What has been done to end this practice?

Bullying Employees can Cost Your Company By Jay MacDonald • Bankrate.com

You may have a cancer growing within your company right now and not even know it. Left untreated, it could be devastating, even terminal. That cancer is a bully. Legislation has made other forms of workplace harassment illegal, but bullying behavior remains business’s dirty little secret, a form of emotional, psychological and sometimes physical abuse that can turn making a living into a living hell. “I think this has a strong financial impact if it’s not addressed,” says Gary Namie, a psychologist and founder of the nonprofit Campaign Against Workplace Bullying. “It creates a dysfunctional workplace that is never going to be able to deal with a customer because it’s focused on itself, it has turned inward,” says Namie. “I think it can break a small business, primarily through turnover, lost productivity, litigation and health costs.”

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Crossing the Line Bullies are a classic case of nature meets nurture, according to Karlin Sloan, president of The Propeller Group, a New York City company that specializes in organizational development.

Remember “Certain behaviors are tough behavior, but are perfectly acceptable and appropriate, but bullying is where you draw the line,” says Sloan. “All bullying behavior comes from something that’s not being expressed authentically.

“It’s anger or fear feelings that are just being put out on whoever is the target. They displace all their anger on you, and that is absolutely unfair.” Invite this troubled person into a corporate culture that either ignores or tacitly approves aggressive behavior, and you could have a bully on your hands. “We define bullying as health-endangering mistreatment. If it’s not that, it’s something short of that. It’s office politics and maneuvering and gamesmanship,” says Namie. “Most bullies are not psychopaths, they are not wackos, they are not mentally ill. They are just aggressive people who are very astute at reading the cues.”

Although workplace bullies may take several forms, they share one common goal: to advance their position in the company at the expense of a co-worker, often called the target. Targeting the Top According to Namie, the destructive thing about bullies from an organizational point of view is that they tend to target your best and brightest workers: those who are technically competent, independent, possess good social skills and have strong ethics (and thus may be whistleblowers). “It’s much different than schoolyard bullying,” he says. “This target isn’t the kid with the Coke-bottle glasses. This is the worker you want, as an owner. And those are the people who are getting driven out because they are so threatening to the petty-minded one.” Targets tend to be reluctant to report bullying, primarily for fear of retribution, but also because they run the risk of being labeled a whiner or a snitch, or losing their job outright if the bully is their superior. There is little evidence that workplace bullies go on to commit workplace violence. According to the Centers for Disease Control’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), coworkers commit fewer than one in 10 acts of workplace violence. Their targets, however, are another story. If the stress of facing a bully at work every day becomes too much, the bullied may eventually snap. “Most targets are as equally likely to commit suicide as violence to others,” says Namie. “They turn inward, they blame themselves, they become depressed, they have post-traumatic stress. It’s more like domestic violence. They will often say they’ve been raped, intellectual rape.”

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Chances are you won’t even know you have a bully until a targeted employee comes to you. When that finally happens, what do you do? “First, determine the level of the problem,” says Sloan. “You may have two people coming to you saying, ‘Jim is mean!’ Well, what exactly does that mean? You have to do a little research to find out if it’s truly bullying or just an interpersonal conflict.” Even if the bullying is not illegal under current workplace legislation, Namie says it’s easy to make a business case to move swiftly against it. “Do a cost-benefit analysis of tolerating this person while all the other good, talented people you spent good money to train flee,” he says. “Is it worth keeping the one when you’ve lost the 25 in the last three years?” The next step, according to Namie, is to bring the bully behind closed doors and call him on his behavior, making it clear that his job may be in jeopardy if it continues. But never try to bring the bully and his target together, Namie advises. “Traditional conflict resolution is based on rationality. Bullies are not rational,” he says. “What they will do is sit right in that meeting and lie. In fact, they will come to that meeting with their case made that they’ve been singled out, they’ve been picked on, they’ve been discriminated against.”

Enforce Existing Workplace Policies Once the bullying problem is acknowledged, use practical, day-to-day business tools to deal with it. If you have an anti-harassment policy, make it into an omnibus policy covering all forms of harassment, not just the illegal ones. If the bully is confrontational or denies the behavior, begin your documentation just as you would for a non-performing employee. Put the person on notice, explain what is expected, define what is not tolerated, and spell out the consequences of further bullying. No Legal Recourse – yet Namie’s organization is working to pass an anti-bullying law similar to child abuse and domestic violence legislation. Until that happens, bullies will remain a dark and destructive force in business. “OSHA sticks to physical safety. British law addresses both physical and psychological safety in the workplace,” he says. “In America, psychological safety is for pansies. The mentality is, ‘Get tough, get a thicker skin, that’s why they call it work.’ “ Despite the difficulty of dealing with a bully, the very worst thing you can do is ignore such a person. Bullies rarely move on, but your best employees will.

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“Just because it’s not illegal, don’t ignore it,” warns Namie. “That’s how managers and owners fall into a trap. They say, ‘We don’t have a policy that covers it, it’s not illegal, just go away.’ That doesn’t mean it’s not an issue. That just means it hasn’t been addressed by the law.”

Prevention Taken from http://www.safety-council.org/info/OSH/bullies.html

Workplace bullies create a tremendous liability for the employer by causing stress-related health and safety problems, and driving good employees out of the organization. The business case for strict antibullying policies is compelling. Potential benefits include a more peaceful and productive workplace, with better decision making, less time lost to sick leave or self-defensive paperwork, higher staff retention, and a lower risk of legal action. Identify bullying in your staff handbook as unacceptable behavior. Establish proper systems for investigating, recording and dealing with conflict. Investigate complaints quickly, while maintaining discretion and confidentiality and protecting the rights of all individuals involved. It is important to understand fully any incidence of bullying and take the problem seriously at all levels. Organizations who manage people well outperform those who don’t by 30 to 40 percent. Development of strong interpersonal skills at all levels is fundamental to good management and a healthy workplace. There is no place for bullies in a well-run organization.

Handling Tips and Documenting Problems Do not be afraid. Believe in nothing whatsoever the bully has been saying to you. A bully works best with LIES and DECEPTION. Do not succumb! You are not the problem, the bully is! Talk to your family or close friends. Let it out of your head, do not bury it inside. It is good to know that there will be people supporting you. Keep a record of what has happened, e.g. the words used, the actions taken, the frequency, venue and time. Collect proof. Your records will come in very useful when you want to prove who the bully is or when planning to take legal action. Recruit witnesses who will provide similar substantiating documentation. Talk to a person in high position in the company about what has been going on. If the person refuses to believe in you, talk to the local unions, or employment governing bodies for advice.

You don’t drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there. — Edwin Louis Cole No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. — Eleanor Roosevelt You can get better ... or you can get bitter. — Anonymous

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Fight Back Taken from http://www.kickbully.com/main.html

Are you ready to fight a workplace bully? If so, prepare yourself for a difficult and lengthy battle. If you fight a ruthless manipulator in an emotional, haphazard way, you will be playing to his strengths. Instead, you must commit yourself to calmly and consistently attack the bully’s weaknesses. Creating an Invincible Attitude If you have the right attitude, fighting a bully isn’t painful. This section walks you through the five basic steps of creating an invincible attitude. Start with a little venting – Even though it is tempting to lose your temper and yell insults at a bully, don’t do it. You would be falling into a trap from which you may never recover. Nevertheless, you may need to vent some anger and frustration. Here are some exercises that can be practiced when you are alone and not within earshot of anyone else. Short version to vent at a bully

You’re a backstabbing, condescending, conniving, manipulative son-ofa-bitch!

Long version to vent at a bully

You’re an abusive, backstabbing, blame-shifting, condescending, conniving, controlling, deceiving, double-crossing, egotistical, evasive, fault-finding, hateful, hypocritical, irrational, irritating, judgmental, lying, manipulative, nitpicking, paranoid, pretentious, pushy, sadistic, sarcastic, self-important, self-righteous, sneaky, two-faced, underhanded, unreasonable son-of-a-bitch!

Get some perspective – A bully wants you to be overwhelmed emotionally. When you lack calm selfconfidence, she/he is in a better position to manipulate, control and undermine you. To gain control of your emotions, get some perspective. Start by asking yourself these questions: Diagnose your workplace culture 

What is the dominant culture?

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Does management encourage bullying?

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Does a bully have the support of management?

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Is there any chance the top executive will harshly discipline or fire the bully?

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Does the top executive have enough power and leadership to change the company’s culture?

Understand the results of losing to the bully 

What are the chances it will be a losing battle?

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How would I be impacted by engaging in a losing battle?

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Can I handle the downside of losing?

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

Loss of self-worth

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Sense of powerlessness

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Sense of social isolation

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Feelings of incompetence



Feelings of hopelessness, frustration, despair

Evaluate the rewards of winning 

Do I want to work here in the long term?



Is it worth the effort to conquer the bully?

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Is this job really worth fighting for?

Evaluate the alternatives to fighting 

Can I avoid the bully and maintain my dignity and happiness?

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Can I transfer elsewhere in the company without retaliation from the bully?

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Should I find a new job instead of fighting?

Face your fear of changing jobs 

How unpleasant will it be to look for another job?

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Has the bully already convinced me that I am not a competent and employable worker?

Understand the risks of doing nothing 

Is doing nothing a solution, or would things get worse?

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Will I become infected by negativity if I stay in this job?

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Will my negativity harm my personal life?

Prepare for the worst – If you expect the worst from a bully, then you won’t be surprised by his ruthless behavior. No matter how nasty things get, you can keep your cool. Then instead of being miserable, you can focus on fighting back. Even better, you can learn to appreciate the challenges and opportunities that arise from your battle with a bully, including the long-term benefits to your personal growth and emotional intelligence. Assume the worst from a bully – Realize you can’t have a normal, cooperative relationship with a bully. Expect aggression and manipulation from a bully. Expect to be surprised by vicious acts of covert aggression (backstabbing). Expect to be lied to, deceived and slandered. Expect a bully to aggressively try to destroy your career. Expect belligerence and vindictiveness from a bully. Expect to see the worst of human behavior. Assume that others will disappoint you – Don’t expect any support from co-workers. Expect some co-workers to betray you. Expect others to bad-mouth you behind your back. Expect to be blamed for problems caused by a bully. Expect to feel a loss of trust and camaraderie with your co-workers. Expect to feel isolated from your co-workers. Expect to feel betrayed and belittled. You may also expect the worst from your family. Expect no sympathy from the people you care about. Expect criticism because

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of their lack of understanding. Expect them to inadvertently exploit your emotional turmoil. Expect to be blamed for their unhappiness. Expect a nasty battle – Expect a long, drawn-out battle. Expect to make many, many mistakes. Expect things to get much worse before they start to get better. Expect many twists and turns as the battle develops. Expect nasty surprises along the way. Expect the worst from yourself. Expect to lose perspective. Expect to be overwhelmed emotionally. Expect to feel like you are failing. Expect to become discouraged. Expect to feel completely isolated. Expect a struggle to re-gain control of your emotions. Expect a struggle to push forward with your fight against bullies. Identify the ultimate value – Understand the benefits. A bully is useful to you because he provides a huge challenge. If you see it through, you will win in the long run. You are accelerating the pain, which means the pain will end sooner. The worse things get, the easier it will be to rebuild your life. You will be a better, stronger and wiser person when it is over. Winning doesn’t necessarily mean you will stay in your current job. Winning is always standing up for your rights. You will learn about true friendship (or lack thereof ). You will become a better judge of people. You will learn what to look for in future friends. You will learn what to look for in future employers. Useful reminders to yourself I appreciate the many opportunities this job provides me for personal growth. When this is over, I will be a much better and wiser person. When this is over, my life will be much better. I don’t care how bad things get; I’m going to finish this. Short-term pain is the price I must pay for long-term gain.

Practice self-awareness – Why is self-awareness important in preparing to fight a bully? Your primary weapon in fighting a bully is YOUR ATTITUDE. If you want to succeed, you don’t have the luxury of being unaware of your own strengths, weaknesses, limitations and vulnerabilities. A bully studies your weaknesses and uses them to control you. You can only get the upper hand if you become aware of your weaknesses and work through them and around them. Self-awareness is the foundation for becoming a powerful fighter. To achieve self-awareness, you must pay attention to your own emotions, attitude and behaviors, particularly in relationship to other people. Don’t worry about fixing your faults. Negative emotions and vulnerabilities tend to dissipate under the scrutiny of self-awareness. Then you become free to focus your energies in a positive way.

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Key Stages in Your Ability to Fight a Bully Stage 1 - Self awareness

Confront your own fears, guilt and emotional hot buttons.

Stage 2 - Ability to identify bullies

Know that manipulation is occurring and you are the target.

Stage 3 - Commitment

Decide you will confront bullies no matter what happens.

Stage 4 - Wisdom

Recognize that you will never change the attitude and behavior of a bully.

Stage 5 - Self-assurance

Recognize that changing your own attitude and behavior is enough.

Discussion What have you done to “beat the bully?” Was it successful? Lessons Learned: Beat Bullying in Your Organization 

First, create a healthy workplace ...

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How employees relate to each other in a healthy workplace;

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Communicate in a clear and straightforward manner

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Resolve relationship issues on a one-on-one basis

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Resolve relationship issues quickly, before they have a chance to fester

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Never talk about someone behind their back, except to praise them

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Mix widely with other employees in conversations and work assignments

Specific actions checklist ... Actions to Take  Break up cliques – they can lead to “mobbing.”  Do not tolerate scapegoating – if everything that goes wrong is consistently blamed on one individual, investigate the possibility that the person is being scapegoated.  Be aware of biases that may cloud judgment when hearing complaints of bullying, scapegoating or mobbing.  Prevent gossip – by not listening to or spreading gossip, and confronting it when it does occur.  When bullying behaviors are reported, investigate immediately and take swift action to confront the bully, then coach, counsel or discipline depending on the severity of the report.  Create “Respectful Workplace” policies that give guidelines about how to live the organizational values and communicate and relate to others in an integrity-filled manner.  Create a well-defined reporting process, and encourage its use.

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 Offer stress management training to all staff and refer employees who are showing signs of stress to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).  Provide a support system (a coach, a mentor, a desk buddy) for those who have been victimized by bullying.  If the bully is a supervisor or manager, go higher in the system and be persistent in making sure the behavior isn’t tolerated.  Fire the bully if the undesired behavior doesn’t change.  And if firing becomes inevitable, take the normal precautions:  Have others present when you fire the person.  Escort the dismissed employee from the building.  Delete the person’s password from the computer system beforehand, along with building entrance access codes, and take any swipe cards at time of termination.  Time the firing to your advantage (late Friday is best).  Make sure you have the documentation to prove that you tried to assist the person.

Domestic Violence and Stalking in the Workplace On the evening of November 8, 2001, Ana Melina Kilic was at her job in a hair-accessory shop in Harborplace, Baltimore’s showpiece downtown tourist and shopping area. At about 7 p.m., her ex-husband, Imamali Kilic, appeared in the shop with a butcher knife. Ana Kilic fled, screaming into the corridor. Imamali Kilic overtook her, grabbed her, and according to more than 20 horrified witnesses, stabbed her again and again. He kept stabbing even when about a dozen onlookers, one of them wielding a baseball bat from a nearby sports store, rushed to Ana Kilic’s rescue. They eventually subdued him, but not in time to save his victim’s life. An autopsy later determined that the 28-year-old Ana Kilic had been stabbed or slashed 29 separate times. Imamali Kilic was arrested at the scene and charged with murder. Not quite four months later, he hung himself in his cell at the Baltimore City Jail where he was awaiting trial. After surviving for a few days on a respirator, he died on March 1, 2002. The killing of Ana Kilic did not come unexpectedly out of the blue or without any efforts to prevent it – quite the opposite. In August 2001, a day after an earlier confrontation in her shop, she went to court to ask for a restraining order against her husband, whose own workplace was in the same Harborplace pavilion, one floor below. Her petition alleged that he had raped her on two occasions and, in their encounter the previous day, had threatened her with violence. The court granted a week-long restraining order, but then dismissed the case when Ana Kilic did not come back to ask for its extension. About that time, the couple’s divorce became final. A little more than a month later, Ana Kilic complained to Baltimore police that her ex-husband had abducted her, taken her to New Jersey, and raped her again. Subsequently, according to police and court

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records, he made threatening calls to her home, warning that he would kill her and “cut off her arms and legs.” He came to the shop and repeated the threats to her face, Ana Kilic told police. Arrested on charges of harassment and telephone misuse, Imamali Kilic spent a month in jail awaiting trial; then pleaded guilty to both offenses. Judge Paul A. Smith of the Baltimore Circuit Court sentenced him to three years of probation. The judge also ordered him to attend a program at a battered women’s shelter and to have no contact with his ex-wife. With that, Imamali Kilic was released from jail. One day later, Ana Kilic was murdered. The Kilic tragedy and the events that foreshadowed it illustrate one component of workplace violence: violence by a domestic partner or arising from another personal relationship that then follows someone to work. Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior in which one intimate partner uses physical violence, coercion, threats, intimidation, isolation and emotional, sexual or economic abuse to control the other partner in a relationship (American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence; A Guide for Employees: Domestic Violence in the Workplace (Washington, D.C.: 1999) p. 11). Stalking or other harassing behavior is often an integral part of domestic violence. According to a study by the University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center (Workplace Violence: A Report to the Nation. Iowa City, Iowa: February 2001. p. 12), five percent of workplace homicides (that is, about onethird of homicides not associated with a robbery or other “stranger” crime) fall into this category.* Homicides, of course, represent a tiny fraction of workplace incidents related to domestic violence. Far more frequent are cases of stalking, threats, and harassment. Often those acts are criminal offenses in their own right; however, even when harassment may not meet the legal standard for criminal penalties, it can be frightening and disruptive not just for the person who is the target, but for coworkers, as well. Frequently, employers are hesitant about involving themselves with an employee’s personal relationships. Privacy is a legitimate concern, and finding the proper boundary between private and business affairs can be a difficult and sensitive matter. But domestic violence and stalking that come through the workplace door appropriately become the employer’s concern, too. Just as a business takes responsibility for protecting its workers from assaults or robberies by outsiders, it is also responsible for protecting them against stalking or other possible crimes by domestic partners. Studies have shown that the most common stalking situations that law enforcement has to deal with are those based upon some type of personal relationship, with women primarily being victimized by males as a result of this behavior. However, in a smaller percentage of cases, both men and women can be stalked and harassed by casual acquaintances or strangers. The Following Observable Behavior may Suggest Possible Victimization  Tardiness or unexplained absences  Frequent, and often unplanned, use of leave time  Anxiety  Lack of concentration

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Step 2. Uncover Workplace Bullying  Change in job performance  A tendency to remain isolated from coworkers or reluctance to participate in social events  Discomfort when communicating with others  Disruptive phone calls or e-mail

 Sudden or unexplained requests to be moved from public locations in the workplace, such as sales or reception areas  Frequent financial problems indicating lack of access to money  Unexplained bruises or injuries  Noticeable change in use of makeup (to cover up injuries)  Inappropriate clothes (e.g., sunglasses worn inside the building, turtleneck worn in the summer)  Disruptive visits from current or former intimate partner  Sudden changes of address or reluctance to divulge where she is staying  Acting uncharacteristically moody, depressed, or distracted  In the process of ending an intimate relationship; breakup seems to cause the employee undue anxiety  Court appearances  Being the victim of vandalism or threats Domestic violence and workplace violence are also related in another way: as noted earlier in this report, the evolution of domestic violence during the last several decades as a specific legal, social, and law enforcement issue can provide a model for similarly identifying and developing responses to violence in the workplace. A particular concern when domestic and workplace violence intersects is the possibility that the victim, not the offender, will end up being punished. All too frequently, when an employee is being stalked, harassed, or threatened at work, an employer will decide that the quickest and easiest solution is to kick the problem out the door and fire the employee, rather than look for ways to protect her and her coworkers. Though common, especially when low-status, low-paying jobs are involved, this practice raises obvious ethical questions – and possibly issues of legal liability, as well. As with any other threat, the first requirement for protecting employees from domestic violence and/or stalking at the workplace is finding out that the threat exists. This can be particularly difficult in domestic abuse cases, where abuse victims often remain silent out of shame, embarrassment, a sense of helplessness, and fear. Just as a supportive workplace climate makes employees feel safe in reporting other threats, an environment of trust and respect will make it easier for someone fearing domestic violence or stalking to tell

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an employer and seek assistance or protection. Perhaps more than with any other risk, employees facing domestic threats may tend to confide most easily in coworkers, rather than supervisors, managers or a company’s security force. It is also coworkers who are most likely to sense that someone they work with may be at risk from an abusive relationship, even if the person doesn’t say anything explicitly. Employers need to be careful about violating privacy or asking employees to break a coworker’s confidence, but it is entirely reasonable and justifiable to encourage disclosure when others in the workplace may also be in danger. Beyond trying to create and maintain a generally supportive workplace atmosphere, employers can provide specific training to help the workforce to be more aware and sensitive to signs of possible domestic abuse. Training can also include teaching ways to persuade a reluctant coworker to tell supervisors and accept help an employer may be able to offer. Although domestic violence and stalking are largely thought of as violence against women and thus as a “woman’s problem,” training and awareness programs should be directed at all employees, men and women alike. For employees involved in security or who will take part in the threat assessment and response, an employer can offer additional training focusing on how best to deal with domestic abuse victims. The same or similar training should be provided to anyone working with victims in a company’s Employment Assistance Program. Both in training efforts and in providing help to at-risk workers, employers should draw on outside resources as well as their own: law enforcement, women’s law and antiviolence advocacy groups, and social service agencies, for example. When an employer becomes aware that an employee is being stalked, harassed, threatened, or abused and that the risk has or may come into the workplace, the threat should be subjected to the same evaluation procedure as any other violent threat, to assess the likelihood of violence and determine the best means of intervention. In almost all cases, employers should advise police of the circumstances, risk of violence, and possible criminal violations (of harassment or stalking laws, for instance) and involve law enforcement professionals in assessing and managing the threat. During and after the assessment, someone – from security, human resources, or a supervisor – should be responsible for keeping in close touch with the abuse victim, not only to help protect his/her safety and meet any needs that arise, but also to make sure of receiving any relevant information about the abuser (whom the victim, presumably, will know better than anyone else in her workplace). Other steps include: 

Referring the employee for emotional, legal, or financial counseling, either through the company’s own employee assistance structure or from outside practitioners, (e.g., battered women’s shelter or similar programs).



Ascertaining if the employee has sought or obtained a protective “stay-away” court order against an abusive partner or other harasser.

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Adopting policies that will allow an abused worker time off for purposes, such as going to court to seek a restraining order or appearing to testify at a criminal trial.



Reviewing the employee’s workspace and modifying it, if necessary, to make sure that a possible assailant cannot get there.

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Acting consistently with the employee’s privacy rights and wishes and taking measures to inform other employees (security guards, secretaries, receptionists, and telephone operators, for instance) so they can block an abuser’s calls or make sure he is kept out of the workplace.



Employers may consider other actions, as well. One option would be to help an employee obtain a restraining order (or obtain one on its own to keep a harasser off company property). Another would be to extend protective measures away from the worksite, looking at other places a worker may regularly go, such as a school or daycare facility where her children are enrolled, for example, and suggesting precautions that could be taken.

Actions that Reduce the Risk of Harm or Future Violence 

Seek an evaluation and advice from a qualified mental health professional or crisis intervention specialist if there are any critical risk factors.



Review and familiarize yourself with the material on the Web that pertains to crisis intervention.



Seek counseling or therapy for any emotional problems or difficulties associated with angry or violent behavior from a qualified mental health professional.



Evaluate any alcohol and other drug use and treat as recommended by a qualified professional.



Encourage a medical evaluation and treatment for any mental illness or other medical condition requiring medication or medical treatment.



If appropriate, consider enrolling and participating in an educational or skills training group that will improve communication and interpersonal skills



Develop a plan that will minimize and limit all communication that usually leads to conflict, aggression or violence and take steps to resolve problems calmly. Establish a plan that supports communication that does not increase the risk of violence and will support actions that reduce the risk of violence.



Ensure your own safety, and provide for your basic emotional and physical needs while allowing the other person to do the same.



If there is physical or sexual abuse, seek advice and further investigation from law enforcement or an attorney who has experience dealing with interpersonal violence, especially when violent or homicidal threats have been made. If appropriate, keep records of all contact, conversations and threats made by the person including dates, times and witnesses.



If appropriate, enroll in a personal safety and self-defense course. Information regarding these courses can usually be obtained through local telephone crisis services, health care facilities or through the police or sheriff ’s department.

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STEP 3.

When to Refer Employees to EAP: Detecting Mental Health Concerns

Taken from the National Institute on Mental Health at http://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/index.shtml

Personality Disorders What is a Personality Disorder? Those who struggle with a personality disorder have great difficulty dealing with other people. They tend to be inflexible, rigid, and unable to respond to the changes and demands of life. Although they feel that their behavior patterns are “normal” or “right,” people with personality disorders tend to have a narrow view of the world and find it difficult to participate in social activities.

Recognizing a Personality Disorder A personality disorder must fulfill several criteria. A deeply ingrained, inflexible pattern of relating, perceiving, and thinking serious enough to cause distress or impaired functioning is a personality disorder. Personality disorders are usually recognizable by adolescence or earlier, continue throughout adulthood, and become less obvious throughout middle age.

Frequency in the United States Personality disorders affect 10-15 percent of the adult U.S. population. Individuals may have more than one personality disorder. The following are prevalence for specific personality disorders in the general population: 

Paranoid personality disorder - 0.5-2.5 percent

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Schizotypal personality disorder – 3 percent



Antisocial personality disorder – 3 percent of men, 1 percent of women

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Borderline personality disorder – 2 percent



Histrionic personality disorder - 2-3 percent



Narcissistic personality disorder - Less than 1 percent



Avoidant personality disorder - 0.5-1 percent



Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder – 1 percent

What Causes a Personality Disorder? Some experts believe that events occurring in early childhood exert a powerful influence upon behavior later in life. Others indicate that people are genetically predisposed to personality disorders. In some cases, however, environmental facts may cause a person who is already genetically vulnerable to develop a personality disorder. Types of Personality Disorders There are many formally identified personality disorders, each with their own set of behaviors and symptoms. Many of these fall into three different categories or clusters: 

Cluster A: Odd or eccentric behavior



Cluster B: Dramatic, emotional or erratic behavior



Cluster C: Anxious fearful behavior

Since there are too many identified types of personality disorders to explain in this context, we will only review a few in each cluster. Cluster A: Schizoid Personality Disorder. Schizoid personalities are introverted, withdrawn, solitary, emotionally cold, and distant. They are often absorbed with their own thoughts and feelings and are fearful of closeness and intimacy with others. For example, a person suffering from schizoid personality is more of a daydreamer than a practical action taker. Paranoid Personality Disorder. The essential feature for this type of personality disorder is interpreting the actions of others as deliberately threatening or demeaning. People with paranoid personality disorder are untrusting, unforgiving, and prone to angry or aggressive outbursts without justification because they perceive others as unfaithful, disloyal, condescending or deceitful. This type of person may also be jealous, guarded, secretive, and scheming, and may appear to be emotionally “cold” or excessively serious.

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Schizotypal Personality Disorder. A pattern of peculiarities best describes those with schizotypal personality disorder. People may have odd or eccentric manners of speaking or dressing. Strange, outlandish or paranoid beliefs and thoughts are common. People with schizotypal personality disorder have difficulties forming relationships and experience extreme anxiety in social situations. They may react inappropriately or not react at all during a conversation or they may talk to themselves. They also display signs of “magical thinking” by saying they can see into the future or read other people’s minds. Cluster B: Antisocial Personality Disorder. People with antisocial personality disorder characteristically act out their conflicts and ignore normal rules of social behavior. These individuals are impulsive, irresponsible, and callous. Typically, the antisocial personality has a history of legal difficulties, belligerent and irresponsible behavior, aggressive and even violent relationships. They show no respect for other people and feel no remorse about the effects of their behavior on others. These people are at high risk for substance abuse, especially alcoholism, since it helps them to relieve tension, irritability and boredom. Borderline Personality Disorder. People with borderline personality disorder are unstable in several areas, including interpersonal relationships, behavior, mood, and self-image. Abrupt and extreme mood changes, stormy interpersonal relationships, an unstable and fluctuating self-image, unpredictable and self-destructive actions characterize the person with borderline personality disorder. These individuals generally have great difficulty with their own sense of identity. They often experience the world in extremes, viewing others as either “all good” or “all bad.” A person with borderline personality may form an intense personal attachment with someone only to quickly dissolve it over a perceived slight. Fears of abandonment may lead to an excessive dependency on others. Self-mutilation or recurrent suicidal gestures may be used to get attention or manipulate others. Impulsive actions, chronic feelings of boredom or emptiness, and bouts of intense inappropriate anger are other traits of this disorder, which is more common among females. Narcissistic Personality Disorder. People with narcissistic personality have an exaggerated sense of self-importance, are absorbed by fantasies of unlimited success, and seek constant attention. The narcissistic personality is oversensitive to failure and often complains of multiple somatic symptoms. Prone to extreme mood swings between self-admiration and insecurity, these people tend to exploit interpersonal relationship. Cluster C: Avoidant Personality Disorder. Avoidant personalities are often hypersensitive to rejection and are unwilling to become involved with others unless they are sure of being liked. Excessive social discomfort, timidity, fear of criticism, avoidance of social or work activities that involve interpersonal contact are characteristic of the avoidant personality. They are fearful of saying something considered foolish by others; worry they will blush or cry in front of others; and are very hurt by any disapproval by others. People with avoidant personality disorder may have no close relationships outside of their family circle, although they would like to, and are upset at their inability to relate well to others. Dependent Personality Disorder. People with dependent personality disorder may exhibit a pattern of dependent and submissive behavior, relying on others to make decisions for them. They require ex-

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cessive reassurance and advice, and are easily hurt by criticism or disapproval. They feel uncomfortable and helpless if they are alone, and can be devastated when a close relationship ends. They have a strong fear of rejection. Typically lacking in self-confidence, the dependent personality rarely initiates projects or does things independently. This disorder usually begins by early adulthood and is diagnosed more frequently in females than males. Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder. Compulsive personalities are conscientious and have high levels of aspiration, but they also strive for perfection. Never satisfied with their achievements, people with compulsive personality disorder take on more and more responsibilities. They are reliable, dependable, orderly, and methodical, but their inflexibility often makes them incapable of adapting to changed circumstances. People with compulsive personality are highly cautious, weigh all aspects of a problem, and pay attention to every detail, making it difficult for them to make decisions and complete tasks. When their feelings are not under strict control, events are unpredictable, or they must rely on others, compulsive personalities often feel a sense of isolation and helplessness.

Professional Help When these characteristics are carried to an extreme, when they endure over time and when they interfere with healthy functioning, a diagnostic evaluation with a licensed physician or mental health professional is recommended. Treatment of the Personality Disorder There are many types of help available for the different personality disorders. Treatment may include individual, group, or family psychotherapy. Medications, prescribed by a patient’s physician, may also be helpful in relieving some of the symptoms of personality disorders, including problems with anxiety and perceptions.

Bipolar Disorder Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. Symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. They are different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through from time to time. Bipolar disorder symptoms can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. But bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives. Bipolar disorder often develops in a person’s late teens or early adult years. At least half of all cases start before age 25. Some people have their first symptoms during childhood, while others may develop symptoms late in life. Bipolar disorder is not easy to spot when it starts. The symptoms may seem like separate problems, not recognized as parts of a larger problem. Some people suffer for years before they are properly diagnosed and treated. Like diabetes or heart disease, bipolar disorder is a long-term illness that must be carefully managed throughout a person’s life.

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Symptoms of mania or a manic episode include:

Symptoms of depression or a depressive episode include:

Mood Changes

Mood Changes

A long period of feeling “high,” or an overly happy A long period of feeling worried or empty or outgoing mood Extremely irritable mood, agitation, feeling “jumpy” or “wired.”

Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, including sex.

Behavioral Changes

Behavioral Changes

Talking very fast, jumping from one idea to another, having racing thoughts

Feeling tired or “slowed down”

Being easily distracted

Having problems concentrating, remembering, and making decisions

Increasing goal-directed activities, such as taking on new projects

Being restless or irritable

Being restless

Changing eating, sleeping, or other habits

Sleeping little

Thinking of death or suicide, or attempting suicide

Having an unrealistic belief in one’s abilities Behaving impulsively and taking part in a lot of pleasurable, high-risk behaviors, such as spending sprees, impulsive sex, and impulsive business investments

Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a serious disorder which affects how a person thinks, feels and acts. Someone with schizophrenia may have difficulty distinguishing between what is real and what is imaginary; may be unresponsive or withdrawn; and may have difficulty expressing normal emotions in social situations. Contrary to public perception, schizophrenia is not split personality or multiple personality. The vast majority of people with schizophrenia are not violent and do not pose a danger to others. Schizophrenia is not caused by childhood experiences, poor parenting or lack of willpower, nor are the symptoms identical for each person. What are the early warning signs of schizophrenia? The signs of schizophrenia are different for everyone. Symptoms may develop slowly over months or years, or may appear very abruptly. The disease may come and go in cycles of relapse and remission. Behaviors that are early warning signs of schizophrenia include: 

Hearing or seeing something that isn’t there



A constant feeling of being watched



Peculiar or nonsensical way of speaking or writing

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

Strange body positioning



Feeling indifferent to very important situations



Deterioration of academic or work performance



A change in personal hygiene and appearance



A change in personality



Increasing withdrawal from social situations



Irrational, angry or fearful response to loved ones



Inability to sleep or concentrate



Inappropriate or bizarre behavior



Extreme preoccupation with religion or the occult

Schizophrenia affects about one percent of the world population. In the United States, one in 100 people, about 2.5 million, have this disease. It knows no racial, cultural or economic boundaries. Symptoms usually appear between the ages of 13 and 25, but often appear earlier in males than females. What are the symptoms of schizophrenia? A medical or mental health professional may use the following terms when discussing the symptoms of schizophrenia. Positive symptoms are disturbances that are “added” to the person’s personality. 

Delusions – false ideas – individuals may believe that someone is spying on them, or that they are someone famous.



Hallucinations – seeing, feeling, tasting, hearing or smelling something that doesn’t really exist. The most common experience is hearing imaginary voices that give commands or comments to the individual.



Disordered thinking and speech – moving from one topic to another, in a nonsensical fashion. Individuals may make up their own words or sounds.

Negative symptoms are capabilities that are “lost” from the person’s personality. 

Social withdrawal



Extreme apathy



Lack of drive or initiative



Emotional unresponsiveness

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Interviewing Persons With Mental Health Issues Staff Info-sheet  Eliminate any preconceived ideas you may have about persons with mental illness. Most mental health patients pose no danger to themselves or others. Most have their symptoms under control with medication.  Remember that persons with mental health issues have the same physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs as any other person.  Keep in mind that this person may have experienced a series of failures in life that have served to undermine confidence and self-esteem.  Use language that is clear, concrete and straightforward.  Adjust the length of the interview to accommodate persons who exhibit short attention spans.  Remember that psychotropic medications tend to slow the person’s thinking and speech. Give ample time for responses.  This person may have a low tolerance for frustration. Show patience, and reassure the person that you will help them get their needs met.  If the person exhibits odd or unusual behavior during the interview, ask what she/he is doing, seeing, hearing, feeling or experiencing. Reassure the person that you believe what she/he is experiencing is very real to them but that you perceive no danger in the situation.  If the person becomes agitated or emotional during the interview take a break and allow the person to regain composure. Reduce the stimulus around the person as much as possible and take a few deep, calming breaths with the person.  Persons need to be referred immediately to a mental health center when they; voice ideas about suicide or homicide, appear to be actively hallucinating, or appear to be responding to delusional beliefs.  Persons who are experiencing disruptive side effects from their medications also need to be referred to the prescribing doctor for medication management. Noticeable side effects may include a stilted gait, tongue darts, mouth movements, contraction of neck muscles, tremors in hands, legs and feet, balance problems, and thick speech.  Persons who reveal that they are not taking prescribed medications need to be referred to their doctor.

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Interviewing Persons who Abuse Substances Info-sheet  Substance abuse continues to grow in frequency in everyone’s community. Although crack and cocaine have probably attracted the greatest amount of attention and media coverage, alcohol abuse is still probably the most frequent chemical abuse problem confronting an organization. You should follow these guidelines when you interact with a substance-abusing interviewee:  Be nonjudgmental and patient.  If you confront the person, do so in a helping manner, not an accusatory manner. This is best accomplished by asking the client questions in kind, yet firm, tones about his/her behavior, thoughts or feelings.  If an interviewee comes to an interview drunk or under the influence of other chemicals, do not attempt to conduct the interview with the interviewee. Explain politely that you must postpone the interview because you need to be sure that you can get accurate and detailed information from the interviewee. An interviewee under the influence of alcohol or other drugs cannot provide accurate and detailed information; so, the postponement is for the interviewee’s benefit as well as yours. Reschedule the interview for an agreed time when the interviewee is likely to be sober. The interviewee may become angry, but you should remain calm, polite, and firm.  Be prepared to refer substance-abusing interviewees to community resources that can provide assistance. Alcoholics Anonymous and other alcohol or drug treatment programs continue to offer effective treatment.  Never lend money to a substance-abusing or substance-impaired interviewee.  Never protect a substance-abusing interviewee from the consequences of substance abuse. Remember that there is a difference between substance use and abuse. If the person does not view their substance use as abuse they are not likely to follow up with referrals to drug or alcohol programs. They may still be employable so long as their use of substances does not interfere with daily occupational functioning.

Behavioral Management of the “Insight Resistant” Person Despite your best efforts you may encounter interviewees that resist looking at their own behaviors and predicaments in an insight producing manner. Often times discovering new insights is hard, even painful. When your attempts to engage these “insight resistant” persons fail, you may find the following “behavior management” tips useful.  Offer kind, yet firm, direction to the interviewee stating what she/he needs to do in the situation being discussed. Use the word “need” or “want” as opposed to “should, ought to, got to, or must.”  Begin your instruction with the word “I”, not the word “you.”

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Step 3. When to Refer Employees to EAP  Detail the benefits to the person to be gained from following your instructions.  Detail the unwanted consequences to the interviewee if she/he fails to follow your instructions.

 Ask the person to tell you what she/he plans to do in order to comply with your direction and when they intend to do it.  Restate your instructions if they do not appear to have a good grasp of the instruction or how to follow it.  Write down the instructions and the timelines they have set to accomplish their task.  Throughout the process be sure to use plain language that can be easily understood.  Provide contact information so that the interviewee can contact you with questions or problems they may have when attempting to follow your directions.

Interest-Based Problem Solving Questions to encourage insight, teach risk assessment, problem-solving and decision-making skills. Given the situation that you are in, what do you want to see as a result? Can you tell me three options that you have for getting the result you want? A) B) C) What are the risks involved (what might go wrong) in each of your options? A) B) C) Which set of risks are you best able to control, and how will you control them? What is your plan? Activities

Timeline

Person Responsible

1. 2.

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How Well do you Relate to Others? A Self-Assessment Tool It sounds harsh to suggest that you may make yourself a target for violence based on your personality, behavior or disposition, but it is true that people who are hard to get along with incur violent responses more frequently than those who create less distress for others. Check yourself out here to evaluate how well you relate to others. In daily conversations, do you make it a point to try to make others feel good about themselves? a) often

b) sometimes

c) rarely

Do you encourage others to express their views and listen intently even though you may not agree with them? a) often

b) sometimes

c) rarely

Do you avoid manipulating others by not attempting to control the situations and circumstances they find themselves in? a) often

b) sometimes

c) rarely

Do you make it a practice to criticize privately and praise publicly? a) often

b) sometimes

c) rarely

Do you view yourself as a perceptive person who quickly tunes in to the mental and emotional states of others? a) often

b) sometimes

c) rarely

Do you avoid pointing out the errors of others, especially when doing so would serve no useful purpose? a) often

b) sometimes

c) rarely

Do you avoid using conversations with others to vent your own frustrations, complaints, hostility and anger? a) often

b) sometimes

c) rarely

Do you limit interruptions and distractions while conversing with others? a) often

b) sometimes

c) rarely

Do you refrain from teasing others by pointing out their shortcomings? a) often

b) sometimes

c) rarely

Do you ask for feedback from others to ascertain their opinions regarding your behavior or actions? a) often

b) sometimes

c) rarely

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Do you consider yourself to be a person with a pleasing personality? a) often

b) sometimes

c) rarely

Are you a person who generally initiates conversation with others rather than waiting for them to begin? a) often

b) sometimes

c) rarely

Do you consider yourself a good listener? a) often

b) sometimes

c) rarely

Are you comfortable taking critical feedback from others? a) often

b) sometimes

c) rarely

Do you avoid interrupting others to make your own point? a) often

b) sometimes

c) rarely

Do you ask frequent questions of others during conversation as a means of showing interest and gaining a clear understanding of the other’s views and concerns? a) often

b) sometimes

c) rarely

Do you avoid exaggerating facts to gain attention for yourself or your point of view? a) often

b) sometimes

c) rarely

Do you make it a practice to offer others developmental feedback instead of criticism, being sure that they understand where they are doing well, where they are falling short, and specifically what they might do to improve? a) often

b) sometimes

c) rarely

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Please answer yes or no to the following questions.  Is there adequate lighting for parking lots and entrances?  Are workers encouraged to walk in groups to parking areas?  Are shrubs and bushes low and well trimmed, so they make poor hiding places?  Are there “high risk” times when few people are working and can be easily isolated?  If stairwells lock from the outside, are there warning signs to prevent people from becoming trapped?  Are there locks on all restroom doors?  Are there accessible telephones on which people can easily dial emergency numbers without first dialing pass codes?  Are workers who travel out into the community encouraged to carry cell phones?  Is your building equipped with silent alarm buttons, metal detectors, and/or security guards?  Is building access well controlled with only one or two entrances available to the public?  Is your office or cubicle arranged so that you have clear access to the door?  Have you arranged your furniture to avoid placing visitors between you and the door?

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 Have you been taught how to inspect your car prior to entering it to prevent car-jacking attempts?  Is there a written threat management policy and process in your organization?  Have you discussed safety/security among members of your work team so that you have a plan if trouble develops?

Customer Service: Check Yourself Out Staff Assessment Even expert interviewers sometimes find themselves in situations where they feel unprepared to deal with the challenges presented. We must first look at the most controllable aspects of a challenging situation, and everyone has more control over themselves than any other element of any situation. Use this survey as a training tool to help staff discover what they might be doing to contribute to a potentially threatening situation.  Do you react emotionally to personal insults leveled at you by a customer?  Do you personalize impersonal information directed at you by a customer?  Do you listen well to all information surfaced during the interview, including both factual and feelings-based messages?  Do you monitor your own body language, voice tone and facial expressions to be sure that you are sending a congruent, non-threatening and consistent message to the customer?  Do you use interviewing techniques, such as open- and closed-ended questions, paraphrasing and summarization effectively?  Do you complete most interviews in the allotted timeframes?  Do you find creative and effective ways to communicate across barriers, such as language differences or communication disabilities, such as deafness, blindness or a customer’s inability to speak?  Do you appropriately assert yourself when challenged by a customer?  Do you listen to all of the facts surfaced during interviewing before forming judgments and making decisions about the interviewee?  Do you enjoy the interviewing process and try to make the interview an enjoyable experience for the interviewee, as well?

Case Studies Taken from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management at http://www.opm.gov/Employment_and_Benefits/WorkLife/OfficialDocuments/ handbooksguides/WorkplaceViolence/p2-c1.asp

The case studies presented in this section are derived from real-life situations that have arisen in federal agencies. They are intended to provide assistance to agency planners as they develop workplace violence programs and assess their readiness to handle these types of situations. It should be noted that, in some

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of the case studies, the circumstances have been modified to make them better learning tools. Ask your threat management team to use these case studies as rehearsal tools to become better prepared for all types of WPV.

Case Study 1 — A Shooting The Incident The report comes in: Two employees have been killed in the workplace and two have been wounded. A witness has called 911, and the police and ambulances have arrived. The perpetrator (an agency employee) has been taken into custody, the victims are being sent to the hospital, and the police are interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence. Response In this situation, the agency’s crisis response plan called for the immediate involvement of: 

A top management representative,



A security officer,



An employee relations specialist,



An Employee Assistance Program counselor, and



An official from the public affairs office.

Top management representative. The manager, an assistant director of a field office with 800 employees, coordinated the response effort because she was the senior person on duty at the time. In addition to acting as coordinator, she remained available to police throughout the afternoon to make sure there were no impediments to the investigation. She immediately called the families of the wounded and assigned two other senior managers to notify the families of the deceased. She also arranged for a friend of each of the deceased coworkers to accompany each of the managers. She took care of numerous administrative details, such as authorizing expenditures for additional resources, signing forms, and making decisions about such matters as granting leave to coworkers. (In this case, the police evacuated the building, and employees were told by the assistant director that they could go home for the rest of the day, but that they were expected to return to duty the following day.) To ensure a coordinated response effort, she made sure that agency personnel involved in the crisis had cell phones for internal communication while conducting their duties in various offices around the building. Security staff. The security staff assisted the police with numerous activities, such as evacuating the building. Employee Relations Specialist. The employee relations specialist contacted the agency’s Office of the General Counsel (OGC) and Office of Inspector General (OIG) and alerted them to the situation so

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that they could immediately begin to monitor any criminal proceedings. He made a detailed written record of the incident, but he did not take statements from witnesses because it could have impeded the criminal investigation and possible subsequent prosecution of the case. He also helped the supervisor draft a letter of proposed indefinite suspension pending the outcome of the potential criminal matter. He worked closely with the OGC, OIG, and prosecutor’s office to obtain relevant information as soon as it was available so the agency could proceed with administrative action when appropriate. Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Counselor. The agency had only one EAP counselor on duty at the time. However, in prior planning for an emergency, the agency had contracted with a local company to provide additional counselors on an “as needed” basis. The one EAP counselor on duty called the contractor, and four additional counselors were at the agency within an hour. The counselors remained available near the scene of the incident to reassure and comfort the employees. Since they were not agency employees, they wore readily visible identification badges. After the Office of Inspector General received permission from the prosecutor’s office, the agency EAP counselor arranged for a series of Critical Incident Stress Debriefings (CISD) to take place two days later. She also arranged for two contract EAP counselors to be at the workplace for the next week to walk around the offices inquiring how the employees were doing and to consult with supervisors about how to help the employees recover. Public Affairs Officer. The Public Affairs Officer handled all aspects of press coverage. She maintained liaison with the media, provided an area for reporters to work, and maintained a schedule of frequent briefings. She worked closely with the agency’s Office of Congressional Relations, who handled calls from congressional offices about the incident. Questions for the Agency Planning Group 

How would your agency have obtained the services of additional EAP counselors?



How would employees be given information about this incident?



Who would clean up the crime scene?



Would you relocate employees who worked in the area of the crime scene?



What approach would your agency take regarding granting excused absence on the day of the incident and requests for leave in the days/weeks following the incident?



How would you advise management to deal with work normally assigned to the victims/ perpetrator?



What support would your agency provide to supervisors to get the affected work back to functioning?

Case Study 2 — Viciously Beating and Wounding a Coworker The Incident The following incident was reported to the agency’s Incident Response Team. A female employee had broken off a romantic relationship with a male coworker, but he wouldn’t leave her alone. She finally had

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a restraining order served to him. After receiving the restraining order, the perpetrator lost control and entered the woman’s office. He hit her; she fell from her chair. While she was on the floor, he broke a soda bottle and cut her face with the broken glass. While this was going on, coworkers heard the commotion and called the police. The perpetrator fled the scene before police arrived, and the victim was transported to the hospital. Response The Incident Response Team immediately implemented the following plan. Security. The security officer worked with hospital security to ensure that the victim got around-theclock security while she was in the hospital. He ensured that the hospital staff knew not to give out any information about the victim to callers. He gave the victim advice, reading material, and a video on personal safety. He made sure the perpetrator’s card key was inactivated, and he had pictures of the perpetrator made for the building guards. He coordinated efforts with local police. Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The EAP counselor visited the victim in the hospital and ensured that she was being seen regularly by a social worker on the hospital staff. She worked with the victim’s colleagues to help them be supportive of the victim when she came back to work. The EAP counselor visited the worksite to let coworkers know she was available to them. Employee Relations. The employee relations specialist contacted the agency’s Office of General Counsel and Office of Inspector General and alerted them to the situation so that they could begin to monitor any criminal proceedings. He helped the supervisor develop a notice of proposed indefinite suspension using the crime provision set forth in 5 USC 7513(b). Union. The union was fully supportive of the agency’s efforts to help the victim. Since both the victim and the perpetrator were bargaining unit employees, the union was aware of its role to represent all employees in the bargaining unit. In this particular case, the perpetrator grieved, but because of the viciousness of the attack, union officials were reluctant to take the case to arbitration. In addition, realizing that this could happen to other employees, the union officials obtained brochures on stalking from their national headquarters and invited an expert speaker on the subject to a chapter meeting. Supervisor. The employee’s supervisor obtained all the necessary forms and assisted the employee in filing an Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) claim to pay for hospital and medical costs. The supervisor and the employee’s coworkers visited her in the hospital, kept in touch with her during her convalescence, and kept her up-to-date on news from the office. Agency Attorney. An agency attorney maintained contact with the local prosecutor’s office. Resolution The police caught and arrested the perpetrator after about 10 days. The agency proposed and effected a removal action against the perpetrator based on a charge of “Wounding a coworker.” He did not appeal the action.

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The employee remained hospitalized for two days and then went to the home of a friend until the perpetrator was apprehended. She remained at home for another two weeks before returning to work. Her OWCP claim was accepted. She continues to stay in touch with the Employee Assistance Program counselor who had visited her at the hospital and assisted her during her time away from the office. The counselor referred her to a support group for battered women, and she finds it very helpful. The perpetrator was found guilty and received jail time. After jail time was served, and at the suggestion of an agency attorney, the court forbade the perpetrator to contact the victim or the agency as one of the conditions of probation. The security officer alerted security guards and discussed security precautions with the victim, ensuring that there would be an effective response if the perpetrator violated this restriction. Questions for the Agency Planning Group 

Who at your agency would monitor the proceedings of the criminal case, e.g., to be aware of the situation if the perpetrator got out of jail on bail or probation?



Does your security office maintain liaison with and keep in contact with agency or local law enforcement authorities in order to coordinate efforts in these types of cases?



Do you have a procedure in place for cleaning up the scene of the incident after investigators are finished examining it?



Would employees at your agency know who to call in an emergency – for example, 911, the Federal Protective Service, in-house security, or in-house law enforcement?

Case Study 3 —A Suicide Attempt The Incident A member of the agency’s Incident Response Team received a frantic call from an employee saying that her coworker just left her office muttering about the final straw – you all won’t have me to push around anymore. She said she’s been worried for weeks about the possibility of her coworker committing suicide and knows now she should have called earlier. The staff member who took the call told the employee to see if she could find her coworker and remain with her. Help was on its way. Response For incidents involving suicide threats, the agency’s plan was to call local police if there seemed to be imminent danger and, if not enough was known about the situation, to contact security and the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) counselor to do an immediate assessment of the situation. The team member who took the initial call first contacted a security officer who immediately located the two employees. The EAP counselor could not be reached immediately, so the team member called an employee in the Human Resources (HR) department who had earlier volunteered to help out in emergency situations (she had been trained in her community in dealing with suicide attempts).

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The HR specialist arrived at the distressed employee’s office within two minutes of the call. The employee was crying at this point and making statements such as, “No one can help me” and “It’ll be over soon.” The HR specialist recognized what was happening and asked the security officer to call police and an ambulance and tell them there was a suicide attempt. After calling the police, the security officer went outside to meet the emergency workers and direct them to the scene. The HR specialist then learned from the woman that an hour earlier she had swallowed 10 pills. The police and ambulance were on the scene within three minutes of the call, and the woman was hospitalized. The HR specialist contacted the employee’s family and then prepared a report of the incident. The Employee Assistance Program counselor consoled and supported the coworker who had initially called the Incident Response Team. Emergency treatment was successful, and the employee was admitted to the hospital’s psychiatric unit. The EAP counselor and HR specialist stayed in touch with the employee and supported her in planning her return to work. She returned to work four weeks later, functioning with the help of anti-depressant medication and twice-weekly psychotherapy sessions. With the employee’s consent, the EAP counselor arranged a meeting involving the employee, her supervisor, and the Human Relations specialist to coordinate her treatment and work activities. The supervisor agreed to adjust the employee’s work schedule to fit her therapy appointments as a reasonable accommodation, and the supervisor provided guidance on procedures and medical documentation requirements for leave approval. The counselor, supervisor, and employee agreed on a plan for getting the employee immediate emergency help should she feel another crisis coming on. Resolution Two years later, the employee is doing well, working a normal schedule, and continues to be a productive employee. She no longer takes anti-depressant medication, but she stays in touch with both her psychiatrist and the EAP counselor. Questions for the Agency Planning Group 

Does your agency have back-up plans for situations where key team members are not available?

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Has your agency identified employees with skills in handling emergencies?

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Does your workplace violence policy and training encourage employees to report incidents at an early stage?

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Does your workplace violence policy and training encourage employees to seek guidance with regard to problems that trouble them even when they don’t fully understand the nature of the problem?

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If the employee had left the building before emergency personnel arrived, does your plan provide for contacting the appropriate authorities?

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Case Study 4 – Stalking The Incident A supervisor called the Employee Relations office to request a meeting of the workplace violence team for assistance in handling a situation he’s just learned about. He was counseling one of his employees about her frequent unscheduled absences, when she told him a chilling story of what she’s been going through for the past year. She broke up with her boyfriend a year ago, and he’s been stalking her ever since. He calls her several times a week (she hangs up immediately). He shows up wherever she goes on the weekends and just stares at her from a distance. He often parks his car down the block from her home and just sits there. He’s made it known he has a gun. Response This agency’s plan calls for the initial involvement of security, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and employee relations in cases involving stalking. The security officer, the EAP counselor, and employee relations specialist met first with the supervisor and then with the employee and supervisor together. At the meeting with the employee, after learning as much of the background as possible, they gave her some initial suggestions. 

Contact her local police and file a report. Ask them to assess her security at home and make recommendations for improvements.

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Log all future contacts with the stalker and clearly record the date, time, and nature of the contact.



Let voicemail screen incoming phone calls.

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Contact her phone company to report the situation.

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Give permission to let her coworkers know what was going on (she would not agree to do this).

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Vary her routines, e.g., go to different shops, take different routes, run errands at different times, report to work on a variable schedule.

The team then worked out the following plan: The employee relations specialist acted as coordinator of the response effort. He made a written report of the situation and kept it updated. He kept the team members, the supervisor, and the employee apprised of what the others were doing to resolve the situation. He also looked into the feasibility of relocating the employee to another worksite. The security officer immediately reported the situation to the local police. With the employee’s consent, she also called the police where the employee lived to learn what steps they could take to help the employee. She offered to coordinate and exchange information with them. The security officer arranged for increased surveillance of the building and circulated photos of the stalker to all building guards with instructions to detain him if he showed up at the building. She brought a tape recorder to the employee’s desk and showed her the best way to tape any future voicemail messages from the stalker. She also contacted the agency’s phone company to arrange for its involvement in the case.

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The Employee Assistance Program counselor provided support and counseling for both the employee and the supervisor throughout the time this was going on. He suggested local organizations that could help the employee. He also tried to convince her to tell coworkers about the situation. The union arranged to sponsor a session on stalking in order to raise the consciousness of agency employees about the problem in general. After a week, when the employee finally agreed to tell coworkers what was going on, the EAP counselor and security officer jointly held a meeting with the whole work group to discuss any fears or concerns they had and give advice on how they could help with the situation. Resolution In this case, the employee’s coworkers were supportive and wanted to help out. They volunteered to watch out for the stalker and to follow other security measures recommended by the security specialist. The stalker ended up in jail because he tried to break into the employee’s home while armed with a gun. The security officer believes that the local police were able to be more responsive in this situation because they had been working together with agency security on the case. Questions for the Agency Planning Group 

What would you do in a similar situation if your agency doesn’t have security guards?

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What would you do if coworkers were too afraid of the stalker to work in the same office with the employee?

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What would you do if/when the stalker gets out of jail on bail or out on probation?

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Would your Office of Inspector General have gotten involved in this case, e.g., coordinated agency efforts with local law enforcement agencies?

Case Study 5 – A Domestic Violence Situation The Incident A team member, the employee relations specialist, receives a phone call from an employee. She reports that she has just finished a long conversation with a friend and coworker, a part-time employee, who revealed to her that she is a victim of domestic violence. To her surprise, she learned that the woman’s husband has been abusing her since their first child was born. He is careful to injure her only in ways that do not leave visible signs, and she feels sure no one would ever believe her word against his. The family’s assets, even “her” car, are all in his name, and her part-time salary would not be enough for herself and the children to live on. Further, he has threatened to kill her if she ever leaves him or reveals the truth. After talking with the employee, the coworker agreed to let the situation be reported to the workplace violence team.

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Response The employee relations specialist agreed to meet with both employees immediately. The abused woman asked to have her friend along and, at the employee relations specialist’s suggestion, gave her permission to explain the situation to the two employees’ supervisor. After interviewing her in a caring, supportive way to get basic information, she asked other team members, the security director and the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) counselor, to join her in analyzing the situation. Then she met with the abused employee, her friend (at her request), and her supervisor to report on the team’s recommendations. The Employee Assistance Program counselor arranged for the abused woman to see another counselor, who had an open appointment that same day, for counseling and referral to the community agencies that could help her. The counselor referred her to a comprehensive shelter for victims of abuse. She explained the comprehensive services the shelter could offer her: a safe place to stay with her children, advice on how to get out of her home situation safely, legal advice, and much other helpful information. At first, the employee was afraid to change the status quo. After several meetings with the Employee Assistance Program counselor and encouraging talks with her friend, she agreed to talk with the shelter staff. Her friend drove her to the meeting. They worked with her to develop a safe plan for leaving home with her children. The employee asked the workplace violence team to coordinate with the shelter staff. After discussing her plan with them, the security director identified that right after she left home would be a high-risk period and arranged for a guard to be at the workplace during that time. He supplied photographs of the husband to the guard force. With the woman’s consent, the supervisor and security director discussed the situation with coworkers, shared the picture with them, and explained what they should do in various contingencies. At the meeting, one coworker began complaining about the danger to her. The friend argued persuasively that, “This could happen to any of us. Would you rather we stick together, or leave one another to suffer alone?” This rallied the group, and the coworker decided to go along with the others. The supervisor agreed to use flexitime and flexiplace options to make the employee more difficult to find. Not only would she be working a different schedule; she would report to a suburban telecommuting center instead of the agency’s central office. The supervisor explained to the employee that she would like very much to have her on board full time, as she was an excellent worker, but that there was no position available. However, she encouraged her to seek a full-time job, and made phone calls to colleagues in other departments to develop job leads for her. One of her professional associates offered to allow the employee to use their organization’s career transition center, which had excellent job search resources, and was located in a different part of town from her normal worksite.

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The employee executed her plan for leaving home and moved to the shelter with her children. She worked with an attorney to obtain financial support and to begin divorce proceedings. She often had times of doubt and fear but found the shelter staff very supportive. Her coworkers encouraged her to call daily with reports on her progress. The husband appeared at the office only once, a few days after his wife moved into the shelter. He shouted threats at the security guard, who calmly called for backup from the local police. Fearing for his reputation, he fled the scene before police could arrive. The guard force continued to monitor any efforts by the husband to gain entry to the building. Six months later, the employee obtained a full-time position at a nearby office within the same agency. She discovered that they also had a workplace violence team and made them aware of her situation, just in case she should need their help. She and her children have moved into an apartment. The children are seeing a child psychologist, recommended by the Employee Assistance Program counselor, to help them make sense of an upsetting situation, and she attends a support group for battered women. Her friend from her former office has helped her with encouragement, support, and suggestions on how to handle the stresses of single parenthood. Questions for the Agency Planning Group 

Are your team members knowledgeable about domestic violence?



What do you think about the role of the friend? How would you encourage agency employees to support coworkers in these types of situations?



Does your agency have access to career transition services to help in these types of situations?



Has your planning group identified someone knowledgeable about restraining/protective orders to discuss with the employee the pros and cons of obtaining one?

Case Study 6 – A Threat The Incident At a smoking break with one of his colleagues from down the hall, an employee was reported to have said,” I like the way some employees handle problems with their supervisors – they eliminate them. One of these days, I’m going to bring in my gun and take care of my problem.” The employee who heard the statement reported it to his supervisor, who, in turn, reported it to his supervisor, who called a member of the workplace violence team. Response In the case of a reported threat where there does not appear to be an imminent danger, the agency’s plan called for the employee relations specialist to conduct an immediate preliminary investigation and

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for the team to meet with the supervisor immediately afterward to look at the available evidence and strategize a preliminary response. That afternoon, the employee relations specialist interviewed the employee who heard the threat, the supervisor of the employee who made the threat, and subsequently the employee who allegedly made the threat. The employee who made the threat denied saying any such thing. There were no witnesses. The supervisor of the employee who allegedly made the threat reported that, several months earlier, the same employee had responded to his casual question about weekend plans by saying, “I’m going to spend the weekend in my basement with my guns practicing my revenge.” At that time, the supervisor had warned the employee that such talk was unacceptable at work and referred the employee to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Both supervisors expressed concern for the safety of their. Based on comments from supervisors and the employee who made the threat, the employee relations specialist recommended that a more thorough investigation be done. At the meeting where the employee relations specialist’s findings were discussed, the following people were present: the first-and second-level supervisor of the employee who allegedly made the threat, an associate director of the agency, the agency security officer, the employee relations specialist, the EAP counselor, and an attorney with the General Counsel’s Office. One of the team members recommended that the employee be given a counseling memo and referred to the Employee Assistance Program. The consensus of the others, however, based on the employee relations specialist’s oral report, was to recommend to the supervisor that the employee be placed on excused absence pending an investigation and that he be escorted from the premises. The security officer and the employee’s second-level supervisor went together to give the alleged threatener a letter that stated, This is to inform you that effective immediately you will be in a paid, non-duty status, pending an agency determination regarding your actions on June 10. You are required to provide a phone number where you can be reached during working hours. They also took away his identification badge and office keys, and escorted him to the building exit. The team consulted with the agency’s Office of Inspector General which arranged for a criminal investigation to be conducted. The criminal investigator interviewed all of the employee’s coworkers and two other employees who the coworkers indicated had knowledge of this employee’s prior statements against his supervisors. He then interviewed the alleged threatener. The criminal investigator checked to see if the employee had a police record. He did not. The investigator also checked his workplace to see if he had any weapons at the office or if he had any written material of a threatening nature. The search of his workplace found nothing of consequence. The investigative report showed that the employee told his coworkers on several occasions that he had no respect for his supervisor and that he thought that threatening him was an effective way to solve his problems with him. Signed statements indicated that he bragged about knowing how to get his way with his boss.

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The prosecutor’s office, after receiving the investigative report, made a determination that it would not prosecute the case and informed management that they could proceed with administrative action. The team recommended a proposed removal action since the evidence showed that the employee was using threats to intimidate his supervisor. Resolution The second-level supervisor proposed a removal action based on a charge of “threatening a supervisor.” A top manager, who had not been directly involved in the case, initially insisted that the agency enter into a settlement agreement that would, among other things, give the employee a clean Standard Form (SF) 50. However, based on the particular facts in this case, the team convinced him that he was not solving any problems by settling the case in this way and was, in fact, just transferring the problem to another unsuspecting employer. The top manager finally agreed, and the employee was removed from federal service.

Even though the agency did not settle the case, and did, in fact, effect a removal action, the employee was soon hired by another agency anyway. The new agency never checked his references and is now experiencing the same type of intimidating behavior from the employee.

Questions for the Agency Planning Group 

What would your agency have done about checking references before hiring this employee?



What do you think would have been the risks of settling the case with a clean SF 50?



How would your agency have handled the case if the key witness (i.e., the employee who heard the threat) had demonstrated certain behavior that cast doubt on his credibility?

Case Study 7 – Veiled Threats The Incident A team member took a phone call from a supervisor who said, “One of my employees said this morning that he knows where my kids go to school. I know that doesn’t sound like much to you, but if you saw the look in his eyes and heard the anger in his voice, you’d know why I need your help in figuring out what to do.” Response The team member who took the call heard more details about the incident and then set up a meeting with the supervisor who made the report, a security specialist, an employee relations specialist, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) counselor.

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At the meeting, the supervisor who made the report told the team that the employee who said that he knows where his kids go to school had been engaging in intimidating behavior against him for the past year since he became his supervisor. The supervisor had spoken with him on several occasions to let him know that his behavior was unacceptable. He also had given him a written warning along with a written referral to the EAP. Because the office was in a General Services Administration controlled building, the security specialist then called the regional office of the Federal Protective Service (FPS). The FPS contacted the threat assessment unit of the state police, who agreed to assign a threat assessment consultant to assist the agency. In a phone consultation with the team, the threat assessment consultant suggested that the team arrange for an immediate investigation by an investigator who was experienced in workplace violence cases. The investigator should explore the following areas: 

What further background information can be learned about the relationship between the supervisor and alleged threatener?



What is the relationship between the supervisor and his other employees and coworkers?

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Have there been problems of a similar nature with the alleged threatener’s previous supervisors? If so, how were they resolved or handled? If there were problems with previous supervisors, were they similar to or different from the current situation?



What are the alleged threatener’s relationships with coworkers? Might there be other potential victims? Are there also interpersonal problems between the alleged threatener and other employees?



Are there unusually stressful problems in the life of the alleged threatener, e.g., divorce, financial reversal, or any other recent significant traumatic event?



Does anyone else feel threatened based on their interaction with the alleged threatener?



Does the alleged threatener have access to weapons? Has he recently acquired weapons?

The threat assessment consultant scheduled another telephone consultation with the team for three days later. He also suggested that the investigator not interview the alleged perpetrator until after the next phone consultation. The investigation was conducted immediately by a professional investigator and the team reviewed the investigative report prior to the next phone conversation with the threat assessment consultant. The report contained statements by the employee’s supervisor about veiled threats the employee had made, such as “If you give me that assignment, you’ll be sorry, I know where you live, and I see you every day on your way to work.” (The employee lived at the opposite end of town from the supervisor.) Also in the investigative report was a transcript (and a tape recording) of two voicemail messages that the supervisor found intimidating – one in which the employee said he needed annual leave that day to go for target practice and another one in which he said he couldn’t come to work that day because he had to go hunting. Again, the supervisor’s statement showed that he considered the employee’s tone of voice to be intimidating and said that, on the day previous to each of these phone calls, the employee had acted as though he was angry about new assignments the supervisor had given him. The supervisor said he had taken several precautions as a result of the threats.

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For example, he told his children to take precautions, installed deadbolt locks at his home, and asked the local police to do a security survey of his home. In addition to the investigative report, the security office obtained a police record showing a misdemeanor conviction for spousal abuse several years earlier. Participating in the phone consultation with the threat assessment consultant was the workplace violence team, the second-line supervisor, and the director of the office. The purpose of the consultation was to: 

Analyze the information contained in the investigative report,



Determine what additional information was needed,

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Determine whether to interview the alleged perpetrator,



Help the team members organize their thinking about how to proceed with the case, and



Discuss a range of options that could be taken.

The threat assessment consultant recommended that the investigator interview three coworkers, the employee’s ex-wife, and subsequently the alleged threatener. The purpose of the interview with the alleged threatener would be to corroborate what was said by the others and get his explanation of why he made the statements. The interview would also communicate to him that this kind of conduct had been noticed, troubled people, and was not condoned. He advised that security measures, including having a security officer in the next room, be taken when the alleged threatener was interviewed. The threat assessment consultant also gave the team guidance in the preservation of evidence, such as written material and tape recordings, and in the documentation of all contacts. During the interview, the alleged threatener made what the investigator believed were several additional veiled threats against the supervisor. He even behaved in a way that led the investigator to be concerned about his own safety. Based on the findings of the investigation, the threat assessment consultant concluded that the employee presented behaviors that showed that a real possibility existed that the employee, if pushed, might carry out some of his threats toward the supervisor and his family. He expressed concern that, if the employee continued to work in the same office, the situation could escalate. Management decided to place the employee on excused absence for the safety of the threatened supervisor. The threat assessment consultant worked with team members to develop a plan for ongoing security. For example, he suggested the team identify one member to coordinate case management, recommended monitoring any further communication between the employee and other agency employees (e.g., any phone calls, any e-mail messages, and any showing up at residences were to be reported to the case manager). He recommended that security officials be in the area, though not visible, whenever meetings were held with the employee. The threat assessment consultant remained available for telephone consultation as the team carried out the plan.

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Resolution Though the agency had concerns that any agency action might trigger an action against the supervisor’s family, the agency went ahead and removed the employee based on a charge of threatening behavior. The agency’s analysis considered the credibility of the supervisor and employee, and the information and evidence gathered. The employee did not appeal the removal action. The agency security officer gave the supervisor advice on personal safety and discussed with him the pros and cons of obtaining a restraining order for his family. The security officer also helped the supervisor get in touch with the local office of victim assistance for additional ideas on ways to protect his family. The threat assessment consultant also spoke with the supervisor and suggested that he may want to go to the school, school bus driver, and neighbors and make them aware of the problem and the alleged threatener’s appearance (show them his picture). The reason for involving the school and neighbors would be to encourage them to report any suspicious activities to the police. He also talked to the supervisor about police involvement and discussed filing criminal charges. If the police said the situation was not serious enough to file criminal charges, he suggested finding out from the police what was serious enough to warrant an arrest. For example, he could explore with police what would constitute a pattern of behavior that might be considered serious enough to pursue action under the state’s stalking or harassment statute. Questions for the Agency Planning Group 

If this incident were reported at your agency, would you have used a criminal investigator or administrative investigator to conduct the initial investigation?



If your agency has a criminal investigative service, have you discussed the feasibility of involving agency criminal investigators at an early stage in the process of dealing with threatening behavior, i.e., in situations where threatening behavior does not yet rise to the level of a crime?



Has your agency identified a threat assessment professional to whom you could turn for assistance if the need arose?



How does your agency keep up with Merit Systems Protection Board case law on charges and threats?



If this happened at your agency, and the threatening behavior continued, what would you do to protect the supervisor and his family?

Case Study 8 – A Threat The Incident A visibly upset male employee cornered a female employee in her office, and said quietly and slowly that she” will pay with her life” for going over his head to ask about his work. The male employee then stared at his coworker with his hands clenched rigidly at this side before leaving the office and slamming the door behind him. The female employee, fearful and shaken, reported this to her supervisor, who immediately reported the incident to the director of Employee Relations.

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Response The agency’s response plan calls for involvement of Employee Relations, Security and the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) in cases involving threats. Immediately following the report to the response team, the security officer contacted the female employee to assist her in filing a police report on the threat and to discuss safety measures that she should be taking. The victim was also referred to the EAP, where she received brief counseling and educational materials on handling severe stress. An investigation was immediately conducted by an investigator from the Office of Inspector General. In her statement, the female employee repeated what she had reported to the supervisor earlier about the threat. In his statement, the male employee stated that, on the day in question, he had been upset about what he felt were some underhanded activities by the female employee and his only recollection about the conversation was that he made a general statement like “You’ll pay” to her. He stated that this was not a threat, just an expression. The investigation showed that the employee had several previous incidents of intimidating behavior which had resulted in disciplinary actions. Resolution After reviewing the results of the investigation, the supervisor proposed a removal action, finding that the female employee’s version of the incident was more credible. In his response to the proposed notice, the employee brought in medical documentation that said he had a psychiatric disability of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which caused his misconduct, and he requested a reasonable accommodation. The deciding official consulted with an agency attorney and employee relations specialist who explained that nothing in the Rehabilitation Act prohibits an agency from maintaining a workplace free of violence and threats of violence. Further, they explained that a request for reasonable accommodation does not excuse employee misconduct nor does it shield an employee from discipline. The deciding official determined that removal was the appropriate discipline in this case. The employee did not appeal the action. Questions for the Agency Planning Group 

Do you agree with the agency’s approach in this case?



If this situation occurred at your agency, would you have involved law enforcement early in the process?



Who would conduct the investigation at your agency?



What else would your agency have done to protect the employee?



Would you have requested more medical documentation from the employee?



What risks must be balanced when selecting a penalty?

Case Study 9 – A Threat Made During an EAP Counseling Session The Incident When the employee first contacted the in-house Employee Assistance Program (EAP) counselor several months earlier, he said that he had been referred by his supervisor because of frequent tardiness

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and his inability to complete his assignments on time. He complained of listlessness, lack of interest in his job, and inability to sleep. The counselor referred the employee to a psychiatrist for evaluation. The employee agreed to sign releases so the counselor could contact both his supervisor and the psychiatrist. The psychiatrist diagnosed depression, prescribed an anti-depressant, and referred the employee for psychotherapy. Several weeks later, the supervisor called the EAP counselor to report that the employee often came in looking disheveled; coworkers complained that his speech and manner were sometimes bizarre; and he bragged of drinking large amounts of alcohol each evening. The counselor immediately called the employee and asked him to come in for a follow-up visit. He agreed and appeared late that afternoon in a euphoric state. He said that he had never felt better in his life and had decided against psychotherapy. The counselor encouraged him to return to the psychiatrist for re-evaluation, but he refused. The employee was in a talkative mood and began to reminisce about his federal career – first his early successes, then recent disappointments, such as being passed over repeatedly for promotions and failure to receive any type of recognition. As he continued, he revealed in a matter-of-fact tone that he had been spending his evenings planning revenge on his managers because they had treated him unfairly for many years, and they deserved to be punished. He believed he had planned the “perfect murder” and that he would never be caught. Thinking at first that he was just venting his frustration, the counselor questioned him further and quickly realized that he was very serious. She urged him to call his psychiatrist immediately, and he again refused but said he would “think about calling” in a day or two. Response As soon as the employee left her office, the EAP counselor called the psychiatrist and asked whether he viewed the employee’s statement as a threat. The psychiatrist said he believed it was a serious threat and recommended that she take immediate action. The EAP counselor called the police and agency officials and informed them about the situation. The following morning when the employee reported to the office, he was met by the local police. A police officer brought him to the community’s emergency services clinic for an evaluation and subsequently transported him to the hospital. He remained in the hospital for several weeks. Resolution Following discharge, the employee remained at home for several more weeks, during which time agency management held many discussions with his treating and consulting physicians. It was finally decided that the employee would be allowed to return to work, and not removed from his position, on the condition that, as long as he remained an employee of the agency, he would continue in psychotherapy, remain on medication as prescribed, refrain from alcohol and other drug abuse, and be seen on a regular basis by a psychiatric consultant to the agency. The employee agreed to the plan, often known as a last chance agreement. Although coworkers had been concerned about the employee’s strange behavior and had seen him removed from the premises by the police, several had visited him in the hospital and were supportive

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of his return to the office. He worked his remaining years with no further problems, then retired and moved to another state. Questions for the Agency Planning Group 

Do you agree with the agency’s approach in handling this case?



Would you have let the employee back to work after his hospitalization? What information would you need to make this determination?



What safety precautions would your agency take if you did/did not take him back?



What should the EAP counselor have done if he denied making the threat?



Would your agency have proposed disciplinary action prior to the last chance agreement?

Case Study 10 – Threats Made by an Ex-Employee The Incident The first incident report that came in to the agency’s newly formed workplace violence team was from a field office. Two months after an employee retired on disability retirement, he began threatening his ex-supervisor. He knocked on his ex-supervisor’s apartment door late one evening. He left threatening statements on the supervisor’s home answering machine, such as “I just wanted to let you know I bought a gun.” On one occasion, a psychiatrist called the supervisor and the agency’s security office and told them that the ex-employee threatened to murder his ex-supervisor. The psychiatrist said the threat should be taken seriously especially because he was drinking heavily. A coworker received an anonymous letter stating, “It is not over with [name of supervisor].” Each time a threat was reported, the agency’s security office would take extra measures to protect the supervisor while at the workplace and the supervisor would report the incident to the local police. Each time, the supervisor was informed that the police were unable to take action on the threats because they did not rise to a criminal level. The supervisor spoke with the county magistrate about a restraining order, but again was told the threats did not rise to the level required to obtain a restraining order. Response The workplace violence team held a conference call with the threatened supervisor, the director of the office, and the security chief of the field office. They suggested the following actions. Recommendations for the security officer: 

Confirm the whereabouts of the ex-employee and periodically reconfirm his whereabouts.



Meet with local police to determine whether the ex-employee’s behavior constitutes a crime in the jurisdiction and whether other applicable charges (such as stalking or harassment) might be considered. Ask if the police department has a threat assessment unit or access to one at the state level. Ask police about contacting the US Postal Service for assistance in tracing the anonymous letter (18 USC 876).

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

Meet with the psychiatrist who called the agency and ask him to send a letter to the chief of police reporting the threats. Also, inform the psychiatrist about the ex-employee’s behavior and discuss whether or not involuntary hospitalization might be an option. Attempt to establish an ongoing dialogue with the psychiatrist and try to get a commitment from him to share information about the case to the extent allowed by confidentiality.



Provide periodic updates to the threatened supervisor on the status of the case, actions taken, and actions being contemplated.



Provide support and advice to the threatened supervisor, including telephone numbers and points of contact for local telephone company, local law enforcement, and local victim assistance organizations.

Recommendations for the director of the field office: 

Meet with security and police to consider options (and their ramifications) for encouraging the ex-employee to cease-and-desist his threatening activities.



Provide support to the supervisor by encouraging the supervisor to utilize the Employee Assistance Program.

Recommendations for the threatened supervisor: 

Keep detailed notes about each contact with the ex-employee. Give copies of all the notes to the police. (They explained to the supervisor that in all probability, each time he went to the police, it was treated like a new report, and thus, as individual incidents, they did not rise to the level of a crime.)



Contact the phone company to alert them to the situation.



Tape record all messages left on the answering machine.



Contact the local office of victim assistance for additional ideas.

Resolution Contact with the local police confirmed that each report had been taken as a new case. When presented with the cumulative evidence, in fact, the ex-employee’s behavior did rise to the level of stalking under state law. The police visited the ex-employee and warned him that further threats could result in an arrest. At the threatened supervisor’s request, the county magistrate issued a restraining order prohibiting personal contact and any communication. Two months after the restraining order was issued, the exemployee was arrested for breaking the restraining order. The agency security office and the supervisor kept in contact with the police about the case to reduce any further risk of violence. Questions for the Agency Planning Group 

Do you think the agency’s approach in this case was adequate to protect the supervisor?



Have you already established liaison with appropriate law enforcement authorities to ensure that situations, such as this, get the proper attention from the beginning?

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What would your agency do if the psychiatrist refused to get involved? Are there any laws in your state requiring mental health professionals to protect potential victims when threats have been made?



How would you continue to monitor the ex-employee’s activities after he is released from jail?



What would your agency do if the case continued without the ex-employee being arrested?

Case Study 11 – Threats from Non-Employees The Incident The agency’s new workplace violence team receives a call from a small field office. The office staff consists of three employees, two of whom spend much of their workday outside of the office. All three employees have had close calls in the past in dealing with violent individuals. On two occasions, clients who came into the office lost their tempers because they received answers they did not like. Several times the employees who conducted their business outside the office were the targets of threats and aggressive behavior. “How can you help us out here in the field?” they asked the workplace violence team. Response Presented with this problem, the workplace violence team consulted with the following organizations: 

The local law enforcement agency in the jurisdiction where the field office was located;



Several federal law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Protective Service;



Other federal government agencies that had small field offices and/ or employees who spent most of their workday outside the office;



The National Victims’ Center; and Prevention Units of State Police in several states where the agency had field offices.

Resolution The agency implemented the following plan not only for the office that made the initial request, but for many of their other field offices, as well. 

Install a panic button in the office that is connected to a security service.



Install a video camera (with an audio component) in the public service area to record any incident that occurs in the office.



Reconfigure office furniture, especially in public service areas, to maximize security (e.g., rearrange the office furniture and dividers to give the appearance that the employee is not alone).



Train all employees in personal safety techniques.

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Provide back-up for employees in the field when a threatening situation is suspected.

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Provide employees with copies of the laws regarding harassment, threats, and stalking in their states.

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

Provide employees with lists of state and local organizations that can assist them in preventing violence and in dealing with potentially violent situations.

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Arrange for regional and field offices to develop and maintain liaison with state and local law enforcement agencies.

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Establish a system for employees in the field to check in periodically throughout the day, e.g., an employee would call and say, “I’m entering the Jones residence, and I will call you back in 30 minutes.”



Provide cellular phones, personal alarms, and other safety devices, as appropriate, to employees in the field.

Questions for the Agency Planning Group 

Do you agree with the agency’s approach in this case?



What more could be done?

Case Study 12 – Intimidation The Incident A supervisor reported to a Human Resources (HR) specialist that he recently heard from one of his employees (alleged victim) that another one of his employees (alleged perpetrator) has been intimidating him with his “in your face” behavior. The alleged perpetrator has stood over the alleged victim’s desk in what he perceived as a menacing way, physically crowded him out in an elevator, and made menacing gestures. The supervisor stated that the alleged perpetrator was an average performer, somewhat of a loner, but there were no behavior problems that he was aware of until the employee came to him expressing his fear. He said that the employee who reported the situation said he did not want the supervisor to say anything to anyone, so the supervisor tried to observe the situation for a couple of days. When he didn’t observe any of the behavior described, he spoke with the alleged victim again and told him he would consult with the Crisis Management Team. Response In cases involving reports of intimidation, this agency’s crisis response plan called for involvement of Human Resources (HR) and the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) (with the clear understanding that they would contact other resources as needed). The first thing the HR specialist did was to set up a meeting for the next day with the supervisor, an EAP counselor, and another HR specialist who was skilled in conflict resolution. At that meeting, several options were discussed. One was to initiate an immediate investigation into the allegations, which would involve interviewing the alleged victim, any witnesses identified by the alleged victim, and the alleged perpetrator. Another suggestion offered by the EAP counselor was that, in view of the alleged victim’s reluctance to speak up about it, they could arrange a training session for the entire office on conflict resolution (at which time the EAP counselor could observe the dynamics of the entire work group). The EAP counselor noted that conflict resolution classes were regularly scheduled at the

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agency. The supervisor also admitted that he was aware of a lot of tensions in the office and would like the EAP’s assistance in resolving whatever was causing them. After discussing the options, the supervisor and the team decided to try the conflict resolution training session before initiating an investigation. At the training session, during some of the exercises, it became clear that the alleged victim contributed significantly to the tension between the two employees. The alleged victim, in fact, seemed to contribute significantly to conflicts not only with the alleged perpetrator, but with his coworkers, as well. The alleged perpetrator seemed to react assertively, but not inappropriately, to the alleged victim’s attempts to annoy him. Resolution Office tensions were reduced to a minimum as a result of the training session and follow-up work by the Employee Assistance Program. The employee who initially reported the intimidation to his supervisor not only realized what he was doing to contribute to office tensions, but he also actively sought help to change his approach and began to conduct himself more effectively with his coworkers. He appreciated getting the situation resolved in a low-key way that did not cause him embarrassment and began to work cooperatively with the alleged perpetrator. The alleged perpetrator never learned about the original complaint, but he did learn from the training session more effective ways to conduct himself with his coworkers. This incident took place over a year ago, and the agency reports that both are productive team players. Questions for the Agency Planning Group 

Do you agree with the agency’s approach in this situation?



Can you think of other situations that could be addressed effectively through an intervention with the work group?



In what kinds of situations would this approach be counter-productive?



Can you envision a scenario where using the group conflict resolution session to get at any individualized problem might have a negative, rather than a positive, effect?



Has your agency conducted employee training on such topics as conflict resolution, stress management, and dealing with hostile persons?

Case Study 13 – Intimidation The Incident An employee called a member of the agency crisis team for advice, saying that a coworker was picking on her, and expressing fear that something serious might happen. For several weeks, she said, a coworker has been making statements, such as, “You actually took credit for my work and you’re spreading rumors that I’m no good. If you ever get credit for my work again, that will be the last time you take credit for anybody’s work. I’ll make sure of that.” She also said that her computer files have been altered on several occasions, and she suspects it’s the same coworker. When she reported the situation to her supervisor, he tried to convince her that there was no real danger and that she’s blowing things out of proportion. GTI books.com

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However, she continued to worry. She said she spoke with her union representative who suggested she contact the agency’s workplace violence team. Response The agency’s plan called for the initial involvement of employee relations and the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) in situations involving intimidation. The employee relations specialist and the EAP counselor met with the supervisor of the employee who reported the incident. He told them he was aware of the situation, but that the woman who reported it tended to exaggerate. He knew the alleged perpetrator well, had supervised him for years, and said, “He just talks that way; he’s not really dangerous.” He gave examples of how the alleged perpetrator is all talk and not likely to act out. One example had occurred several months earlier when he had talked to the alleged perpetrator about his poor performance. The employee had become agitated and accused the supervisor of being unfair, siding with the other employees, and believing the rumors the coworkers were spreading about him. He stood up and in an angry voice said, “You better start treating me fairly or you’re going to be the one with the problem.” The supervisor reasoned that, since he’s always been this way, he’s not a real threat to anyone. During the initial meeting, the team asked the supervisor to sign a written statement about these incidents, and recommended that he take disciplinary action. However, he was reluctant to sign a statement or to initiate disciplinary action, and could not be persuaded by their recommendations to do so. The employee relations specialist conducted an investigation. Interviews with other coworkers confirmed the intimidating behavior on the part of the alleged perpetrator, and several coworkers said they felt threatened by him. None was willing to sign affidavits. The investigator also found a witness to the incident where the supervisor had been threatened. As the alleged perpetrator had left the supervisor’s office and passed by the secretary’s desk, he had said, “He’s an (expletive) and he better watch himself.” However, the secretary was also unwilling to sign an affidavit. After confirming the validity of the allegations, but with the supervisor refusing to take action, and the only affidavit being from the employee who originally reported the situation, the team considered three courses of action: 

Arrange for the reassignment of the victim to a work situation that eliminated the current threatening situation;



Report the situation to the second line supervisor and recommend that she propose disciplinary action against the alleged perpetrator; and



Locate an investigator with experience in workplace violence cases to conduct interviews with the reluctant witnesses. The investigator would be given a letter of authorization from the director of the office stating the requirement that employees must cooperate in the investigation or face disciplinary action.

The team located an investigator, who was experienced in workplace violence cases, from a nearby federal agency and worked out an interagency agreement to obtain his services. During the investigation, he showed the letter of authorization to only one employee and to the supervisor, since he was able to

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persuade the others to sign written affidavits without resorting to showing them the letter. The results of the investigation showed evidence of intimidating behavior by the alleged perpetrator. The agency security specialist met with the alleged perpetrator to inform him that he was to have no further contact with the victim. He also met with the victim to give her advice on how to handle a situation like this if it were to happen again. In addition, he recommended a procedure to the team that would monitor computer use in the division. This action resulted in evidence showing that the employee was, in fact, altering computer files. Resolution The first-line supervisor was given a written reprimand by the second-line supervisor for failing to take proper action in a timely manner and for failing to ensure a safe work environment. He was counseled about the poor performance of his supervisory duties. The alleged perpetrator was charged with both disruptive behavior and gaining malicious access to a non-authorized computer. Based on this information, he was removed from federal service. Questions for the Agency Planning Group 

Would supervisory training likely have resulted in quicker action against the alleged perpetrator?



Do you have other approaches for convincing a recalcitrant supervisor to take action?



Do you have other approaches for convincing reluctant witnesses to give written statements?



Are you up-to-date on the case law associated with requiring the subject of an investigation to give statements?



If you had not been able to convince the reluctant witnesses to give written statements, and you only had the one affidavit to support the one incident, do you think this would have provided your agency with enough evidence to take disciplinary action? If so, what type of penalty would likely be given in this case?

Case Study 14 – Frightening Behavior The Incident A supervisor contacts the Employee Relations Office because one of his employees is making the other employees in the office uncomfortable. He said the employee does not seem to have engaged in any actionable misconduct but, because of the agency’s new workplace violence policy, and the workplace violence training he had just received, he thought he should at least mention what was going on. The employee was recently divorced, had been going through a difficult time for over two years and had made it clear that he was having financial problems which were causing him to be stressed out. He was irritable and aggressive in his speech much of the time. He would routinely talk about the number of guns he owned, not in the same sentence, but in the same general conversation in which he would mention that someone else was causing all of his problems.

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Response At the first meeting with the supervisor, the employee relations specialist and EAP counselor suggested that, since this was a long-running situation rather than an immediate crisis, the supervisor would have time to do some fact-finding. They gave him several suggestions on how to do this while safeguarding the privacy of the employee (for example, request a confidential conversation with previous supervisors, go back to coworkers who registered complaints for more information, and, if he was not already familiar with his personnel records, pull his file to see if there are any previous adverse actions in it). Two days later, they had another meeting to discuss the case and strategize a plan of action. The supervisor’s initial fact-finding showed that the employee’s coworkers attributed his aggressive behavior to the difficult divorce situation he had been going through, but they were nevertheless afraid of him. The supervisor did not learn any more specifics about why they were afraid, except that he was short-tempered, ill-mannered, and spoke a lot about his guns (although, according to the coworkers, in a matter-of-fact rather than in an intimidating manner). After getting ideas from the employee relations specialist and the EAP counselor, the supervisor sat down with the employee and discussed his behavior. He told the employee it was making everyone uncomfortable and that it must stop. He referred the employee to the EAP, setting a time and date to meet with the counselor. Resolution As a result of counseling by the supervisor and by the EAP counselor, the employee changed his behavior. He was unaware that his behavior was scaring people. He learned new ways from the EAP to deal with people. He accepted the EAP referral to a therapist in the community to address underlying personal problems. Continued monitoring by the supervisor showed the employee’s conduct improve to an acceptable level and remain that way. Questions for the Agency Planning Group 

Do you agree with the agency’s approach in this case?



Can you think of other situations that would lend themselves to this kind of low-key approach?



Does your agency have effective EAP training so that supervisors are comfortable in turning to the EAP for advice?

Case Study 15 – Frightening Behavior The Incident Several employees in an office went to their supervisor to report an unusual situation which had occurred the previous day. An agency employee from a different building had been in and out of their office over a seven-hour period, remarking to several people that “the government” had kept her prisoner, inserted microphones in her head to hear what she was thinking, and tampered with her computer to feed her evil thoughts. She also said that her doctors diagnosed her as paranoid schizophrenic, but that

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they are wrong about her. She made inflammatory remarks about coworkers, and made threatening statements such as, “Anybody in my old job who got in my way came down with mysterious illnesses.” Response The employee relations specialist, who took the report, immediately informed the employee’s supervisor about the incident. She learned from the employee’s supervisor that until a few months ago, the employee performed adequately, but had always seemed withdrawn and eccentric. However, her behavior had changed (it was later learned that she had stopped taking her medication) and she often roamed around the office, spending an hour or more with any employee she could corner. Several employees had reported to the supervisor that they were afraid she might hurt them because of her inflammatory statements. She also learned that a former supervisor had previously given the employee a reprimand and two counseling memoranda for inappropriate language and absence from the worksite, along with offering her leave for treatment as a reasonable accommodation. Upon the recommendation of the employee relations specialist, the employee was placed on excused absence pending further agency inquiry and response, with a requirement to call in daily. The employee relations specialist, who was a trained investigator, conducted interviews with the employees who filed the reports and with the employee’s coworkers. She found that most of the employees were afraid of the woman because of her inflammatory statements. The employee relations specialist then set up a meeting with the woman’s first-and second-line supervisor, the director of personnel, the legal office, the director of security, the agency’s medical officer, and the EAP counselor. The following options were raised: 

Propose an indefinite suspension pending an investigation (option rejected because the agency already had all the information it needed about the incident).



Reassign or demote the employee to another office (option rejected because the reported conduct was too serious).



Propose a suspension based on her day-long frightening and disruptive comments and conduct (option rejected because the reported conduct was too serious).



Order a medical examination to determine whether the employee was fit for duty (option rejected because the employee was not in a position with medical standards or physical requirements).



Offer a medical examination (option rejected because supervisor already tried it several times).



Offer her leave for treatment (option rejected because supervisor already tried it).

The team recommended that the supervisor issue a proposal to remove based on the events in the other office, i.e., her day-long frightening and disruptive comments and conduct. They suggested that the notice also reference the earlier counseling memos and the reprimand which placed the employee on notice concerning her absence from her office and inappropriate behavior. The supervisor proposed her removal. Three weeks later, the employee and her brother-in-law came in for her oral reply to the proposed notice. She denied making any of the statements attributed to her. Her

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brother-in-law asked the deciding official to order her to go for a psychiatric examination, but he was told that regulations prohibited the agency from doing so. The employee did not provide any additional medical documentation. Resolution The agency proceeded with a removal action based on her disruptive behavior. Once her brother-in-law realized that her salary and health benefits would soon cease, he was able to convince her to go to the hospital for the help she needed and to file for disability retirement. The agency assisted her in filing forms with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The disability retirement was approved by OPM and this provided her with income and a continuation of medical coverage. Questions for the Agency Planning Group 

Do you agree with the agency’s approach in handling this case?



Does your employee training direct employees to call security or 911 in emergency situations?



Is your team knowledgeable about accessing appropriate community resources for emergency situations?



What if the employee had not been willing and able to apply for disability retirement herself? Do you know the rules concerning the agency’s filing for disability retirement on behalf of the employee?



Does your agency’s supervisory training encourage early intervention in cases of this type?

Safety Tips for Home Visitors and Workers in the Field Don’t be a target …  Stay alert.  Dress appropriately.  Leave jewelry at home.  Leave purse at the office or in the trunk.  Carry necessary cash, keys, and driver’s license on your person.  Remove yourself from dangerous situations and do not appear to notice illegal activity going on in the home; simply make an excuse and leave immediately.  Travel in pairs when possible.  Survey the neighborhood.  Identify safe areas (i.e., restaurants, telephones, rest rooms, police stations).  Trust your instincts.

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 Consider a neutral meeting location if visit cannot be made safely at home (i.e., library, conference rooms, restaurants).  Ask family members to come out to meet you if uncomfortable with the area.  Keep your car in good repair.  Keep emergency supplies in your car, including all-weather gear.  Ask the family to secure pets before arrival.  Attend safety seminars.  Always take a cellular phone with you.  Stay in the living room of the home and don’t be lured into the kitchen or a bedroom.  Do not eat or drink anything while visiting the home.  Do not use the family’s restroom.  Do not sit on upholstered furniture in homes where cockroaches or fleas make their presence known to you.  Ask that all TVs, stereos, etc., in the room where you are, be turned off or muted so you can hear if you are being approached or if there is a conflict elsewhere in the home.  Sit with your back towards a wall, and as close to an exit as possible. Do not sit in front of an open staircase or a doorway.  Ask a family member to walk you to your car as you leave, if the home is located in a dangerous neighborhood or if night has fallen. Nine General Safety Tips 1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do! 2. Learned this from a tourist guide in New Orleans: If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you. Chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION! 3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives. 4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS!) The predator will be watching you,

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Developing the Positive, Healthy & Safe Workplace and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE. If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO NOT DRIVE OFF, repeat: DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead start the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your airbag will save you. If the person is in the back seat, they will get the worst of it .As soon as the car crashes bail out and run. It is better than having them find your body in a remote location.

5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage: A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars. C.) Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.) 6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT! 7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) four in 100 times, and, even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN, preferably in a zigzag pattern! 8. Women always try to be sympathetic: STOP! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well-educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim. 9. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird. The police told her, “Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.” The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, “We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.” He told her that they thought a serial killer has a baby’s cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby.

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What to Do Until Help Arrives: Training Staff in Immediate Response Strategies

Unarmed Threat – Managing a Potentially Violent Incident 

Casually interrupt the interaction to call and request something, while actually calling for help, our unobtrusively push the silent alarm button.



Don’t be a hero. If you feel someone is becoming dangerous, call for help.



Keep the person engaged in conversation about his/her feelings or a specific problem. Provide calming and empathetic responses and state that you will do your best to help.



Encourage the person to be seated, if at all possible.



If the person becomes more threatening, explain the consequences of violent behavior without condemnation, and remain calm.



Use your common sense and don’t let your emotions take over.

Verbal Defusing Strategies Each Staffer Should Know  Disengage  Assume your competence isn’t in question.  Decide you are not being personally attacked.  Empathize  Make others feel heard and understood.

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 Be aware of how your reaction will make others feel.  Inquire  Ask questions to seek information, inferences, ideas and attitudes.  Demonstrate caring for the other’s point of view.  Disclose  Reveal your own needs and goals assertively.  Use “I” statements to state feelings and beliefs.

Armed Threat Taken from http://www.dm.usda.gov/physicalsecurity/violentwp.htm

No No Shout, scream, or panic: These reactions are likely to frighten an agitated person into taking action that could harm people or destroy property. Instead, remain as calm as possible; saying or doing nothing is better than making a bad situation worse.

Confrontations with an armed man or woman are the most dangerous of all situations involving violent persons and the most difficult for inexperienced people to deal with. DO NOT: Dialing 911 or any telephone number in the presence of an armed assailant could frighten him or her into using the weapon. DO:

Freeze in place and do nothing, letting the potential assailant make the next move. Avoid doing anything that could cause the potential assailant to take action. Simply standing still and letting the individual “talk it out” may be all you should do under these extreme circumstances. Don’t try any heroics that could cause the individual to react violently. Look the person directly in the eye. Keep talking to gain time and calm the assailant. Never feel entirely helpless. Federal front-line employees dealing with the general public should have access to a hidden alarm button under the service counter to alert a supervisor or building security. Keep calm until security guards can disarm and remove the person from the premises. Don’t try to disarm the potential assailant. Such a reckless move could seriously endanger everyone in the room. When possible, write down the person’s description – approximate height and weight, color of hair and clothing, age, race, and any prominent features. Estimate the number of people in the room.

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If there is a “safe room” in the office area, alert the person who is in charge of the room to be prepared for an emergency. As soon as possible, telephone GSA’s Federal Protective Service (or the agency’s building security guards or the local police). Describe the potential assailant, emphasize that they have a gun, and estimate how many people are in the room and where they are – by windows, doors, along the wall. Give the private telephone number for the FPS or the police to call back.

Dealing with the Risk of Violence Immediate Danger: When there is violence, or an immediate danger of violence, it is always appropriate to: 

Contact the police, sheriff ’s department or call 911 for immediate help.



Follow the instructions given to you by law enforcement and 911.



If you are unable to call 911, ask somebody to call for you.



Leave the building if possible.



If you can’t leave seek a secure hiding spot, such as under a desk, in a restroom stall, under a staircase, in a closet, or behind filing cabinets.



If you are at risk and you are in a building that has security or safety officers, call them or ask someone to contact them for you.



Avoid being alone or in areas in which you could be surprised and could not easily escape.

Non-Immediate Danger: There are three steps that will help you deal with the risk of interpersonal violence: 

Identify the risk factors and discuss these with people who can be supportive and offer constructive advice.



Report violent or threatening behavior to the proper authorities.



Prevent violence by taking appropriate actions.

Examples of Useful Handouts for Employees Desk Cards Desk cards summarize the actions you should (or should not) take in a hostile or threatening situation. Print out and fold the cards into a “tent,” and tape the ends together underneath so that the cards will stand up on your desk with the text facing you. Review the cards often. That way, if you are confronted by an angry, hostile, or threatening customer or coworker, you will know what you should do. Everyone in your office, including supervisors and managers, should follow these same procedures. You can make copies of the cards so that everyone has his or her own cards.

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Coping With Threats and Violence For an angry or hostile customer or coworker 

Stay calm. Listen attentively.



Maintain eye contact.



Be courteous. Be patient.



Keep the situation in your control.



For a person shouting, swearing, and threatening



Signal a coworker, or supervisor, that you need help. (Use a duress alarm system or prearranged code words.)



Do not make any calls yourself.



Have someone call the FPS, contract guard, or local police.

For someone threatening you with a gun, knife, or other weapon 

Stay calm. Quietly signal for help. (Use a duress alarm or code words.)



Maintain eye contact.



Stall for time.



Keep talking — but follow instructions from the person who has the weapon.



Don’t risk harm to yourself or others.



Never try to grab a weapon.



Watch for a safe chance to escape to a safe area.

Federal Protective Service U.S. General Services Administration

Telephone Threats Everyone in your office, including supervisors and managers, should follow these same procedures. Make copies of the card if you need to so everyone will have his or her own card.

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Handy Reference Card: Telephone Threats 

Keep calm. Keep talking.



Don’t hang up.



Signal a coworker to get on an extension.



Ask the caller to repeat the message and write it down.



Repeat questions, if necessary.



For a bomb threat, ask where the bomb is and when it is set to go off.



Listen for background noises and write down a description.



Write down whether the caller is a man or a woman; pitch of voice, accent; anything else you hear.



Try to get the person’s name, exact location, and telephone number.



Signal a coworker to immediately call the FPS, a contract guard, or the local police.



Notify your immediate supervisor.

Federal Protective Service U.S. General Services Administration

Emergency Phone Numbers Carefully tear out the “Emergency Phone Numbers” card. Write in all the emergency numbers for your building. Tape this card on your desk by your phone or somewhere else close to your phone for handy reference. (Copies of this card also can be made.) Federal Protective Service Building Security Police/Sheriff Fire Department Ambulance Health Unit___________________________________________ Federal Protective Service U.S. General Services Administration

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Weapons Prohibition Signage Possession or use of firearms and other dangerous weapons on a federally owned or leased facility, including grounds, parking lots and buildings, is illegal. 18 USC Section 930 (a) and (b) state: “Whoever knowingly possesses or causes to be present a firearm or other dangerous weapon in a federal facility, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.” (Certain exceptions apply. See 18 USC Section 930(c).) “Whoever with intent that a firearm or other dangerous weapon be used in the commission of a crime, knowingly possesses or causes to be present such firearm or dangerous weapon, in a federal facility, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.”

It is important to post signs of the prohibition against weapons at the entrances to federal buildings. Agency employees should be trained to report suspected violations immediately to a building security official, a supervisor, or other appropriate authority.

Dealing with the Aftermath The effects of violence do not disappear after the violent act is over, and the harm is not only to the person directly attacked. A workplace violence prevention program should take into account that other employees, not just the victim, are affected and will need healing after a violent event – and that healing may come more easily if psychological support is part of an employer’s crisis response from the beginning. Emotional distress as reported at the NCAVC Violence in the Workplace Symposium “is potentially contagious, self-sustaining, and self-amplifying.” Early intervention can slow or prevent the contagion. In the immediate aftermath of a crime, disaster, or other troubling incident, emergency psychological service can offer victims and their coworkers comfort, information, support, and help with practical needs. It can also spot those who appear most troubled by the event and may need more intensive psychological attention in the future. As was pointed out by presenters at the NCAVC Symposium, information is crucial in controlling emotional distress during a crisis. When people don’t know what is happening, they feel helpless and when there is no solid news, rumors – often frightening ones – will fill the gap. Crisis managers need reliable information to make decisions. It is just as important for managers to share the information with the rest of the workplace community as rapidly and honestly as possible, so that false reports and irrational fears do not spread and make the crisis worse.

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As with all other aspects of emergency management, timely psychological support will be more effective if it has been prepared and practiced as part of an employer’s workplace violence prevention plan. Planning cannot anticipate every circumstance, but a plan should identify those inside or outside a company who will direct and carry out the psychological support effort in a crisis. It should establish lines of communication and lay out alternative means of assembling employees as soon as possible once they are out of physical danger, for preliminary “debriefing” individually, in small groups, or in a large group. Long-term psychological support may also be needed by victims and their coworkers after a serious episode of violence. The “Must Do” passage comes from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s guidelines for health and social service workers, but is applicable to employees in all occupations.

Must Do “All workplace violence programs should provide comprehensive treatment for victimized employees and employees who may be traumatized by witnessing a workplace violence incident. Injured staff should receive prompt treatment and psychological evaluation whenever an assault takes place, regardless of severity.

Victims of workplace violence suffer a variety of consequences in addition to their actual physical injuries. These include short and long-term psychological trauma, fear of returning to work, changes in relationships with coworkers and family, feelings of incompetence, guilt, powerlessness, and fear of criticism by supervisors or managers. Consequently, a strong follow-up program for these employees will not only help them to deal with these problems but also to help prepare them to confront or prevent future incidents of violence.

Several types of assistance can be incorporated into the post-incident response. For example, trauma-crisis counseling, critical incident stress debriefing, or employee assistance programs may be provided to assist victims. Certified employee assistance professionals, psychologists, psychiatrists, clinical nurse specialists, or social workers could provide this counseling, or the employer can refer staff victims to an outside specialist. In addition, an employee counseling service, peer counseling or support groups may be established. In any case, counselors must be well trained and have a good understanding of the issues and consequences of assaults and other aggressive, violent behavior. Appropriate and promptly rendered postincident debriefings and counseling reduce acute psychological trauma and general stress levels among victims and witnesses. In addition, such counseling educates staff about workplace violence and positively influences workplace and organizational cultural norms to reduce trauma associated with future incidents.*” Both early intervention and long-term healing efforts should avoid a one-size-fits-all approach. Not everyone will have the same emotional reaction or the same needs in the aftermath of a traumatic event, even if their experiences have been similar. Counselors should not press their services on employees in ways that may reinforce their identity as “victims.” Rather, post crisis psychological support should em-

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ploy a variety of methods along the continuum of mental health care, including “getting out of the way” of those who may not want or need any intervention beyond an initial debriefing.

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STEP 6

Avoid Negligent Hiring

Workplace Violence: Trends and Strategic Tools for Mitigating Risk SHRM White Paper, www.shrm.org

Points of Interest: Workplace homicides are the second leading cause of fatalities within the workplace for males and the first leading cause of fatalities for females. The 14 of the 15 assailants studied had a history of violence, substance abuse, mental health problems and/or criminal convictions. Negligent hiring is “the failure of the employer to investigate a job applicant’s work experience, character, criminal history and other relevant data prior to the hiring of an employee.”

An acceptable practice for background investigations usually includes: 

verifying prior employment;

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verifying educational experience;

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obtaining information relative to experience, knowledge and skills;

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obtaining criminal conviction information; getting a signed release;

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in positions where there is financial risk, obtaining personal credit history information, including personal bankruptcy filings.

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Avoid Workplace Violence and Negligent Hiring Lawsuits By Cathy Taylor Excerpt taken from Ezine Articles at http://ezinearticles.com/?Protect-Your-Business – Avoid-Workplace-Violence-and-Negligent-HiringLawsuits-&id=1649139 2009

According to OSHA (Occupational Health and Safety Administration), some two million American workers are victims of workplace violence each year. In 1995, the Workplace Violence Research Institute completed a projection that identified the cost of workplace violence to American business at over $36 billion annually. Businesses suffer through loss of productivity, work disruptions, employee turnover, as well as litigation. Lawsuits become a real threat when precautions, such as the following, are not taken: 

Not safeguarding customers from employees who steal, lie, cheat or injure

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Negligent hiring liability in the event of fiduciary malfeasance for not providing other employees with a safe place to work

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Officer/director liability due to incompetent hiring procedures

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Some of the common indicators of potential workplace violence include:

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Intimidating, harassing, bullying, belligerent, or other inappropriate and aggressive behavior

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Numerous conflicts with customers, co-workers, or supervisors

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Bringing a weapon to the workplace, making idle threats to harm someone

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Statements showing fascination with workplace violence or indicating desperation over personal problems

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Direct or veiled threats of harm

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Substance abuse

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Extreme change in normal behaviors

Pre-Employment Screening Must Do It all starts here. If you don’t want to get sued, be extra careful who you hire.

Start by establishing standardized pre-employment screening guidelines that comply with state laws including: Provide verbal notification of your intent to run a background check in accordance with Public Law 91-508, Title VI, Section 606 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)

Obtain written authorization to search background information, including financial, medical, criminal, prior employment, drug testing, personality evaluation, education and mode of living checks, such as neighbor interviews and character references (section 604 of FCRA). Inform applicant that they are entitled to a copy of any results.

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Avoid discrimination claims under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and most equal opportunity employment statutes, by consistently screening candidates in appropriate employment class and giving them the same forms and test(s), based upon a candidate’s qualifications to perform the job.

More on Background Checks – as an Employer and Employee If you’ve applied for a job lately, chances are you signed a consent form for a background check. Employers, prompted by the widespread availability of information on the Internet, as well as security issues highlighted by the Sept. 11 attacks, are intent on scrutinizing potential employees to avoid potential risks. When you sign that consent form, you open your past to a potential employer. The days when employers just verified resumes and education history are long gone. Your credit history, driving records, medical records, military records and court records are an open book. Some potential employers may even interview your neighbors and former co-workers in the course of a background check. Unfortunately, there is a lot of inaccurate information out there. Just like the mistakes that may pop up on your credit report, bad data can turn up in the course of a background check. And this wrong information can cost you a job. “What consumers don’t realize is that there is a tremendous lack of privacy in our society,” says Jay Stanley, communications director for the American Civil Liberties Union’s Technology and Liberty Project. “Information is gathered and circulated about all of us, and the accuracy rates are very poor. Institutions are built for keeping tabs on people, but there are no checks and balances to ensure that people are treated fairly when the information is wrong.” You do have some rights under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, which can help in some cases if you are denied employment as a result of information uncovered in the course of a background check. However, there are major loopholes in the law. The Skinny on Background Checks An employer must ask your permission to conduct a background check on a form separate from an application or other paperwork. If a potential employer wants to talk to your friends, associates or neighbors, they must get a separate consent for what is known as an investigative consumer report. In addition, if an employer wants to see your medical records, you must give specific consent. Once you give your consent, employers have broad latitude to inquire into your background. According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a consumer rights organization, areas of inquiry can include: 

Driving records

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Vehicle registration

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Credit records

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Criminal records

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Social Security number

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Education records

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Court records

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Workers’ compensation

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Bankruptcy

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Character references

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Neighbor interviews

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Medical records

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Property ownership

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Military records

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State licensing records

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Drug test records

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Past employers

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Personal references

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Incarceration records

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Sex offender lists

“There are a lot of things that potential employers can find out about you,” says Tena Friery, research director at the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. “This goes far beyond credit information and can include information about your personal characteristics and mode of living. One of the privacy concerns related to this is that there is no standard of relevance. The information that is gathered and disseminated doesn’t have to apply to the specific job.” Employers can either find this information out on their own or hire a third party to gather the data and provide a report to them. Such third parties are companies known as consumer-reporting agencies. Many have been established for a number of years, while others have sprung up as more information has become available on the Internet. Why Employers Want to Know An employer’s need to know about potential employees is driven by a number of factors, according to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. These include: 

False or misleading information given by job applicants, estimated by some sources at 30 to 40 percent of all information given on resumes and job applications.



Federal and state legal requirements for certain jobs, including those that involve contact with children, the elderly or disabled, as well as some government jobs.



Fallout from corporate scandals, such as Enron and WorldCom.



The Sept. 11 attacks.

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Negligent hiring lawsuits, where a company is sued because an employee caused harm to someone else. “The goal of a company is to find out as much as they can about the skills and behaviors an applicant will bring to an organization,” says Mary Massad, vice president of human resource development for Administaff, a personnel management company. “An employer is basically trying to establish whether you will be a good fit for the organization and what type of risk you might pose to that organization.” Most employer background checks focus on employment history, educational background, credit history, motor vehicle history and criminal background, she says. Employment and educational background checks verify information that employees have provided in resumes and on job applications, so it’s important to be honest on your resume and when filling out a job application, she says. “A lot of applicants are shocked when a background check is actually run and turns up something that is at odds with the information they’ve provided,” Massad says. If you sign a consent-for-a-backgroundcheck form, it’s safe to assume that the company you are seeking employment with will be conducting such a screening. What They Can’t Include The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act put national standards in place for background checks. However, these standards only apply to companies that hire a consumer-reporting agency to do the background check. If a company does the background check in house, it is exempt from the provisions of this act. Also, the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse notes that the restrictions on reporting imposed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act don’t apply to jobs that have salaries more than $75,000 per year. Some states, most notably California, have stronger protections for consumers in these situations than the federal act. The federal act stipulates that the following information cannot be reported on an employer background check: 

Records of arrests, civil lawsuits and civil judgments after seven years

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Accounts put in for collection after seven years

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Paid tax liens after seven years

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Any other negative information — criminal convictions being the exception — after seven years

While bankruptcies can be included in background checks, federal law prohibits discrimination against applicants who have filed for bankruptcy. In many but not all states, employers cannot seek arrest record information on applicants, though such information is a matter of public record, according to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. Your Rights Under the recently passed Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, you have the right to obtain a free copy of an employment background check file once a year. However, many screening companies don’t

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keep information on file once they’ve given a report to a company, so that right might not do you much good in practice, says Friery. While an employer doesn’t have to tell you what company is doing the screening, it makes sense to ask because at least some companies will provide that information so you will know where to go if there is a problem. While all third-party employment-screening companies are required to provide free reports and make a toll-free number available for consumers, this information isn’t easy to track down. ChoicePoint, one of the largest screening firms, does have a system set up and you can call 866-312-8075 to get a free copy of your file, if they have one on you. If an employer is prepared to deny you employment as a result of information obtained during the course of a background check, the employer must provide you with a “pre-adverse action disclosure” before that decision not to hire you is actually made, according to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. This disclosure should include a copy of the report and an explanation of your rights under both the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act. Massad says that at this point, or even before this point, many employers will give you the chance to explain any problems. “For example, if you have the same name as your father and the background check shows that you have problems, you could call the company that reported the inaccurate information and figure out how to dispute it,” she says. “Many employers will give five to 10 days to dispute that information and once the information has been corrected, consideration will again be given to that applicant.” If a company denies you employment as a result of this information, it must give you an “adverse action notice” that includes the name and contact information of the screening company, that the employer made the adverse decision – not the credit-reporting agency – and that you, as the applicant, can dispute the information for either accuracy or completeness. The Caveats Friery doesn’t believe that these provisions adequately protect consumers. “We really question the effectiveness of these provisions,” she says. “An employer can easily say that the person was not hired because someone else was more qualified, not because of the information found out in the background check, in which case they don’t have to provide these notices. So how would you ever know if there was inaccurate information in your background check report if no one tells you?” These issues are important given the growing incidence of criminal identity theft and the general level of misinformation in public records, says Stanley of the ACLU. “People can find themselves trapped in a Kafka-esque situation where they are running around in circles unable to correct false information about themselves or if they are able to correct it, it just pops up again somewhere else,” he says. “In the meantime, they’ve been passed over for a job or denied credit or lost their dream home, and there is nothing they can do.” Both Stanley and Friery believe that additional steps need to be taken by the federal government to protect privacy. An overall federal privacy law that protects consumers and states what information can

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and can’t be used for is needed, they say. They note that in most European countries, privacy laws are much stronger and governments closely monitor privacy rights and issues and also enforce the laws. “Right now, private parties can be sloppy about information and about people’s lives without any fear of the consequences. These kinds of horror stories, that we’ve long predicted are inevitable, are starting to hit people in the face.” Consumers can also take other steps to protect themselves from potential issues raised during a background check. The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse recommends that you take pro-active steps at the start of your job hunt, including ordering a copy of your credit report and checking for accuracy court and state department of motor vehicle records and your personnel file at past employers. You could also pay a large background-checking firm to run a background check on you so that you’ll be prepared for anything that might turn up. Applications and Interviews The Fair Credit Reporting Act does not restrict employers from asking questions in a job application form. So, while a background check can’t include an arrest record, for instance, there is nothing to stop an employer from asking if you’ve ever been arrested. Employment applications have gotten longer, and sometimes people are confused about how to answer a question. But even an inadvertent mistake can get you in trouble if that information on your application doesn’t match what’s uncovered in a background check. Job interviews are a different story. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces federal employment laws. Basically, questions asked in an interview should directly relate to functions that a person has to perform on the job. Questions that shouldn’t be asked include:  Are you married?  Do you have children?  Are you a U.S. citizen?  Do you have any disabilities?  How much do you weigh? For a rundown of other illegal questions and related questions that are legal, see the Job Choices Career Library article, “Handling Illegal Questions,” at Jobweb.com. Source. The ABCs of pre-employment background checks by Amy B. Crane, www.bankrate.com

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STEP 7

Managing Threats With Policy and Response Teams

A threat management policy should:  Identify ways to ensure employees feel they can report threats in a safe and secure way  Identify departments to which threats are to be reported  Define the scope of duties of a threat management team  Identify individuals who will be a part of a threat management team  Set criteria for convening the threat team and for referring incidents to law enforcement  Mandate primary and refresher training for threat management team members Taken from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management at http://www.opm.gov/Employment_and_Benefits/WorkLife/OfficialDocuments/ handbooksguides/WorkplaceViolence/index.asp

It is recommended that you download the PDF version of Dealing with Workplace Violence: A Guide for Agency Planners from OPM as a desk reference.

Strategies to Creating or Refining a Workplace Violence Program Form a Threat Management Planning Group The group should include:  Representatives from management

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 Employee Relations  Employee Assistance Program (EAP)  Law Enforcement and Security (Organizations that are too small to have a law enforcement/security component often have a representative of the Federal Protective Service when they have jurisdiction, or the local police.)  Safety and/or Health Unit or Medical Department  Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, Public Affairs, and other appropriate offices.  Office of the General Counsel  Office of Inspector General  Representatives from the union(s) While many offices may be represented on the planning group, only a few of them will generally be involved in responding to reported incidents. For example, representatives from Employee Relations, EAP, and Security often make up an Incident Response Team while the other offices, represented in the planning group, may be used as consultants.

The Violence Prevention and Response Process Components of the Planning Process: 

Analyze the agency’s current ability to handle potentially violent situations.



Use the 15 case studies in the OMP guide to look for gaps in present program.



Identify staff expertise and skill gaps – strong law enforcement capabilities, in-house medical staff, in-house EAP counselors, criminal investigators and employees who have special skills that could be put to good use in a potentially violent situation (employees who are skilled in mediation, conflict resolution, crisis counseling, investigations, or threat assessment).



Level of security and jurisdictional issues.



Fill skill gaps



Assess what training is needed, and to whom, and provide the training.



Tap the expertise available from other government agencies.



Local police can provide personal safety/victim avoidance training.



Use local resources – mental health center, hospitals, hotlines, crisis centers.



Develop a procedure for employees to report incidents



Hotline? Phone a response team member? Supervisor? Security? Employee Relations?



Management will encourage reporting.



Develop to respond to workplace violence incidents

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

Classify incidents in broad categories, for example, emergency/non-emergency or emergency/ threats, bullying/disruptive behavior, or coworker/outsider.



Determine which offices will generally respond to each type of incident and what role each office would play in the response effort (suicide threat=EAP involvement).



Formulate contingency plans in the event that appropriate respondents are unavailable.



Develop a written policy statement



All employees are responsible for maintaining a safe work environment.



The policy covers not only acts of physical violence, but harassment, intimidation, and other disruptive behavior.



The policy covers incidents involving coworkers and incidents involving individuals from outside the agency perpetrating violence against agency employees.



The agency will respond appropriately to reported incidents.



The agency will halt inappropriate behavior.



Supervisors will be supported by managers in dealing with WPV threats.



Use policy language that encourages reporting and carefully define WPV.



Be careful of “zero tolerance” statements that carry liability.

Consult with legal counsel before establishing the policy. See Attachment 1 for a policy template. Employee training 

Give an explanation of the agency’s workplace violence policy.



Give encouragement to report incidents.



Provide ways of preventing or diffusing volatile situations or aggressive behavior.



Show how to deal with hostile persons.



Show how to manage anger.



Give techniques and skills to resolve conflicts.



Discuss stress management, relaxation techniques, wellness training.



Provide security procedures, e.g., the location and operation of safety devices, such as alarm systems.



Discuss personal security measures; and programs operating within the agency that can assist employees in resolving conflicts, e.g., the Employee Assistance Program, the ombudsman, and mediation.

Supervisory training 

Discuss ways to encourage employees to report incidents in which they feel threatened for any reason by anyone inside or outside the organization.

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

Provide skills in behaving compassionately and supportively towards employees who report incidents.

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Provide skills in taking disciplinary actions.

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Provide basic skills in handling crisis situations.



Provide basic emergency procedures.



Provide ways to ensure that appropriate screening of pre-employment references has been done.

Incident Response Team training Use case studies in Part II of the OPM guide to train staff and provide practice opportunities (mock threat drills). The team will meet regularly to discuss potential threats in the environment. Those who consult to the team will also receive appropriate training. Pre-employment screening Use pre-employment screening techniques (such as interview questions, background and reference checks, and drug testing) as are appropriate for the position under consideration.

Security Measures 

Employee photo identification badges



Onsite guard services and/or individually coded card keys for access to buildings and areas within buildings according to individual needs



Guard force assistance in registering, badging, and directing visitors in larger facilities



Using Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) as a preventative strategy



Use ombudsman programs, facilitation, mediation, and other methods of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) as preventive strategies in their workplace violence programs.



ADR approaches often involve a neutral third party who can assist disputing parties resolve disagreements.



ADR is most helpful in workplace violence programs at the point when a problem first surfaces.

Use Interest-Based Problem Solving and peer review to improve relationships while resolving issues. 

Organizational recovery after an incident



Ensure a management presence at the worksite.



Share information with employees.

Step 7. Managing Threat With Policy and Response Teams 

Include union leadership in helping to reassure employees.



Bring in crisis response professionals – EAP, mental health.



Support informal debriefing.



Support care-giving within work groups.



Handle critical sites and clean-up with care.



Buffer those affected from post-event stresses.



Help employees face feared places or situations.



Remember the healing value of work.

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Legal Considerations To some extent, the law puts conflicting pressures on employers and others concerned with preventing or mitigating workplace violence. On the one hand, businesses are under a variety of legal obligations to safeguard their employees’ well-being and security. Occupational safety laws impose a general requirement to maintain a safe workplace, which embraces safety from violence. For example, the “General Duty Clause” of the Occupational Safety and Health Act requires employers to have a workplace that is “free from recognized hazards.” Workers compensation laws, similarly, make employers responsible for job-related injuries. Civil rights laws require employers to protect employees against various forms of harassment, including threats or violence. In addition, employers may face civil liability after a workplace violence incident on a number of grounds – if there was negligence in hiring or retaining a dangerous person, for example, or a failure to provide proper supervision, training or physical safety measures. At the same time, the law requires employers to safeguard due process and other employee rights. Privacy, antidefamation and antidiscrimination laws may limit an employer’s ability to find out about the background of a present or prospective employee. The possibility of a wrongful termination lawsuit can make a company reluctant to fire someone even when there is evidence that the person may be dangerous, and can make the process a long, difficult struggle if the company does decide to seek termination. Even the Americans with Disabilities Act can sometimes pose obstacles in dealing with a potentially violent employee. Employee rights and workplace safety concerns can also collide over such issues as whether and when a worker can be compelled to get counseling or treatment as a condition of keeping his job. To a large degree, these dilemmas mirror the inherent tension in a legal system with dual objectives: protecting the general good, while also protecting individual rights. Just as in every other legal field, workplace safety law has to strike a balance between those two purposes. The issue is where the boundary should be drawn. One area of concern is the restrictive effect of potential civil liability on disseminating information about employees with records of past violence or other troubling behavior on the job. Those restrictions

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can significantly limit the employers’ ability either to screen out dangerous people before hiring, or to obtain information that would be highly relevant in a threat assessment when an incident has occurred. For example, though rules vary somewhat from one jurisdiction to another, law enforcement agencies are ordinarily not allowed to disclose criminal records or inform employers if a worker or job applicant has been convicted of a violent crime, even though the conviction was a matter of public record. Similarly, strict confidentiality rules shield medical and mental health records that can also have direct relevance to assessing the risk of violent behavior. Legal considerations also inhibit the exchange of information among employers. In some cases where a company has negotiated the termination of an employee who it felt was dangerous, the settlement includes a confidentiality clause barring the company from disclosing the employee’s conduct to anyone else, including to another company that may be considering the person for employment. (At times the settlement may even require purging all reports of misconduct from the company’s own records.) Even where there is no confidentiality agreement, concern over liability for defamation or privacy infringement can make employers hesitant to warn others about a possibly dangerous past or present employee. In reality, damaging but truthful information can often be disclosed without significant legal risk. But in today’s litigious climate, executives and legal advisers too often tend to conclude that saying nothing is the safest course. As a result, human resources officials frequently resort to a kind of coded communication to alert a prospective employer of potential problems. Some companies ask terminated employees to sign a waiver allowing the release of information to a new or prospective employer. If the employee refuses to sign, disclosing the refusal to the new employer can also serve as a warning sign. Or the message may be sent by a no-comment response: “We are not at liberty to say anything about that person at this time.” These oblique, wink-and-nod warnings no doubt help companies avoid hiring some problem applicants. But coded messages are a poor substitute for solid, clear, factual information when an employee or applicant may be a danger to coworkers.

Checklist Share your planning checklist with your supervisor. Agree upon the items that you or others need to pursue to prevent violence in your workplace. Create the projected timelines and pursue your plan.

Meanwhile, within existing legal boundaries, awareness and education programs can help executives, managers, human resources officials, and legal advisers understand what is permissible, and when and how they can share information that may help avoid a violent incident. Similarly, employees can be trained in formulating antiviolence policies and disciplinary procedures that will meet due process standards while effectively protecting workplace safety.

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Action Planning Checklist Action Taken 

Address barriers to WPV prevention you identified with your manager and relevant others.



Report any individuals who came to mind as you responded to the Warning Signs of Impending Violence to appropriate department manager.



Train staff in interviewing dangerous people, people with mental health issues, and people with substance abuse issues or provide staff with info sheets.



Train supervisors and managers in interviewing people with limited insight, interest-based problem solving, and referring people with mental health concerns to EAP.



Address bullying issues using the checklists to create a healthy workplace.



Act on items you checked on workplace safety and security.



Encourage staff to self-assess their customer service practices.



Locate and print case studies from OPM guide to use in training threat management planning and incident response teams.



Train staff, supervisors and managers on what to do until help arrives when incidents of violence or impending violence occur.



Provide all employees with desk cards for coping with threats of violence, telephone threats, and emergency numbers.



Train hiring managers on how to avoid negligent hiring practices.



Form or convene a threat management planning group to refine or develop a threat management program.



Review the Violence Prevention and Response Process and develop a plan or refine/augment your current process.



Review present policy or create a workplace violence policy if none exists.



Form and train Incident Response Teams.



Train employees on policy, process, and reporting incidents of violence or impending violence.

Projected Completion Date

Actual Completion Date

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Resources

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (October 2006) Survey of Workplace Violence Prevention. Website: http://www.bls.gov/iif/osh_wpvs.htm National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) (September 2006) Workplace Violence Prevention Strategies and Research Needs. Website: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2006144/#a11

Books on Workplace Bullying – all can be purchased at www.Amazon.com The Bully at Work: What You Can Do to Stop the Hurt and Reclaim Your Dignity on the Job by Gary Namie, Ph.D. and Ruth Namie, Ph.D. Emotional Blackmail: When the People in Your Life Use Fear, Obligation, and Guilt to Manipulate You by Susan Forward, Ph.D. Toxic People: 10 Ways of Dealing With People who Make Your Life Miserable by Lillian Glass, Ph.D. Mobbing: Emotional Abuse in the American Workplace by Noa Davenport, Ph.D., Ruth Distler Schwartz and Gail Pursell Elliott Stop Being Manipulated: How to Neutralize the Bullies, Bosses, and Brutes in Your Life by George H. Green, Ph.D. and Carolyn Cotter, MBA Dealing with People You Can’t Stand: How to Bring out the Best in People at Their Worst by Dr. Rick Brinkman and Dr. Rick Kirschner In Sheep’s Clothing: Understanding and Dealing With Manipulative People by George K. Simon, Jr., Ph.D.

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Verbal Judo: The Gentle Art of Persuasion by George J. Thompson, Ph.D.

Websites on Workplace Bullying Workplace Bullying and Trauma Institute : A very useful Website by the authors of The Bully at Work Bully OnLine: A site in the United Kingdom, where anti-bullying efforts are far more advanced than in the US Workplace Bullying Site: Offers resources on workplace bullying, industrial stress and employment law Work Trauma Foundation : An excellent South African site on workplace violence, stress and bullying Dealing with Bullying : An Australian Website covering both workplace and school bullying

Threat Management Books Calhoun, F.S. and Weston, S.W. (2003). Contemporary Threat Management: A Practical Guide for Identifying, Assessing and Managing Individuals of Violent Intent, San Diego, CA: Specialized Training Services Littler, Mendelson et al. (1996). Terror and Violence in the Workplace (3rd Edition) Turner, J.T. and Gelles, M.G.(2003). Threat Assessment: A Risk Management Approach New York, NY: Haworth Press 8/22/06

Workplace Violence Books Mediation Training Institute International MediationWorks.com Website at http://www.mediationworks.com/mti/certconf/bib-violence.htm Has a collection of over 100 books and articles listed in the bibliography; Please visit this site to view the full list. MediationWorks Copyright restriction: The contents of this bibliography may not be placed on other Websites, but links from other Websites may be directed to this page. Hardcopies of this page may be printed for academic purposes.

Books on Bullies and Manipulators The Bully at Work: What You Can Do to Stop the Hurt and Reclaim Your Dignity on the Job by Gary Namie, Ph.D. and Ruth Namie, Ph.D. Emotional Blackmail: When the People in Your Life Use Fear, Obligation, and Guilt to Manipulate You by Susan Forward, Ph.D. Toxic People: 10 Ways of Dealing With People who Make Your Life Miserable by Lillian Glass, Ph.D. Mobbing: Emotional Abuse in the American Workplace by Noa Davenport, Ph.D., Ruth Distler Schwartz and Gail Pursell Elliott

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Stop Being Manipulated: How to Neutralize the Bullies, Bosses, and Brutes in Your Life by George H. Green, Ph.D. and Carolyn Cotter, MBA Dealing With People You Can’t Stand: How to Bring out the Best in People at Their Worst by Dr. Rick Brinkman and Dr. Rick Kirschner In Sheep’s Clothing: Understanding and Dealing With Manipulative People by George K. Simon, Jr., Ph.D. Verbal Judo: The Gentle Art of Persuasion by George J. Thompson, Ph.D.

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Attachment 1. Workplace Violence Policy Template of Written Policy Statement MEMORANDUM FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF _________ FROM: DEPARTMENT OR AGENCY HEAD SUBJECT: Workplace Violence It is the [insert Department or Agency name]’s policy to promote a safe environment for its employees. The department is committed to working with its employees to maintain a work environment free from violence, threats of violence, harassment, intimidation, and other disruptive behavior. While this kind of conduct is not pervasive at our agency, no agency is immune. Every agency will be affected by disruptive behavior at one time or another. Violence, threats, harassment, intimidation, and other disruptive behavior in our workplace will not be tolerated; that is, all reports of incidents will be taken seriously and will be dealt with appropriately. Such behavior can include oral or written statements, gestures, or expressions that communicate a direct or indirect threat of physical harm. Individuals who commit such acts may be removed from the premises and may be subject to disciplinary action, criminal penalties, or both. We need your cooperation to implement this policy effectively and maintain a safe working environment. Do not ignore violent, threatening, harassing, intimidating, or other disruptive behavior. If you observe or experience such behavior by anyone on agency premises, whether he or she is an agency employee or not, report it immediately to a supervisor or manager.

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Supervisors and managers who receive such reports should seek advice from the Employee Relations Office at xxx-xxxx regarding investigating the incident and initiating appropriate action. [PLEASE NOTE: Threats or assaults that require immediate attention by security or police should be reported first to security at xxx-xxxx or to police at 911.] I will support all efforts made by supervisors and agency specialists in dealing with violent, threatening, harassing, intimidating or other disruptive behavior in our workplace and will monitor whether this policy is being implemented effectively. If you have any questions about this policy statement, please contact ______________ at xxx-xxxx.

Attachment 2. Personnel Policy Example PERSONNEL POLICY MANUAL Personnel Policy Title: Workplace Violence Policy Number: 0000

Chapter Title: Employee Conduct

Effective Date: January 1, 2009 Supersedes Policy Number: 0001

Dated: July 1, 2005

Approved By: Mick Mouse, Human Resources Director (Signature on file)

POLICY STATEMENT The ABC agency is committed to increasing the safety of its employees while at work by establishing procedures for reporting, investigating, and responding to incidents of threatened and/or actual violence. Discrimination, harassment, and retaliation against person(s) reporting, or responding to behavior prohibited under this personnel policy is strictly prohibited. Also prohibited is any interference, or obstruction by an employee with any departmental investigation that is deemed necessary under this personnel policy. Violation of this policy can include discipline up to, and including, termination.

DEFINITION Prohibited Behavior – Includes any communication or physical actions intended, or reasonably expected to threaten, intimidate, or harm another person. This includes, but is not limited to: A. Violent threats, expressed as verbal comments, directly or indirectly expressed in a veiled or conditional manner to another person(s). B. Violent threats that may be communicated through any written or pictorial documentation including computer memorandum(s). C. Physical actions, such as hitting, pushing, kicking, holding, impeding, physical gestures, or forcibly blocking the movement of another person(s).

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PROVISIONS/REQUIREMENTS 1. The department prohibits any person from carrying a firearm or weapon of any kind that is readily capable of lethal use into a department owned or occupied building as provided in Section 571.030.1(8) of the Revised Statutes of this state, whether or not the person has a permit to carry a concealed firearm. The department will post signs prohibiting such firearms or weapons in ABC Agency-owned or -occupied buildings. The department further prohibits firearms or any weapon readily capable of lethal use in any department equipment or vehicles, whether or not the person has a permit to carry a concealed weapon. This personnel policy does not apply to any on-duty federal, state, county or municipal law enforcement officer(s) possessing the duty and power of arrest for violation of the general criminal laws of the state or nation. Further, this policy is not intended to prohibit storage of a concealed or unconcealed firearm or other weapon capable of lethal use in a personal vehicle while parked on department property, as long as the firearm or weapon capable of lethal use remains in the vehicle at all times and is not brandished on department property. 2. For the protection of other employees, any employee being stalked, or otherwise threatened off the job is strongly urged to notify his/her immediate supervisor, or the local human resources office immediately. In those cases where a restraining order has been issued, the employee is required to notify his/her immediate supervisor, or the local human resources office. 3. Any employee who has been subjected to behavior prohibited by this personnel policy, or who has knowledge of behavior prohibited by this personnel policy is required to accurately report the matter to his/her immediate supervisor (next higher supervisor if the concern is with the immediate supervisor), or human resources. This includes any violations of this personnel policy an employee may have witnessed or heard that another person has received, and is job-related or might be carried out on department property or connected to department employment. Employees are responsible for making this report regardless of the nature of their relationship to the individual who initiated the prohibited behavior. The failure to report such incidents under this personnel policy could result in disciplinary action up to, and including, termination. 4. This personnel policy does not preclude employees from, at any time, contacting law enforcement, or emergency personnel, should the incident/behavior in their estimation warrant an immediate intervention by law enforcement personnel. 5. Any employee intentionally making a false report under this personnel policy will be subject to disciplinary action up to, and including, termination. 6. To effectively respond to incidents under this personnel policy, the department has established Threat Assessment Teams within each district and the Central Office. These teams will be responsible for investigating and responding to incidents occurring within their respective locations. The Threat Assessment Teams will work in conjunction with appropriate department officials from the Central Office, as well as local law enforcement and emergency agencies when necessary, to coordinate and respond to incidents as they occur. It is suggested, but not required, that the Threat Assessment Teams should consist of the following representatives: a senior management member,

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human resources manager/director, a divisional management representative, and the immediate supervisor (when appropriate) from the work unit where the incident occurred. Additionally, a chief counsel representative or risk management representative from the Central Office may be involved should a Threat Assessment Team feel an incident warrants such input. Members of the district Threat Assessment Teams will be appointed by the respective district engineer, while the Central Office Threat Assessment Teams will be appointed by the director, department of transportation, or a designated representative. 7. All incidents reported to supervisory personnel under this personnel policy should be promptly forwarded to the human resources manager/director to determine if the involvement of Threat Assessment Team is necessary. In the event of a report requiring immediate intervention by law enforcement personnel, the appropriate law enforcement agencies will be contacted immediately. Each Threat Assessment Team upon completion of investigation may recommend disciplinary actions including, but not limited to: verbal or written warnings, job demotion or reassignment, probation, suspension, or termination of employment. 8. When appropriate, the department will cooperate and assist with any criminal investigation(s) or prosecution(s) that may result from reported incidents under this personnel policy. 9. All incidents reported under this personnel policy will be kept confidential by the department to the extent possible. However, the department, after receiving a report, is required to act appropriately and prudently based upon the information received to ensure the physical safety of its employees and others. Therefore, the department cannot promise anonymity to the person(s) who made the report. The identity of the person(s) making the report shall only be disclosed to those who have a legitimate need to know in those cases where disclosure is necessary. 10. Districts/divisions/offices are required to document all reported incidents under this personnel policy. On a periodic basis, districts/divisions/offices will be required to submit basic, non-confidential statistical information on these incidents to the Risk Management Division.

Attachment 3. FBI’s Questions to ask in a Threat Assessment Advice from the FBI If a communicated threat, verbal, typewritten, e-mailed, or otherwise, is present, an analysis of the verbiage is conducted to determine credibility and viability of the threat. Further, if the offender is unknown, a linguistic profile is developed for investigators, which may identify the offender in the future. In known-offender cases, the analysis of the communicated threats and of the behavior exhibited by the offender is assessed in order to determine the level of threat. In order to assess this risk, the following suggested questions should be asked to individuals familiar with the offender’s behavior, both prior to and after any alleged threat or action. Note: Perpetrators of workplace violence can be men and women; however, for the purposes of the questions to be asked, he is used to refer to the offender.

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 Why has the offender threatened, made comments which have been perceived by others as threatening, or taken this action at this particular time? What is happening in his/her own life that has prompted this?  What has been said to others, i.e. friends, colleagues, coworkers, etc., regarding what is troubling him?  How does the offender view himself in relation to everyone else?  Does he feel he has been wronged in some way?  Does he accept responsibility for his own actions?  How does the offender cope with disappointment, loss or failure?  Does he blame others for his failures?  How does the offender interact with coworkers?  Does he feel he is being treated fairly by the company?  Does he have problems with supervisors or management?  Is he concerned with job practices and responsibilities?  Has he received unfavorable performance reviews or been reprimanded by management?  Is he experiencing personal problems, such as divorce, death in the family, health problems, or other personal losses or issues?  Is he experiencing financial problems, high personal debt, or bankruptcy?  Is there evidence of substance abuse or mental illness/depression?  Has he shown an interest in violence through movies, games, books, or magazines?  Is he preoccupied with violent themes; interested in publicized violent events; or fascinated with and/or recently acquired weapons?  Has the offender identified a specific target and communicated with others his thoughts or plans for violence?  Is he obsessed with others or engaged in any stalking or surveillance activity?  Has the offender spoken of homicide or suicide?  Does he have a past criminal history or history of past violent behavior?  Does the offender have a plan for what he would do?

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 Does the plan make sense; is it reasonable; is it specific?  Does the offender have the means, knowledge and wherewithal to carry out his plan? When many of these questions are answered, an accurate picture of the risk for violence is developed, and from this an intervention plan can be devised.

Attachment 4. Threat Assessment Threat assessment has two parts: an evaluation of the threat itself; that is, the assessment of the credibility and overall viability of an expression of intent to do harm, and an evaluation of the threatener. Together, these evaluations can help lead to an informed judgment on whether someone who has made a threat is likely to carry it out – a determination that has been described as “differentiating when someone is making a threat versus posing a threat.” The assessment can also help the employer decide what will be an appropriate intervention. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT, IN THE GREAT MAJORITY OF CASES, A THREAT WILL NOT LEAD TO A VIOLENT ACT. THE THREAT ITSELF, HOWEVER, DAMAGES WORKPLACE SAFETY AND A RESPONSE MUST BE GIVEN. A good threat assessment will thoroughly analyze: 

The exact nature and context of the threat and/or threatening behavior.

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The identified target (general or specific).

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The threatener’s apparent motivation.

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The threatener’s ability to carry out the threat.

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The threatener’s background, including work history, criminal record, mental health history, military history, and past behavior on the job.

Clearly, there are characteristic signs to look for in evaluating a threat and a threatener, but an assessment must not turn into a mechanical process of checking off items on a list to see if someone fits a predetermined “profile.” Every case should be examined and evaluated on the basis of its particular nature and circumstances. Every employer and organization will have to develop their own structure and procedures for threat assessment and response, depending in large part on the resources available. Large companies may find the necessary expertise in their own security, medical, human resources, legal, and employee assistance departments. Smaller organizations may have to seek outside help from law enforcement, mental health and social service agencies, and other professionals. Such contacts should be established beforehand and an up-to-date contact list maintained so company officials know whom to call when assistance is needed. It should be noted that, typically, threat assessments will be conducted by a psychologist or psychiatrist specifically trained to evaluate a potential risk of violence. Both legal concerns and practical limitations often will render it inadvisable to seek threat assessment evaluation from an employee assistance program, security, or mental health professionals who lack training in this area.

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Threat Management The goal of threat assessment is to place a threat somewhere on a hierarchy of dangerousness and, on that basis, determine an appropriate intervention. If a threat is immediate, specific, and critical (“I’ve got a gun in my car and I’m going to wait for that S.O.B. and blow him away the minute he steps onto the parking lot”), the obvious response is to call the police right away. A threat that is veiled or less specific and does not appear to presage immediate violence may call for less urgent measures: referral for psychological evaluation and counseling, for example. Many threats will turn out to be harmless blowing off steam and require nothing more than a formal admonition to the employee that his or her language or conduct was not appropriate and violated company policy. A recurring problem in threat management is what to do when someone is evaluated as dangerous, but has not committed any serious crime. In those cases, managers will need legal and, often law enforcement advice. Workplace violence plans should advise managers where they can get guidance, on an emergency basis, if necessary. Managers should understand that a threat assessment in some cases should be completed before disciplinary action is taken. Executives or senior supervisors may sometimes want to terminate an employee on-the-spot after a threat or other incident – in effect, kicking the problem out the door. Termination may indeed be appropriate, but doing so in the heat of the moment without any time for evaluation or preparation may be exactly the wrong thing to do, removing the potentially dangerous person from observation and possibly bringing on a violent act instead of preventing one.

Threat Assessment and Incident Response Teams An employer’s workplace violence prevention program should designate the personnel who will be specifically responsible for overseeing the organization’s antiviolence policy, including threat assessment and crisis management. Teams should have the authority, training, and support needed to meet their responsibilities. The threat assessment and incident response teams will be responsible for responding to ALL reports of violence, threats, harassment, or other events or conduct that may frighten any employee. Often, team members will receive special training in risk evaluation, threat assessment, conflict resolution, and procedures to monitor, document, and develop a response to all cases brought to their attention. They also need to be aware of, and have contingency plans for, issues, such as dealing with the news media in the event of a major incident and helping meet employees’ needs in the aftermath of a violent death or other traumatic workplace event. It should be explained that, often, these teams will not conduct threat assessments themselves, but instead will seek the assistance of outside threat assessment professionals to perform the function with the team’s collaboration. Teams often will benefit from consulting with law enforcement officials, mental health professionals, emergency response personnel, and other outside specialists or agencies that could become involved in a crisis. To be fully effective, these relationships should be established and maintained before an emergency occurs.

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The composition of assessment and response teams will reflect a multidisciplinary approach. Teams often include representatives from security, human resources, medical, and employee assistance in organizations large enough to have those departments. Other possible members are union representatives, where employees are covered by a union contract. While team members may belong to different departments, as a team, they should report to one senior manager, so that lines of communication and authority are clear and there will not be conflict or confusion in the midst of an emergency. The team’s composition, tasks, and powers should be clearly defined. Employers may want to hire outside experts to train and advise the assessment and incident response teams. Those teams, in turn, can conduct violence prevention and emergency response training for employees, supervisors, and executives. Teams should keep good written records of all incidents and interventions, monitor results, and evaluate the actions that were taken.

Training* Training in workplace violence prevention will vary according to different employee groups. Training should be provided to new/current employees, supervisors, and managers, and be conducted on a regular basis, covering a variety of topics, including: 

The workplace violence prevention policy, including reporting requirements

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Risk factors that can cause or contribute to threats and violence

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Early recognition of warning signs of problematic behavior

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Where appropriate, ways of preventing or defusing volatile situations or aggressive behavior

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Information on cultural diversity to develop sensitivity to racial and ethnic issues and differences

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A standard response action plan for violent situations, including availability of assistance, response to alarm systems, and communication procedures

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The location and operation of safety devices, such as alarm systems, along with the required maintenance schedules and procedures

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Ways to protect oneself and coworkers, including use of a “buddy system”

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Policies and procedures for reporting and record-keeping

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Policies and procedures for obtaining medical care, counseling, workers’ compensation, or legal assistance after a violent episode or injury

Evaluation* An evaluation program should involve the following: 

Establishing a uniform reporting system for incidents of harassment, bullying, threats and other inappropriate behavior and regular review of reports.

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Measuring the frequency and severity of workplace violence in order to determine if prevention programs are having an effect.

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Analyzing trends and rates in violence-related injuries, lost work time, etc.

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Surveying employees before and after making job or worksite changes or installing security measures or new systems to determine their effectiveness.

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Keeping abreast of new strategies for dealing with workplace violence as they develop. Any changes in the program should be discussed at regular meetings of the safety committee, union representatives, or other employee groups.

*This section is adapted from OSHA, Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Health Care and Social Service Workers, 1998.

Disciplinary Philosophy and Procedures Disciplining an employee for abusive, threatening, or violent behavior serves two purposes. For the abusive or violent employee, the disciplinary action should serve as an appropriate penalty for past conduct and a deterrent against future offenses. For the rest of the workforce, it should serve to reaffirm the employer’s commitment to a workplace free from threats and violence and reinforce employees’ confidence that their safety is protected by strong but fair measures. To achieve those goals, penalties and the disciplinary process must be – and must be seen to be – proportionate, consistent, reasonable, and fair. Erratic or arbitrary discipline, favoritism, and a lack of respect for employees’ dignity and rights are likely to undermine, not support, an employer’s violence prevention efforts. Workers who perceive an employer’s practices as unfair or unreasonable will nurse grievances; and not report incidents with the expectation of a fair hearing and settlement. Grudges at unfair treatment will fester and may even erupt into further troublesome behavior. Fairness in discipline begins with fairly and clearly spelling out what the rules are. Policies on workplace conduct should be written to clearly state the employer’s standards and expectations. Penalties should be proportionate to the offense. If there is a complaint or incident, the incident response team will conduct or ensure a thorough investigation of the facts and, based on the results, will consider and determine appropriate disciplinary measures.

The Zero-Tolerance Question When it began appearing in the language three decades ago, the phrase “zero tolerance” customarily referred to a standard, rather than a penalty. Zero tolerance on drugs meant that the standard of conduct would be no drug use. Zero tolerance on harmful substances in food or water supplies meant that no amount of a particular toxic chemical or infectious agent would be considered safe. Over the last decade, zero tolerance has taken on a different meaning: the application of an automatic penalty for a designated offense. In that sense, the policy has at times been criticized for overriding judgment and common sense, as when school administrators acting under a zero-tolerance drug or weapons policy expel a student for bringing a nail file to school or having a cold pill or a couple of aspirin tablets in a lunch box. With regard to workplace violence, employers should make clear that zero tolerance in the original sense of the phrase applies – that is, no threatening or violent behavior is acceptable and no violent incident will be ignored. Company violence prevention policies should require action on all reports of violence, without exception. That does not mean, however, that a rigid, one-size-fits-all policy of auto-

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matic penalties is appropriate, effective or desirable. It may even be counterproductive, since employees may be more reluctant to report a fellow worker if he is subject to automatic termination regardless of the circumstances or seriousness of his offense. Whether to use the phrase “zero tolerance” in its written workplace violence policy or find a different expression is a decision each employer will have to make. Whatever phrase is used, it should be made clear that the intent is to set a standard of conduct, not a system of penalties. Instead of warning of “automatic termination,” discipline policies should declare that violent workplace behavior will lead to penalties “up to and including termination.” That leaves room for managers to consider circumstances and exercise judgment on each case. It also properly puts the responsibility on management to ensure that penalties are not imposed arbitrarily, but are consistent, proportionate, and fair. Sidebar 1: Sample Written Policy Statement This organization does not tolerate workplace violence. We define workplace violence as actions or words that endanger or harm another employee or result in other employees having a reasonable belief that they are in danger. Such actions include: 

Verbal or physical harassment

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Verbal or physical threats

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Assaults or other violence

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Any other behavior that causes others to feel unsafe (e.g. bullying, sexual harassment)

Company policy requires an immediate response to all reports of violence. All threatening incidents will be investigated and documented by the employee relations department. If appropriate, the company may provide counseling services or referrals for employees. The following disciplinary actions may also be taken: 

Oral reprimand

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Written reprimand

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Suspension

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Termination

It’s the responsibility of all employees to report all threatening behavior to management immediately. The goal of this policy is to promote the safety and well-being of all people in our workplace.

Sidebar 2: Threat Assessment – A True-Life Example The following is an account of a threat assessment conducted jointly by a criminal investigator and a mental health professional, as reported at the NCAVC’s Violence in the Workplace Symposium. During a training session, the 46-year-old subject made comments regarding his alcoholism, causing such a disturbance that he was subsequently referred to the Employee Assistance Counseling Program. On two other occasions, he displayed inappropriate behavior by storming around the office, cursing,

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and throwing objects. In another training workshop, he made verbally abusive comments, disturbing the class. After a month’s leave, he had a verbal outburst during a meeting on his first day back in the office and requested a transfer due to stress. The request was denied. He then requested more leave, which was granted. The subject was noticeably withdrawn and his performance declined. Supervisors documented a pattern of unusual agitation over minor issues, unreasonable complaints, unacceptable work, and allegations that coworkers were conspiring against him. The subject was voluntarily hospitalized twice for homicidal ideations. He was treated for psychosis, and suicidal and paranoid delusions associated with his coworkers. His physician recommended a disability retirement. A month before approval of his disability pension, he began to leave harassing voicemail messages on a coworker’s telephone. An example of the messages is: “Hi Darlene, it’s Stan. Just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving. And, you give this message to Yvonne. Tell her if she had been off the property the day she hollered at me, I would have beat her m_____ f_____ ass. Bye Darlene.” He was diagnosed with delusional disorder, paranoid type. This information was also provided to law enforcement during the investigation. His retirement papers contained disturbing comments. For example, recalling a meeting with a human resources staff member, he said: “I started to grab her by the throat and choke her, until the top part of her head popped off. Then I was going to step on her throat and pluck her bozo hairdo bald. Strand by strand ...” Some months later, the subject told a former coworker that he was following a former supervisor and her family. He provided specific information, stating that he knew where some of them lived, and the types and colors of vehicles they drove. The subject also stated that he had three guns for each of his former supervisors. At this point, law enforcement was notified. While the police investigation was underway, the subject made threats against five former female coworkers. A threat assessment was conducted analyzing letters, voicemails, reports from EAP, and interviews with various individuals. The subject’s communications were organized and contained specific threats. For example, he wrote “Don’t let the passage of time fool you, all is not forgotten or forgiven,” and “I will in my own time strike again, and it will be unmerciful.” The material suggested that he was becoming increasingly fixated on the targets and his communications articulated an action imperative which suggested that the risk was increasing. After obtaining additional information, the investigators informed the subject of specific limits and consequences that would occur if he continued his threatening behavior and communications. The subject assured law enforcement agents that his intent was to pursue legal reparations. Four months later, however, he mailed letters to his five targets stating that he wanted to “execute” one of them. The letters indicated that he was close to committing an attack. Based on the ongoing assessment and insight into his thinking and behavior over several months, the threat assessment team, consisting of an investigator and a mental health professional, initiated a conference call with the district attorney.

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In the conference, the mental health professional provided an assessment of the subject’s potential for violence, and the investigator presented evidence regarding the laws violated and law enforcement actions taken to date. The threat assessment report, along with other evidence, was used by the district attorney in obtaining an arrest and search warrant. The final recommendation by the team was that the subject should be arrested and held without bond. Six months after the arrest, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Sidebar 3: What Does Not Work? 

One-size-fits-all approach

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Rigidity, inflexibility

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Denial of problem

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Lack of communication with key parties

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Lack of collaboration

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Ignoring respect

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Lack of clear written policy

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Lack of careful evaluation of job applicants

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No documentation

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Lack of awareness of cultural/diversity issues

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Passing around “bad apples”

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Lack of an organization-wide commitment to safety

Attachment 5. The Changing Role of Law Enforcement Following the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller issued highly publicized orders directing the FBI to make detection and preemption of terrorist attacks its highest priority task. “Today the American people call on the Federal Bureau of Investigation to put the prevention of terrorism at the center of its law enforcement and national security efforts,“ Attorney General Ashcroft told a Justice Department audience on November 8, 2001, declaring in the same speech that, “Our new mission requires a new way of doing business.” As many commentators noted, the change in the FBI’s mission was something far more profound than shifting emphasis and resources from one kind of crime to another. In traditional police work, the basic law enforcement mission is to investigate crimes that have already been committed, identify the criminals, find them, catch them, and collect evidence for conviction. Moving from that model to a preventive role means changing almost every aspect of how law enforcement professionals conceive and carry out their task; it requires new thinking, new training, and new practices.

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With the nation deeply concerned about terrorism, the FBI’s new focus drew headline-news coverage. But in fact, law enforcement’s shift toward prevention didn’t start with September 11, and it has occurred not only in relation to terrorism, but across a wide range of day-to-day local police work. Over the last decade, partly as the result of changing attitudes and practices on stalking and domestic violence, partly as a component of the more and more widely adopted community policing model, and partly arising from changes in the law, the idea has gained strength that police should respond when a threat becomes known, instead of waiting until a violent crime has taken place. As reported at the NCAVC Symposium, more than a decade ago, the Los Angeles Police Department became the first police force to create a Threat Management Unit. The LAPD Unit, established in 1991, was largely a response to circumstances unique to Los Angeles, the nation’s entertainment capital and home to a large number of celebrities who frequently become the target of threats or stalkers. But public awareness of stalking, harassment, and domestic and workplace violence was increasing nationwide. One result was that the threshold for reporting communicated threats decreased, with many more threats being reported to police. Another result was legislation in many states strengthening stalking and harassment laws during the decade, as well as passage of the Federal Interstate Anti-Stalking Law in 1996. Responding to those trends, as well as growing attention to terrorism even before September 11, many police departments followed Los Angeles in giving greater emphasis and resources to threat assessment and threat management issues. By definition, becoming involved in threat assessment meant intervening at an earlier stage than police officers were traditionally accustomed to. Stephen Doherty, Chief of Police in Wakefield, Massachusetts, wrote about the shift – and its roots in domestic violence policing – in the April 2002 issue of Security Management Magazine. “Ten to 15 years ago, the perception among police, businesses, and the public was that domestic violence was private. Thus, incidents of minor abuse went unreported. By the time the police got involved, it was often too late to prevent serious harm or death. “Over time, attitudes about domestic violence changed. Local police are now regularly provided domestic violence training. Ongoing partnerships with women’s advocacy groups have raised awareness and incident reporting. Today, most police departments also have someone assigned to the issue of domestic violence who is charged with the follow-up of court-issued abuse prevention orders.” Doherty continued, “Workplace violence … is today where domestic violence was a decade ago ... the more common but less dramatic lower-level incidents, such as threats and aggravated assaults, are still not viewed as an opportunity for early intervention. Companies tend to treat these situations internally, just as domestic violence was once treated as private. “According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, less than half (only 44.2 percent) of violent victimizations sustained at work are reported to the police. Similarly, I find some police chiefs reluctant to take action on the issue. When I suggest that there be an officer assigned to workplace violence, they say, ‘We have enough work to do.’ This failure of businesses to report lower-level incidents and the reluctance of police

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to aggressively tackle the issue, only empowers the perpetrators and diminishes the victims. Ultimately, these unreported smaller incidents are precursors to larger acts of violence. If you don’t deal with the simple assault, you may eventually have to deal with homicide.*” On the day after Christmas 2000, Doherty’s city was the scene of a deadly rampage by an employee at a local software company, Edgewater Technology. Michael McDermott, angry that the company planned to withhold part of his salary to pay back-taxes, came to work with an AK-47 assault rifle, a shotgun, and a semiautomatic pistol, and killed seven coworkers. At his trial, McDermott unsuccessfully pleaded insanity. Accepting prosecutors’ argument that he was not mentally ill but faking the symptoms, a jury found him guilty in April 2002 on seven counts of first-degree murder. Under Massachusetts law, the verdict automatically brought a life sentence without parole. Before the tragedy, Doherty would have said that mass killings “happen elsewhere, they don’t happen in nice places like this.” His department had never heard of Edgewater Technology, even though it was a sizable local employer, until the 911 phones rang on the day of the shooting. Since the massacre, Doherty has been a vocal advocate for adapting community policing concepts and practices to the prevention of workplace violence, just as they were earlier applied to domestic and school violence. In the community policing model, employers and police work together to develop proactive plans for anticipating workplace violence problems, responding to threats, early intervention, and coordination in dealing with an emergency if one occurs. Necessary elements for implementing this approach include: *Stephen Doherty, “How Can Workplace Violence Be Deterred?” Security Management, April 2002.

Training for police on workplace violence issues and responses. An outreach and awareness effort by police agencies directed at employers in their jurisdictions, encouraging them to work with police in preparing violence prevention plans and informing them that advice and assistance are available. Compiling and establishing contact with a list of other public and private agencies (training, mental health, social service, etc.) that may help in violence prevention planning or incident response. Initial meetings with individual employers providing them with:  contact information  basic knowledge of relevant legal issues  procedures for reporting threats or violent incidents  Establishing guidelines for exchange of information between police and employers (for example, if an employer seeks background information on a job applicant or present employee).  Developing procedures for particular risk situations, such as layoff announcements for termination of a potentially dangerous employee.  Site reviews, in order to suggest safety improvements and develop plans for early response.

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In violence-prevention planning, threat assessment, and other preventive efforts, collaboration among law enforcement officers, employers’ representatives, and other resources, such as mental health workers, will yield the best results in almost all situations, if not all. Teamwork will be smoother and conflicts fewer, though, if all partners understand that their perspectives and priorities will not be necessarily identical, even if all are working for the safety of the workforce. For the mental health professional, the goal of evaluating a possibly dangerous person is normally to develop a treatment plan and decide on questions, such as hospitalization, medication, and therapy that will keep the person from harming himself or others. For the employer, the first priority will be to protect other workers, avoid disruption and economic loss, and remove the dangerous person from the workplace. For the law enforcement officer, it will be to deter a violent crime while also determining if there has been a criminal offense already and, if so, to investigate and develop evidence for prosecution. There are other divergent concerns. A company’s management may fear it will lose decision-making control once law enforcement is involved. It may not want the public attention that can come with police involvement and may feel the company’s image will be damaged if its name is connected to a publicized criminal investigation. It may also be concerned about potential civil liability questions, confidentiality issues, or disclosing proprietary information to police. Similarly, police may have information that they cannot legally share with employers or private security agencies, such as criminal records, firearm ownership, and past reports of violent behavior. None of these concerns need hinder appropriate cooperation, but where they exist it is far better for all sides to recognize and clarify them as part of the violence-prevention planning process, rather than leave them unspoken and unresolved until a conflict arises. The most important caution, perhaps, is to develop prevention strategies without creating or nourishing unrealistic expectations. No prevention effort is perfect. Not all bad things can be prevented. A violent incident that occurs despite prevention efforts should always be reviewed for whatever lessons can be learned on improving preparedness, not for the purpose of finding and criticizing someone for failing to keep it from happening.

Sidebar 4: A Case Study Of Police-Employer Cooperation The local office of a Fortune 500 company initially contacted the Wakefield, Massachusetts, police department when it was experiencing a rash of thefts, both of cars from the company parking lot and of laptop computers and other equipment inside the building. The number of thefts was materially reduced by increased police coverage, including patrols in the parking area and stationing an officer periodically in the company offices. Subsequently, the company contacted police for advice and assistance when it was planning a large layoff. Several weeks before layoff notices were to be issued, police officers went to the site and met with company officials to help plan for the event. As part of the preparation, management gave police the names of all employees who were due to be laid off.

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At the request of the police, managers also identified the 10 who they thought were most likely to go off the handle when they were notified. “The police ran record and warrant checks on those people, and checked if any had firearms permits,” recalled Police Chief Stephen Doherty. This was information that couldn’t be given to the employer, but Doherty noted that collecting the information served “the legitimate police purpose of preventing violence.” Four of the 10 became a concern to the police based on the information collected. On the day of the layoffs, the four possible problem workers were the first to be notified, while it was announced to all employees that police in plain clothes (five officers) were on the site and would remain for several weeks. The terminations were carried out with no dangerous or disruptive incidents. Subsequently, police used the same procedure in assisting another local employer that was conducting layoffs. [Source: Stephen Doherty, “How Can Workplace Violence Be Deterred?” Security Management, April 2002].

Attachment 6. Violence Against Health Care Workers “More assaults occur in the health care and social services industries than in any other,” the Occupational Safety and Health Administration reported in 1998. The same report went on to say, “Of greater concern is the likely under-reporting of violence and a persistent perception within the health care industry that assaults are part of the job. Under-reporting may reflect a lack of institutional reporting policies, employee beliefs that reporting will not benefit them, or employee fears that employers may deem assaults the result of employee negligence or poor job performance.” Other studies have also noted the risks borne by employees in the health field. The University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center’s 2001 “Report to the Nation” on workplace violence observed, “Of particular concern is the high rate of violent incidents targeting health care workers. On some psychiatric units, for example, assault rates on staff are greater than 100 cases per 100 workers per year.” And a study conducted by the Emergency Medical System of Virginia reported that “violence associated with patient care is the primary source of non-fatal injury in all health care organizations today.” The Virginia report also noted that “hospital based medical workers currently have the highest rate of non-fatal assaults over all other sectors of employment.” Nurses experience the most assaults, but physicians, pharmacists, nurse practitioners, physicians’ assistants, nurses’ aides, therapists, technicians, home healthcare workers, social/welfare workers, and emergency medical care personnel are all at risk of violence by patients or a patient’s friends or relatives. Psychiatric units are particularly dangerous, as are emergency rooms, crisis and acute care units, and admissions departments. The high rate of assaults on health workers has numerous causes. In urban emergency rooms, as one study noted “increasing numbers of unscreened violent and potentially violent persons are brought by the police.”* Risk factors listed in OSHA’s 1998 guidelines included:  The carrying of handguns and other weapons by patients, their families, or friends.

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 The use of hospitals by police and the criminal justice system for the care of acutely disturbed, violent individuals.  The increasing number of acute and chronically mentally ill patients being released from hospitals without follow-up care, who now have the right to refuse medicine, and who can no longer be hospitalized involuntarily unless they pose an immediate threat to themselves or others.  The availability of drugs or money at hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies. Factors, such as unrestricted movement of the public in clinics and hospitals; the presence of gang members, drug or alcohol abusers, trauma patients, or distraught family members and long waits in emergency or clinic areas, leading to frustration among patients and accompanying relatives or friends. Lack of training of staff in recognizing and managing escalating hostile and assaultive behavior. Recommendations for reducing violence include: 

Adopting a written violence-prevention program, communicating it to all employees, and designating a “Patient Assault Team,” task force or coordinator to implement it.

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Advising all patients and visitors that violence, verbal and nonverbal threats, and related behavior will not be tolerated.

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Setting up a trained response team to respond to emergencies.

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Encouraging employees to promptly report incidents and to suggest ways to reduce or eliminate risks.

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Reviewing workplace layout to find existing or potential hazards; installing and maintaining alarm systems and other security devices, such as panic buttons, handheld alarms or noise devices, cellular phones, and private channel radios where risk is apparent or may be anticipated; and arranging for a reliable response system when an alarm is triggered.

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Using metal detectors to screen patients and visitors for guns, knives, or other weapons.

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Establishing liaison with local police and state prosecutors, reporting all incidents of violence, and providing police with floor plans of facilities to expedite emergency response or investigations.

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Ensuring adequate staff coverage at all times.

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Setting up a system to use chart tags, logbooks, or other means to identify patients and clients with assaultive behavior problems.

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Instituting a sign-in procedure with passes for visitors and compiling a list of “restricted visitors” for patients with a history of violence.

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Controlling access to facilities other than waiting rooms, particularly drug-storage or pharmacy areas.

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Providing medical and psychological counseling and debriefing for employees experiencing or witnessing assaults and other violent incidents.

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Attachment 7. Prevention Strategies for Retail Workers Environmental Designs Commonly implemented cash handling policies in retail settings include procedures, such as using locked drop safes, carrying small amounts of cash, and posting signs and printing notices that limited cash is available. It may also be useful to explore the feasibility of cashless transactions in taxicabs and retail settings through the use of machines that accommodate automatic teller account cards or debit cards. These approaches could be used in any setting where cash is currently exchanged between employees and customers. Physical separation of employees from customers, clients, and the general public through the use of bullet-resistant barriers or enclosures has been proposed for retail settings, such as gas stations and convenience stores, hospital emergency departments and social service agency claims areas. The height and depth of counters (with or without bullet-resistant barriers) are also important considerations in protecting employees, since they introduce physical distance between employees and potential attackers. Consideration must nonetheless be given to the continued ease of conducting business; a safety device that increases frustration for employees or for customers, clients, or patients may be self-defeating. Visibility and lighting are also important environmental-design considerations. Making high-risk areas visible to more people and installing good external lighting should decrease the risk of workplace assaults (NIOSH 1993). Access to and exits from the workplace are also important areas to assess. The number of entrances and exits, the ease with which non-workers can gain access to work areas because doors are unlocked, and the number of areas where potential attackers can hide are issues that should be addressed. The issues have implications for the design of buildings and parking areas, landscaping, and the placement of garbage areas, outdoor refrigeration areas, and other storage facilities that workers must use during a work shift. Numerous security devices may reduce the risk for assaults against employees and facilitate the identification and apprehension of perpetrators. These include closed-circuit cameras, alarms, two-way mirrors, electronic control access systems, panic-bar doors locked from the outside only, and trouble lights or geographic locating devices in taxicabs and other mobile workplaces. Personal protective equipment, such as body armor has been used effectively by public safety personnel to mitigate the effects of workplace violence. For example, the lives of more than 1,800 police officers have been saved by Kevlar protective vests (Brierley 1996).

Administrative Controls Staffing plans and work practices, such as escorting patients and prohibiting unsupervised movement within and between clinic areas, are recommended. Increasing the number of staff on duty may also be appropriate in any number of service and retail settings. The use of security guards or receptionists to screen persons entering the workplace and to control access to actual work areas has also been suggested by security experts.

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Work practices and staffing patterns during the opening and closing of establishments and during money drops and pickups should be carefully reviewed for the increased risk of assault they pose to employees; these practices include having employees take out garbage, dispose of grease, store food or other items in external storage areas, and transport or store money. Policies and procedures for accessing and reporting threats allow employers to track and assess threats and violent incidents in the workplace. Such policies clearly indicate a zero tolerance of workplace violence and provide mechanisms by which incidents can be reported and handled. In addition, such information always allows employers to assess whether prevention strategies are appropriate and effective. These policies should also include guidance on recognizing the potential for violence, methods for defusing or de-escalating potentially violent situations, and instruction about the use of security devices and protective equipment. Procedures for obtaining medical care and psychological support following violent incidents should also be addressed. Training and education efforts are clearly needed to accompany such policies.

Behavioral Strategies Training employees in non-violent response and conflict resolution has been suggested to reduce the risk that volatile situations will escalate to physical violence. Also critical is training that addresses hazards associated with specific tasks or worksites and relevant prevention strategies. Training should not be regarded as the sole prevention strategy but as a component in a comprehensive approach to reducing workplace violence. To increase vigilance and compliance with stated violence-prevention policies, training should emphasize the appropriate use and maintenance of protective equipment, adherence to administrative controls, and increased knowledge and awareness of the risk of workplace violence.

Attachment 8. School Safety There are three major components to a comprehensive School Safety Plan. This is a fundamental understanding. Failure to attend to one of these components will jeopardize the effectiveness of the others. The School Safety Plan is built around the three components of an anti-violence effort: interdiction, intervention, and prevention. Each activity, which a school engages to alleviate violence, is part of one or more of these components. Each component contains a constellation of programs and processes. Following is a brief explanation of these components. 

Interdiction: This component addresses the procedures and processes necessary to prohibit and discourage acts of violence. It includes programs and practices which ensure that the school is and will remain safe. Board policy, supervision techniques, security and a variety of management techniques are included in this component.

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Intervention: The intervention effort recognizes that there will be pupils who are unable or unwilling to modify their behavior to conform to the school’s discipline and conduct policies and regulations. Intervention efforts are remedial. These programs include: counseling, peer mediation, conflict resolution, and alternative school placement among others.

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Prevention: This component includes the development of programs which address the causes of violent and disruptive behavior. This component encompasses curricula and programs which include: mentoring programs, anger-management-and-reduction programs, career-path education, value, virtue and justice units which are spliced into the standard curriculum.

Establishing or restoring an interdiction capability will be the initial focus for many school districts. Without a safe and orderly environment, the effectiveness of intervention and prevention strategies is compromised. If students are unable to function effectively in the school setting, Intervention Programs are initiated. Intervention does not make sense unless the district has met its Interdiction requirement. The application of Intervention Programs without Interdiction generates an “Enabling Climate” wherein the pupil is enabled to continue to be disruptive while participating in some form of Intervention Program. Prevention Programs are the long-term-solution element in the model. Prevention Programs build long-term solutions and permit the pupil to make positive life choices. These programs address the cause of violence and thereby mitigate the effects.

Building the School Plan The goal of a comprehensive plan is to provide a school with a continuing capability to prevent disruptive and violent acts and cope with them if they should occur. The building of the plan is bolstered by an appreciation and use of Planning Theory and System Analysis. The plan will result in developing specific objectives and activities strengthening the capabilities of the school to prevent violence and remedy situations, if necessary. 

A school safety committee 

This is a recommended vehicle for developing the School Safety Plan. This committee is charged with the responsibility of developing the plan and monitoring its implementation. As with any other institutional endeavor, if everyone is responsible, no one is found wanting. This committee should report on a regular basis to the Board of Education, administration, and school community.

The principal players 

The framers of the plan will in many cases be the participants in plan development. The following are suggested team members. 

The Board of Education: This is the policymaking and responsible group for the conduct of the school district. The board is accountable for the quality of education and for the establishment of a safe school environment. In establishing policy and regulation, it sets the “tone” for the school district. The Board of Education has a critical leadership role in the development of a proactive School Safety Plan.

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The superintendent of schools: The superintendent is the Chief Executive Officer of the Board of Education. As such, he/she plays a most critical role in establishing the plan and providing the organizational support, resources, moral commitment and supervision necessary for its success.

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Building principals: The building principal is the individual administrator closest to the setting. The principal is aware of resources and the student population. The capabilities of personnel and resources are best assessed by this individual.

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Teachers: The teacher is closest to the youngsters and encounters and transacts with pupils daily. The teacher delivers instruction and evaluates pupils affectively and cognitively. The teacher’s quality of life and ability to perform service is determined in large measure by the security and safety of the environment.

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Parents: The parent is a partner in the issue of School Safety and Anti-Violence Education. A holistic approach to pupil behavior must naturally consider the parent. Parents are also rightfully concerned about issues relating to their child’s safety and are among the most interested stakeholders in the school community.

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Police and law enforcement personnel: These individuals can play a most critical role in the implementation of a school’s anti-violence program. Their participation in the planning process can be invaluable. Ideally, they are involved early in the plan development. The early inclusion of the police agency in the planning process provides an opportunity to share ideas, as well as knowledge of roles, capabilities, and limitations.

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Security personnel: In the event that a school utilizes security personnel, it is very important to have the leadership of this group involved in the development of the plan.

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The school board attorney: Much of the ground which is covered in an anti-violence plan represents new territory. In the plan development, the attorney plays a critical role. The attorney can advise on the legality of the initiatives, propose alternatives, interpret law, and brief participants on Case Law and its implications to portions of the plan. The attorney can draft needed policies and regulations requisite to putting the plan into action.

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Pupil representation: Statistics indicate that the pupil is the most likely target of a violent or a personally disruptive act. The planners should seriously consider including representation from the student body in the School Safety Planning Group. Students provide insights and perceptions into the problems that other members will not have. Due to the sensitive and secure nature of some components of the plan (Critical Incident Planning, Tactics, etc.) their participation should be limited from time to time.

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Additional personnel and resources: Each school district is in the best position to determine what other stakeholder groups should be involved in the process of developing the plan. In addition, there are other resources that can be enlisted to assist in the plan’s development. The New York State School Board’s Association is an excellent resource for counsel on matters related to policy and law. Other professional organizations and governmental agencies are beginning to develop capabilities to assist schools in their anti-violence efforts.

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Attachment 9. Profile of an Active Shooter An Active Shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area; in most cases, active shooters use firearms(s) and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims. Active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. Typically, the immediate deployment of law enforcement is required to stop the shooting and mitigate harm to victims. Because active shooter situations are often over within 10 to 15 minutes, before law enforcement arrives on the scene, individuals must be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with an active shooter situation.

How to Respond When an Active Shooter is in Your Vicinity Quickly determine the most reasonable way to protect your own life. Remember that customers and clients are likely to follow the lead of employees and managers during an active shooter situation. Evacuate If there is an accessible escape path, attempt to evacuate the premises. Be sure to: 

Have an escape route and plan in mind

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Evacuate regardless of whether others agree to follow

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Leave your belongings behind

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Help others escape, if possible

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Prevent individuals from entering an area where the active shooter may be

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Keep your hands visible

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Follow the instructions of any police officers

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Do not attempt to move wounded people

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Call 911 when you are safe

Hide out If evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide where the active shooter is less likely to find you. Your hiding place should: 

Be out of the active shooter’s view

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Provide protection if shots are fired in your direction (i.e., an office with a closed and locked door)

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Not trap you or restrict your options for movement

To prevent an active shooter from entering your hiding place: 

Lock the door

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Blockade the door with heavy furniture

If the active shooter is nearby:

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Lock the door

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Silence your cell phone and/or pager

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Turn off any source of noise (i.e., radios, televisions)

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Hide behind large items (i.e., cabinets, desks)

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Remain quiet

If evacuation and hiding out are not possible: 

Remain calm

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Dial 911, if possible, to alert police to the active shooter’s location

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If you cannot speak, leave the line open and allow the dispatcher to listen

Take action against the active shooter As a last resort, and only when your life is in imminent danger, attempt to disrupt and/or incapacitate the active shooter by: 

Acting as aggressively as possible against him/her

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Throwing items and improvising weapons

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Yelling

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Committing to your actions

How to Respond When Law Enforcement Arrives Law enforcement’s purpose is to stop the active shooter as soon as possible. Officers will proceed directly to the area in which the last shots were heard. 

Officers usually arrive in teams of four (4)

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Officers may wear regular patrol uniforms or external bulletproof vests, Kevlar helmets, and other tactical equipment

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Officers may be armed with rifles, shotguns, handguns

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Officers may use pepper spray or tear gas to control the situation

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Officers may shout commands, and may push individuals to the ground for their safety

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How to react when law enforcement arrives:

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Remain calm, and follow officers’ instructions

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Put down any items in your hands (i.e., bags, jackets)

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Immediately raise hands and spread fingers

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Keep hands visible at all times

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Avoid making quick movements toward officers, such as holding on to them for safety

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Avoid pointing, screaming and/or yelling

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Do not stop to ask officers for help or direction when evacuating, just proceed in the direction from which officers are entering the premises Information to provide to law enforcement or 911 operator: 

Location of the active shooter

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Number of shooters, if more than one

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Physical description of shooter/s

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Number and type of weapons held by the shooter/s

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Number of potential victims at the location

The first officers to arrive at the scene will not stop to help injured persons. Expect rescue teams of additional officers and emergency medical personnel to follow the initial officers. These rescue teams will treat and remove any injured persons. They may also call upon able-bodied individuals to assist in removing the wounded from the premises. Once you have reached a safe location or an assembly point, you will likely be held in that area by law enforcement until the situation is under control, and all witnesses have been identified and questioned. Do not leave until law enforcement authorities have instructed you to do so.

Training Your Staff for an Active Shooter Situation To best prepare your staff for an active shooter situation, create an Emergency Action Plan (EAP), and conduct training exercises. Together, the EAP and training exercises will prepare your staff to effectively respond and help minimize loss of life.

Components of an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) Create the EAP with input from several stakeholders, including your human resources department, your training department (if one exists), facility owners/operators, your property manager, and local law enforcement and/or emergency responders. An effective EAP includes: 

A preferred method for reporting fires and other emergencies

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An evacuation policy and procedure

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Emergency escape procedures and route assignments (i.e., floor plans, safe areas)

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Contact information for, and responsibilities of individuals to be contacted under the EAP

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Information concerning local area hospitals (i.e., name, telephone number, and distance from your location)

An emergency notification system to alert various parties of an emergency including: 

Individuals at remote locations within premises

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Local law enforcement

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Local area hospitals

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Components of Training Exercises The most effective way to train your staff to respond to an active shooter situation is to conduct mock active shooter training exercises. Local law enforcement is an excellent resource in designing training exercises. These include:  Recognizing the sound of gunshots  Reacting quickly when gunshots are heard and/or when a shooting is witnessed:  Evacuating the area  Hiding out  Acting against the shooter as a last resort  Calling 911  Reacting when law enforcement arrives  Adopting the survival mind set during times of crisis

Additional Ways to Prepare for and Prevent an Active Shooter Situation Preparedness Ensure that your facility has at least two evacuation routes Post evacuation routes in conspicuous locations throughout your facility Include local law enforcement and first responders during training exercises Encourage law enforcement, emergency responders, SWAT teams, K-9 teams, and bomb squads to train for an active shooter scenario at your location

Prevention Foster a respectful workplace Be aware of indications of workplace violence and take remedial actions accordingly For more information on creating an EAP, contact the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Health and Safety Administration, www.osha.gov.

Preparing for and Managing an Active Shooter Situation Your human resources department and facility managers should engage in planning for emergency situations, including an active shooter scenario. Planning for emergency situations will help to mitigate the likelihood of an incident by establishing the mechanisms described below.

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Human Resources’ Responsibilities  Conduct effective employee screening and background checks  Create a system for reporting signs of potentially violent behavior  Make counseling services available to employees  Develop an EAP that includes policies and procedures for dealing with an active shooter situation, as well as after-action planning Facility Manager Responsibilities  Institute access controls (i.e., keys, security system pass codes)  Distribute critical items to appropriate managers/employees, including:  Floor plans  Keys  Facility personnel lists and telephone numbers  Coordinate with the facility’s security department to ensure the physical security of the location  Assemble crisis kits containing:  Radios  Floor plans  Staff roster and staff emergency contact numbers  First aid kits  Flashlights  Place removable floor plans near entrances and exits for emergency responders  Activate the emergency notification system when an emergency situation occurs Reactions of Managers During an Active Shooter Situation Employees and customers are likely to follow the lead of managers during an emergency situation. During an emergency, managers should be familiar with their EAP and be prepared to:  Take immediate action  Remain calm  Lock and barricade doors  Evacuate staff and customers via a preplanned evacuation route to a safe area

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Ensure that EAPs, evacuation instructions and any other relevant information address individuals with special needs and/or disabilities Your building should be handicap-accessible, in compliance with ADA requirements.

Recognizing Potential Workplace Violence An active shooter in your workplace may be a current or former employee, or an acquaintance of a current or former employee. Intuitive managers and coworkers may notice characteristics of potentially violent behavior in an employee. Alert your Human Resources Department if you believe an employee or coworker exhibits potentially violent behavior. Indicators of Potential Violence by an Employee Employees typically do not just “snap,” but display indicators of potentially violent behavior over time. If these behaviors are recognized, they can often be managed and treated. Potentially violent behaviors by an employee may include one or more of the following (this list of behaviors is not comprehensive, nor is it intended as a mechanism for diagnosing violent tendencies): 

Increased use of alcohol and/or illegal drugs

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Unexplained increase in absenteeism; vague physical complaints

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Noticeable decrease in attention to appearance and hygiene

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Depression/withdrawal

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Resistance and overreaction to changes in policy and procedures

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Repeated violations of company policies

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Increased severe mood swings

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Noticeably unstable, emotional responses

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Explosive outbursts of anger or rage without provocation

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Suicidal; comments about “putting things in order”

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Behavior which indicates possible paranoia, (“everybody is against me”)

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Increasing talk of problems at home

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Escalation of domestic problems into the workplace; talk of severe financial problems

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Talk of previous incidents of violence

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Empathy with individuals committing violence

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Increase in unsolicited comments about firearms, other dangerous weapons and violent crimes

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Managing the Consequences of an Active Shooter Situation After the active shooter has been incapacitated and is no longer a threat, human resources and/or management should engage in post-event assessments and activities, including: 

An accounting of all individuals at a designated assembly point to determine who, if any, is missing and potentially injured

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Determining a method for notifying families of individuals affected by the active shooter, including notification of any casualties

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Assessing the psychological state of individuals at the scene, and referring them to health care specialists accordingly

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Identifying and filling any critical personnel or operational gaps left in the organization as a result of the active shooter

Lessons Learned To facilitate effective planning for future emergencies, it is important to analyze the recent active shooter situation and create an after-action report. The analysis and reporting contained in this report is useful for: 

Serving as documentation for response activities

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Identifying successes and failures that occurred during the event

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Providing an analysis of the effectiveness of the existing EAP

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Describing and defining a plan for making improvements to the EAP

Additional references: Safety Guidelines for Armed Subjects, Active Shooter Situations, Indiana University Police Department, April 2007. Safety Tips & Guidelines Regarding Potential “Active Shooter” Incidents Occurring on Campus, University of California Police. Shots Fired, When Lightning Strikes (DVD), Center for Personal Protection and Safety, 2007. Workplace Violence Desk Reference, Security Management Group International, www.SMGICorp. com. How to Plan for Workplace Emergencies and Evacuations, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Health and Safety Administration, OSHA 3088, 2001.

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Attachment 10. Sample Directive – Reporting Assault, Harassment, Interference, Intimidation or Threat U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service I. PURPOSE This directive outlines agency employee responsibilities for reporting workplace violence incidents of assault, harassment, interference, intimidation or threat against employees while performing or as a result of performing their official duties and responsibilities. All workplace violence incidents whether instigated by internal or outside sources must be reported. II. CANCELLATION This directive cancels FSIS Directive 4735.4. Revision 2, dated 5/28/02 and Amendment 1, dated 2/23/04. III. REASON FOR REISSUANCE This directive is revised to: A. Update agency policies and procedures for reporting workplace violence incidents of assault, harassment, interference, intimidation or threat, and the filing of FSIS Form 4735-4, Reporting Form For Assault, Harassment, Interference, Intimidation or Threat. B. Initiate a uniform method for reporting workplace violence incidents of assault, harassment, interference, intimidation or threat occurring between employees by utilizing FSIS Form 4735-4. IV. REFERENCES FSIS Directive 4735.3, Employee Responsibilities and Conduct FSIS Directive 4735.7, Industry Accusations Against Inspection Personnel FSIS Directive 4771.1, Administrative Grievance System FSIS Directive 4791.6, Procedures for Workplace and Travel Emergencies FSIS Notice, Workplace Violence Policy Statement FSIS Notice, Firearms at the Worksite Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, The Labor-Management Agreement 9 CFR Part 500.3 and 500.6, Rules of Practice – Federal Meat Inspection and Poultry Products Inspection Act 9 CFR Part 590.160 (f ), (1), (iv.) & 592 Eggs Product Inspection Act 18 USC 1111, Assaulting, Resisting or Impeding Certain Officers or Employees 18 USC 1114, Protection of Officers and Employees of the United States 21 USC 461(c), Offenses and Punishment Violations; Liability of Agents, Employees and Persons – Poultry Products Inspection Act 21 USC 675, Assaulting, Resisting or Impeding Certain Persons; Protection of Such Persons – Federal Meat Inspection Act V. ABBREVIATIONS AND FORMS The following will appear in their shortened form in this directive:

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CFR Code of Federal Regulations; EPIA Eggs Product Inspection Act; ERB Employee Relations Branch; LERDFMIA Federal Meat Inspection Act; FSIS Food Safety and Inspection Service; LERD Labor and Employee Relations Division; OFSEP Office of Food Security and Emergency Preparedness; OFO Office of Field Operations; OIA Office of International Affairs; OIG Office of Inspector General; OM Office of Management; OPAEO Office of Public Affairs Education and Outreach; OPEER Office of Program Evaluation Enforcement and Review; OPHS Office of Public Health Science; OPPED Office of Policy and Program Development; PPIA Poultry Products Inspection Act; WVPRB Workplace Violence Prevention and Response Branch; WVA Workplace Violence Analyst. FSIS Form 4735-4, Reporting Form for Assault, Harassment, Interference, Intimidation or Threat VI. POLICY It is agency policy to: A. Provide all employees a positive, respectful, productive, and a safe working environment. B. Protect employees from assault, harassment, interference, intimidation or threat while performing or as a result of performing their official duties and responsibilities, whenever possible. C. Review and/or conduct an inquiry of all workplace violence incidents reported under the provisions of this directive. D. Report workplace violence incidents to the OIG for consideration of prosecution, as determined by appropriate management officials. E. Initiate, in appropriate circumstances, enforcement actions under the FSIS Rules of Practice (9 CFR Part 500), referrals for prosecution or other sanctions, or issuances of notices of warning. F. Assure reviews and inquiries of reported workplace violence incidents are fair and objective. G. Prevent, if possible, and resolve reported workplace violence incidents promptly by providing employees and management officials with advice, guidance and training. VII. COVERAGE This directive covers all agency employees who experience assault, harassment, interference, intimidation or threat while performing or as a result of performing their official duties and responsibilities. This includes workplace violence incidents occurring outside the employee’s tour of duty and away from the worksite. VIII. DEFINITIONS A. Affected Employee. Any agency employee subjected to assault, harassment, interference, intimidation or threat by internal or outside sources. This includes family members of the employee. B. Assault. An act that results in bodily harm or willful attempt to inflict bodily harm.

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C. Bullying. A repeated, intentional, mistreatment of an individual that is driven by a desire to control, impede or interfere with an individual. D. Developmental Danger. An event, occurrence, or happening without an impending exposure or vulnerability to harm or risk. E. Harassment. To annoy or torment repeatedly and persistently. F. Immediate Supervisor. The individual to whom an employee directly reports to or receives direction from. G. Imminent Danger. An impending exposure or vulnerability to harm or risk about to occur or impending. H. Interference. An act or behavior to hamper, hinder, block, resist, oppose or impede the actions or activities of another person. Interference includes non-threatening actions intended to prevent or adversely affect the performance of official duties and responsibilities. I. Internal Source. Any agency employee. J. Intimidation. An act or behavior to compel or deter an action by coercion, extortion, duress or threat. K. Agency Management Official. District Manager or designee, OFO; Program Manager or Director, OIA, OM, OFSEP, OPAEO, OPEER, OPHS, OPPED and OFO. L. Outside Source. Any non-agency individual. Agency Regulated Industry. An individual, group of individuals, private business, official establishment, facility or other business entity or firm under agency regulatory authority. Other than Agency Regulated Industry. An individual, group of individuals, or private business entity or firm having an effect on agency employees as a result of the employee’s official position, but is not an agency regulated industry. M. Threat. Any gesture or verbal or written expression that conveys intent to cause physical/nonphysical harm to the individuals or their property. IX. DOCUMENTATION OF WORKPLACE VIOLENCE INCIDENTS Occasionally, employees may find themselves in a confrontational situation with internal or outside sources. Confrontations may range from simple disagreements to violent attempts or acts to assault, harass, interfere, intimidate or threaten employee(s) while performing or as a result of their official duties and responsibilities. Violent attempts or acts by outside sources that prevent employees from performing their official duties and responsibilities may result in the withholding, suspension or withdrawal of inspection services, criminal prosecution, or other enforcement or legal action. Likewise, confrontations ranging from simple disagreements to violent attempts or acts between employees may result in disciplinary/adverse action, up to or including removal. All workplace violence incidents whether instigated by internal or outside sources must be reported. Complete, accurate and timely submitted GTI books.com

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documentation is required. The documentation helps to facilitate immediate and appropriate resolutions of confrontational situations and permit appropriate responses, preventative measures and tracking of confrontational situations leading to workplace violence incidents. X. REPORTABLE WORKPLACE VIOLENCE INCIDENTS All workplace violence incidents of assault, harassment, interference, intimidation or threats must be reported immediately. Agency management officials, in conjunction with the WVPRB and OPEER when necessary, will review the seriousness of a reported incident and initiate appropriate action, including investigations, enforcement actions and referrals for prosecution. Informal inquiries by authorized management officials or official investigations initiated by LERD and OPEER may include: A. All reported workplace violence incidents of assault, harassment, interference, intimidation or threat towards an employee or their family. B. Verbal attacks, property damage or other actions interpreted as an attempt to assault, harass, interfere, intimidate or threaten an employee while performing or as a result of performing their official duties and responsibilities. XI. PHYSICAL ASSAULT, HARASSMENT, INTERFERENCE, INTIMIDATION OR THREAT Workplace violence incidents may involve physical acts intended to assault, harass, interfere, intimidate or threaten employees while performing or as a result of performing their official duties and responsibilities A. Employee Responsibilities. When a physical assault, harassment, interference, intimidation or threat occurs: 1. Remove yourself and/or any other employees from possible or further harm and/or danger immediately. 2. Contact local law enforcement officials, OIG, and/or any available security personnel. 3. Obtain medical treatment for any injuries, if necessary. 4. Contact your immediate supervisor as soon as possible to report the workplace violence incident. (NOTE: If your immediate supervisor is not available, contact the next higher level supervisory official or the Workplace Violence Prevention Hotline toll-free pager at 888-894-6217). 5. Complete FSIS Form 4735-4 Section A, dated 10/15/2004, immediately after completing Steps 1 through 4 above. A blank page may be used for additional documentation. a. Forward the completed original FSIS Form 4735-4 to your immediate supervisor. b. Forward a copy of the completed FSIS Form 4735-4 directly to the appropriate agency management official(s) (i.e., District Manager or designee, OFO; Program Manager or Director, OIA , OM, OFSEP, OPAEO, OPEER, OPHS, OPPED and OFO) to notify them of the workplace violence incident. A facsimile copy is acceptable.

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c. Forward a copy of the completed FSIS Form 4735-4 directly to your designated Workplace Violence Analyst. A facsimile copy is acceptable. d. Retain a copy of the completed FSIS Form 4735-4 for your personal records. B. Immediate Supervisor Responsibilities. Upon notification of physical assault, harassment, interference, intimidation or threat upon an employee: Determine the seriousness of the reported workplace violence incident. If an employee’s safety is involved, remove the employee(s) from the worksite and obtain advice from the next higher level supervisory official. Discuss strategies with the employee(s) to prevent future occurrences, including possible assistance from a Workplace Violence Analyst or law enforcement officials. Include employee safety issues in the discussion. Ensure the employee(s) has/have obtained medical treatment, if necessary. Notify available security personnel and advise the employee(s) of the right to contact law enforcement officials. Notify your immediate supervisor of the reported workplace violence incident. Advise the appropriate management official(s) and the Workplace Violence Analyst of the reported incident immediately. Obtain information to determine or recommend if inspection should be withheld, suspended or withdrawn. If appropriate, withhold or suspend or initiate action to withdraw inspection following 9 CFR Part 500 and/or any applicable laws, rules or regulations. Obtain the names of all those involved and names of all witnesses who observed the reported workplace violence incident. Document all information concerning the reported incident; including dates, times, locations, pertinent background information, applicable industry documents and circumstances causing the incident. Additionally, document the industry’s history and potential adverse effects of the reported incident. For reported workplace violence incidents involving industry employees, contact the appropriate industry management personnel to initiate and ensure resolution of the reported incident. For reported workplace violence incidents between agency employees, contact your immediate supervisor or appropriate management official(s) to facilitate resolution of the reported incident and/or request disciplinary action. Complete the original FSIS Form 4735-4, Section B immediately after completing Steps 1 through 8. Forward the completed original FSIS Form 4735-4 through supervisory channels to the appropriate management official. For reported workplace violence incidents, retain a copy of the completed FSIS Form 4735-4 and all related documents (EXAMPLE: Signed or narrative statements, memos, etc.), in a clearly labeled redcolored file folder in a secured government office file at the reported incident worksite. NOTE: Retain all files for three years. GTI books.com

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Inform the employee(s) of the corrective and preventative actions taken to resolve the reported workplace violence incident. C. Management Official(s) Responsibilities. Upon receiving notification of a physical assault, harassment, interference, intimidation or threat upon an employee: 1. Contact the appropriate USDA, OIG Regional Office immediately when an assault or life threat occurs. Follow OIG instructions, if any. 2. Discuss the reported workplace violence incident with the supervisor or management official(s) of the employee(s), as necessary. 3. Ensure law enforcement officials are contacted as applicable. The employee(s) receives medical treatment, if necessary; supervisory action is appropriate, and the employee(s) is kept apprised of the action taken to resolve the reported workplace violence incident. 4. For reported workplace violence incidents involving regulated industry personnel, determine whether withholding, suspension or withdrawal of inspection is appropriate. Initiate action consistent with 9 CFR Part 500 or any applicable laws, rules or regulations to withhold, suspend or withdraw inspection. 5. Review the FSIS Form 4735-4 for completeness, accuracy and action(s) initiated to resolve the reported workplace violence incident. Complete FSIS Form 4735-4 Section C or D as appropriate, including any additional information. 6. For reported workplace violence incidents between agency employees, determine if disciplinary action is warranted and forward all related documents with a request for disciplinary action to the ERB. 7. Initiate and maintain a workplace violence incident case file. 8. Provide a photocopy of the completed FSIS Form 4735-4 to the supervisor of the employee(s). 9. Forward the FSIS Form 4735-4 after completing Section C or D within seven workdays to the designated Workplace Violence Analyst. XII. NON-PHYSICAL ASSAULT, HARASSMENT, INTERFERENCE, INTIMIDATION OR THREAT Workplace violence incidents may involve non-physical acts intended to assault, harass, interfere, intimidate or threaten an employee while performing or as a result of performing their official duties and responsibilities. A. Employee Responsibilities. When a non-physical assault, harassment, interference, intimidation or threat occurs: Contact your immediate supervisor to discuss whether program effectiveness is impaired and obtain additional instructions. (NOTE: If the immediate supervisor is not available, contact the next higher level supervisory official or the Workplace Violence Prevention Hotline toll-free pager at 888-894-6217).

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Complete FSIS Form 4735-4 Section A, dated 10/15/2004, immediately after completing Step 1. A blank page may be used for additional documentation. a. Forward the completed original FSIS Form 4735-4 to your immediate supervisor. b. Forward a copy of the completed FSIS Form 4735-4 directly to the appropriate management official(s) to notify them of the workplace violence incident. A facsimile copy is acceptable. c. Forward a copy of the completed FSIS Form 4735-4 directly to your designated Workplace Violence Analyst (Attachment 3). A facsimile copy is acceptable. d. Retain a copy of the completed FSIS Form 4735-4 for your personal records. B. Immediate Supervisor Responsibilities. Upon notification of non-physical assault, harassment, interference, intimidation or threat upon an employee: If an employee’s safety is involved, remove the employee(s) from the worksite and obtain advice from the next higher level management official. Discuss the reported workplace violence incident with the employee(s) and strategies to prevent future occurrences, including possible assistance from a Workplace Violence Analyst or law enforcement official(s). Include employee safety issues in the discussion. Notify your immediate supervisor of the reported workplace violence incident. Advise the appropriate management official(s) and the Workplace Violence Analyst of the reported incident. Attempt to resolve the reported workplace violence incident if the employee was unable to do so. For reported workplace violence incidents involving industry employees, contact the appropriate industry management personnel to initiate and ensure resolution of the reported incident. Obtain information to determine or recommend if inspection should be withheld, suspended or withdrawn. If appropriate, withhold or suspend or initiate action to withdraw inspection following 9 CFR Part 500 or applicable laws, rules or regulations. For reported workplace violence incidents between agency employees contact your immediate supervisor and/or appropriate management official(s) to ensure resolution of the reported incident and/or request disciplinary action. Complete FSIS Form 4735-4 Section B immediately after completing Steps 1 through 7, and forward the original FSIS Form 4735-4 through supervisory channels to the appropriate management official(s). For reported workplace violence incidents, retain a copy of the completed FSIS Form 4735-4 and all related documents (EXAMPLE: Signed or narrative statements, memos, etc.) in a clearly labeled redcolored file folder in a secured government office file at the reported incident worksite. NOTE: Retain all files for three years.

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Inform the employee(s) of the corrective and preventative actions taken to resolve the reported workplace violence incident. C. Management Official(s) Responsibilities. Upon receiving notification of non-physical assault, harassment, interference, intimidation or threat upon an employee: 1. Discuss the reported workplace violence incident, documentation and resolution with the supervisor or management official(s) of the employee, as necessary. 2. For reported workplace violence incidents involving industry personnel, determine whether withholding, suspension or withdrawal of inspection is appropriate. Initiate action consistent with 9 CFR Part 500 or any applicable laws, rules or regulations to withhold, suspend or withdraw inspection. 3. For reported workplace violence incidents between agency employees, determine if disciplinary action is warranted and forward all related documents with a request for disciplinary action to the LERD, ERB. 4. Review FSIS Form 4735-4 for completeness, accuracy and action initiated to resolve the reported workplace violence incident. Complete FSIS Form 4735-4 Section C or D as appropriate, including any additional information. 5. Initiate and maintain a workplace violence incident case file. 6. Provide a photocopy of the completed FSIS Form 4735-4 to the supervisor of the employee(s). 7. Forward FSIS Form 4735-4 after completing Section C or D within seven workdays to the designated Workplace Violence Analyst. XIII. EMPLOYEE APPEAL RIGHTS A. Employees may contact the WVPRB at (202) 690-1999 or on the Workplace Violence Prevention Hotline toll-free 24-hour pager at (888) 894-6217 to discuss actions initiated in response to the reported workplace violence incident. NOTE: This procedure should not be avoided if the employee(s) disagrees with the inquiry or actions. B. Employees who wish to contest a management official’s actions initiated to resolve the reported workplace violence incident may file a grievance as follows: 1. Bargaining Unit Employees. Refer to the negotiated grievance procedure in the Labor-Management Agreement. 2. Non-Bargaining Unit Employees. Refer to FSIS Directive 4771.1 C. Employees may also file an EEO discrimination complaint if they believe they have been discriminated against based upon membership in one of the protected groups.

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Attachment 11. Terrorism Acts of terrorism include threats of terrorism; assassinations; kidnappings; hijackings; bomb scares and bombings; cyber attacks (computer-based); and the use of chemical, biological, nuclear and radiological weapons. High-risk targets for acts of terrorism include military and civilian government facilities, international airports, large cities, and high-profile landmarks. Terrorists might also target large public gatherings, water and food supplies, utilities, and corporate centers. Further, terrorists are capable of spreading fear by sending explosives or chemical and biological agents through the mail. Within the immediate area of a terrorist event, you would need to rely on police, fire, and other officials for instructions. However, you can prepare in much the same way you would prepare for other crisis events. The following are general guidelines:

Explosives Terrorists have frequently used explosive devices as one of their most common weapons. Terrorists do not have to look far to find out how to make explosive devices; the information is readily available in books and other information sources. The materials needed for an explosive device can be found in many places, including variety, hardware, and auto supply stores. Explosive devices are highly portable using vehicles and humans as a means of transport. They are easily detonated from remote locations or by suicide bombers. Conventional bombs have been used to damage and destroy financial, political, social, and religious institutions. Attacks have occurred in public places and on city streets with thousands of people around the world injured and killed. Parcels that should make you suspicious: 

Are unexpected or from someone unfamiliar to you.

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Have no return address, or have one that can’t be verified as legitimate

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Are marked with restrictive endorsements, such as “Personal,” “Confidential,” or “Do not X-ray”

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Have protruding wires or aluminum foil, strange odors, or stains

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Show a city or state in the postmark that doesn’t match the return address

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Are of unusual weight given their size, or are lopsided or oddly shaped

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Are marked with threatening language

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Have inappropriate or unusual labeling

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Have excessive postage or packaging material, such as masking tape and string

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Have misspellings of common words

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Are addressed to someone no longer with your organization or are otherwise outdated

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Have incorrect titles or titles without a name

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Are not addressed to a specific person

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Have hand-written or poorly typed addresses

If you receive a telephoned bomb threat, you should do the following: 

Get as much information from the caller as possible.

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Keep the caller on the line and record everything that is said.

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Notify the police and the building management.

During an Explosion If there is an explosion, you should: 

Get under a sturdy table or desk if things are falling around you. When they stop falling, leave quickly, watching for obviously weakened floors and stairways. As you exit from the building, be especially watchful of falling debris.



Leave the building as quickly as possible. Do not stop to retrieve personal possessions or make phone calls.

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Do not use elevators.

Once you are out: 

Do not stand in front of windows, glass doors, or other potentially hazardous areas.



Move away from sidewalks or streets to be used by emergency officials or others still exiting the building.

If you are trapped in debris: 

If possible, use a flashlight to signal your location to rescuers.

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Avoid unnecessary movement so you don’t kick up dust.

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Cover your nose and mouth with anything you have on hand. (Dense-weave cotton material can act as a good filter. Try to breathe through the material.)

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Tap on a pipe or wall so rescuers can hear where you are.

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If possible, use a whistle to signal rescuers.

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Shout only as a last resort. Shouting can cause a person to inhale dangerous amounts of dust.

Nuclear Blast A nuclear blast is an explosion with intense light and heat, a damaging pressure wave, and widespread radioactive material that can contaminate the air, water, and ground surfaces for miles around. A nuclear device can range from a weapon carried by an intercontinental missile launched by a hostile nation or terrorist organization, to a small portable nuclear device transported by an individual. All nuclear de-

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vices cause deadly effects when exploded, including blinding light, intense heat (thermal radiation), initial nuclear radiation, blast, fires started by the heat pulse, and secondary fires caused by the destruction.

Hazards of Nuclear Devices The extent, nature, and arrival time of these hazards are difficult to predict. The geographical dispersion of hazard effects will be defined by the following: Size of the device. A more powerful bomb will produce more distant effects. Height above the ground the device was detonated. This will determine the extent of blast effects. Nature of the surface beneath the explosion. Some materials are more likely to become radioactive and airborne than others. Flat areas are more susceptible to blast effects. Existing meteorological conditions. Wind speed and direction will affect arrival time of fallout; precipitation may wash fallout from the atmosphere. Radioactive Fallout Even if individuals are not close enough to the nuclear blast to be affected by the direct impacts, they may be affected by radioactive fallout. Any nuclear blast results in some fallout. Blasts that occur near the earth’s surface create much greater amounts of fallout than blasts that occur at higher altitudes. This is because the tremendous heat produced from a nuclear blast causes an up-draft of air that forms the familiar mushroom cloud. When a blast occurs near the earth’s surface, millions of vaporized dirt particles also are drawn into the cloud. As the heat diminishes, radioactive materials that have vaporized condense on the particles and fall back to earth. The phenomenon is called radioactive fallout. This fallout material decays over a long period of time, and is the main source of residual nuclear radiation. Fallout from a nuclear explosion may be carried by wind currents for hundreds of miles if the right conditions exist. Effects from even a small portable device exploded at ground level can be potentially deadly. Nuclear radiation cannot be seen, smelled, or otherwise detected by normal senses. Radiation can only be detected by radiation monitoring devices. This makes radiological emergencies different from other types of emergencies, such as floods or hurricanes. Monitoring can project the fallout arrival times, which will be announced through official warning channels. However, any increase in surface build-up of gritty dust and dirt should be a warning for taking protective measures. Electromagnetic pulse In addition to other effects, a nuclear weapon detonated in or above the earth’s atmosphere can create an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), a high-density electrical field. An EMP acts like a stroke of lightning but is stronger, faster, and shorter. An EMP can seriously damage electronic devices connected to power sources or antennas. This includes communication systems, computers, electrical appliances, and

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automobile or aircraft ignition systems. The damage could range from a minor interruption to actual burnout of components. Most electronic equipment within 1,000 miles of a high-altitude nuclear detonation could be affected. Battery-powered radios with short antennas generally would not be affected. Although an EMP is unlikely to harm most people, it could harm those with pacemakers or other implanted electronic devices. Protection From a Nuclear Blast The danger of a massive strategic nuclear attack on the United States is predicted by experts to be less likely today. However, terrorism, by nature, is unpredictable. If there were threat of an attack, people living near potential targets could be advised to evacuate or they could decide on their own to evacuate to an area not considered a likely target. Protection from radioactive fallout would require taking shelter in an underground area or in the middle of a large building. In general, potential targets include: 

Strategic missile sites and military bases

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Centers of government, such as Washington, DC, and state capitals

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Important transportation and communication centers

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Manufacturing, industrial, technology, and financial centers

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Petroleum refineries, electrical power plants, and chemical plants

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Major ports and airfields

The three factors for protecting oneself from radiation and fallout are distance, shielding, and time.  Distance - the more distance between you and the fallout particles, the better. An underground area, such as a home or office building basement, offers more protection than the first floor of a building. A floor near the middle of a high-rise may be better, depending on what is nearby at that level on which significant fallout particles would collect. Flat roofs collect fallout particles so the top floor is not a good choice, nor is a floor adjacent to a neighboring flat roof.  Shielding - the heavier and denser the materials, including thick walls, concrete, bricks, books and earth, between you and the fallout particles, the better.  Time - fallout radiation loses its intensity fairly rapidly. In time, you will be able to leave the fallout shelter. Radioactive fallout poses the greatest threat to people during the first two weeks, by which time it has declined to about one percent of its initial radiation level. Remember that any protection, however temporary, is better than none at all, and the more shielding, distance, and time you can take advantage of, the better. Taking shelter during a nuclear blast is absolutely necessary. There are two kinds of shelters - blast and fallout. The following describes the two kinds of shelters:

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Blast shelters are specifically constructed to offer some protection against blast pressure, initial radiation, heat, and fire. But even a blast shelter cannot withstand a direct hit from a nuclear explosion. Fallout shelters do not need to be specially constructed for protecting against fallout. They can be any protected space, provided that the walls and roof are thick and dense enough to absorb the radiation given off by fallout particles. During a Nuclear Blast The following are guidelines for what to do in the event of a nuclear explosion. If an attack warning is issued: 

Take cover as quickly as you can, below ground if possible, and stay there until instructed to do otherwise.

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Listen for official information and follow instructions.

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If you are caught outside and unable to get inside immediately:

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Do not look at the flash or fireball – it can blind you.

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Take cover behind anything that might offer protection.

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Lie flat on the ground and cover your head. If the explosion is some distance away, it could take 30 seconds or more for the blast wave to hit.

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Take shelter as soon as you can, even if you are many miles from ground zero where the attack occurred. Radioactive fallout can be carried by the winds for hundreds of miles. Remember the three protective factors: Distance, shielding, and time.

After a Nuclear Blast Decay rates of the radioactive fallout are the same for any size nuclear device. However, the amount of fallout will vary based on the size of the device and its proximity to the ground. Therefore, it might be necessary for those in the areas with highest radiation levels to shelter for up to a month. The heaviest fallout would be limited to the area at or downwind from the explosion, and 80 percent of the fallout would occur during the first 24 hours.

Radiological Dispersion Device Terrorist use of a Radiological Dispersion Device (RDD) – often called a “dirty nuke” or “dirty bomb” – is considered far more likely than use of a nuclear explosive device. An RDD combines a conventional explosive device, such as a bomb, with radioactive material. It is designed to scatter dangerous and sub-lethal amounts of radioactive material over a general area. Such RDDs appeal to terrorists because they require limited technical knowledge to build and deploy compared to a nuclear device. Also, the radioactive materials in RDDs are widely used in medicine, agriculture, industry, and research, and are easier to obtain than weapons-grade uranium or plutonium.

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The primary purpose of terrorist use of an RDD is to cause psychological fear and economic disruption. Some devices could cause fatalities from exposure to radioactive materials. Depending on the speed at which the area of the RDD detonation was evacuated or how successful people were at sheltering-inplace, the number of deaths and injuries from an RDD might not be substantially greater than from a conventional bomb explosion. The size of the affected area and the level of destruction caused by an RDD would depend on the sophistication and size of the conventional bomb, the type of radioactive material used, the quality and quantity of the radioactive material, and the local meteorological conditions, primarily wind and precipitation. The area affected could be placed off-limits to the public for several months during cleanup efforts. Take Protective Measures Before an RDD Event There is no way of knowing how much warning time there will be before an attack by terrorists using an RDD, so being prepared in advance and knowing what to do and when is important. Take the same protective measures you would for fallout resulting from a nuclear blast. During an RDD Event While the explosive blast will be immediately obvious, the presence of radiation will not be known until trained personnel with specialized equipment are on the scene. Whether you are indoors or outdoors, home or at work, be extra cautious. It would be safer to assume radiological contamination has occurred, particularly in an urban setting or near other likely terrorist targets, and take the proper precautions. As with any radiation, you want to avoid or limit exposure. This is particularly true of inhaling radioactive dust that results from the explosion. As you seek shelter from any location (indoors or outdoors) and there is visual dust or other contaminants in the air, breathe though the cloth of your shirt or coat to limit your exposure. If you manage to avoid breathing radioactive dust, your proximity to the radioactive particles may still result in some radiation exposure. If the explosion or radiological release occurs inside, get out immediately and seek safe shelter. Otherwise, if you are: Outdoors

Indoors

Seek shelter indoors immediately in the nearest undamaged building.

If you have time, turn off ventilation and heating systems, close windows, vents, fireplace dampers, exhaust fans, and clothes dryer vents. Retrieve your disaster supplies kit and a battery-powered radio and take them to your shelter room.

If appropriate shelter is not available, move as rapidly as is safe upwind and away from the location of the explosive blast.

Seek shelter immediately, preferably underground or in an interior room of a building, placing as much distance and dense shielding as possible between you and the outdoors where the radioactive material may be.

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Outdoors

Indoors

Then, seek appropriate shelter as soon as possible.

Seal windows and external doors that do not fit snugly with duct tape to reduce infiltration of radioactive particles. Plastic sheeting will not provide shielding from radioactivity or from blast effects of a nearby explosion.

Listen for official instructions and follow directions.

Listen for official instructions and follow directions.

After a RDD Event After finding safe shelter, those who may have been exposed to radioactive material should decontaminate themselves. To do this, remove and bag your clothing (and isolate the bag away from you and others), and shower thoroughly with soap and water. Seek medical attention after officials indicate it is safe to leave the shelter. Contamination from an RDD event could affect a wide area, depending on the amount of conventional explosives used, the quantity and type of radioactive material released, and meteorological conditions. Thus, radiation dissipation rates vary, but radiation from an RDD will likely take longer to dissipate due to a potentially larger localized concentration of radioactive material. Follow these additional guidelines after an RDD event: 

Continue listening to your radio or watch the television for instructions from local officials, whether you have evacuated or sheltered-in-place.

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Do not return to or visit an RDD incident location for any reason.

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Follow the instructions for recovering from a disaster.

Chemical and Biological Attacks Bioterrorism Bioterrorism poses an enormous threat and is difficult to prevent. A small vial of anthrax or smallpox could be released and cause tens of thousands of casualties. Terrorists are most likely to use organisms that cause infectious diseases because they are easily spread among people. Biological agents include bacteria, viruses, and rickettsia. Toxins, which are poisons of biological origin and not living organisms, are sometimes grouped with biological agents and sometimes with chemical agents. Although there are hundreds of microorganisms that could be used as biological agents, the likely number is much smaller when the agents’ effectiveness, reliability, availability, ease of manufacture, and stability in storage and dissemination are considered. When disseminated as aerosols, biological agents are most effective in the size range of one to five microns, because they can remain suspended for long periods. Smaller particles are less likely to survive as aerosols, and larger particles settle rapidly, making them less likely to enter the lungs.

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Anthrax The death rate for anthrax from inhaled sources is very high, approaching 100 percent. Death rates are lower for anthrax that enters your body through food or a wound. Anthrax is easy to produce, and it’s readily available around the world. The spores don’t require special handling procedures, so terrorists could take anthrax to many points for distribution. Unlike many disease-causing bacteria, spores can survive severe heat and cold. Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax most commonly occurs in hoofed mammals and can also infect humans. Symptoms of disease vary depending on how the disease was contracted, but usually occur within seven days after exposure. The serious forms of human anthrax are inhalation anthrax, cutaneous anthrax, and intestinal anthrax. Initial symptoms of inhalation anthrax infection may resemble a common cold. After several days, the symptoms may progress to severe breathing problems and shock. Inhalation anthrax is often fatal. The intestinal disease form of anthrax may follow the consumption of contaminated food and is characterized by an acute inflammation of the intestinal tract. Initial signs of nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, and fever are followed by abdominal pain, vomiting of blood, and severe diarrhea. Direct person-to-person spread of anthrax is extremely unlikely, if it occurs at all. Therefore, there is no need to immunize or treat contacts of people ill with anthrax, such as household contacts, friends, or coworkers, unless they also were also exposed to the same source of infection. In people exposed to anthrax, infection can be prevented with antibiotic treatment. Early antibiotic treatment of anthrax is essential; delay lessens chances for survival. Anthrax usually is susceptible to penicillin, doxycycline, and fluoroquinolones. An anthrax vaccine also can prevent infection. Vaccination against anthrax is not recommended for the general public to prevent disease and is not available. Smallpox About 30 percent of those infected with smallpox die of it. Many people have never been vaccinated for smallpox, and no one knows whether those who received vaccinations 25 or more years ago are still protected. Smallpox is harder to propagate than anthrax and less tolerant of severe conditions. However, it can spread very rapidly from person to person. Smallpox is a serious, contagious, and sometimes fatal infectious disease. There is no specific treatment for smallpox disease, and the only prevention is vaccination. The name smallpox is derived from the Latin word for “spotted” and refers to the raised bumps that appear on the face and body of an infected person. There are two clinical forms of smallpox. Variola major is the severe and most common form of smallpox, with a more extensive rash and higher fever. It can be mild when occurring in previously vaccinated persons; or flat and hemorrhagic (both rare and very severe). Historically, variola major has an overall fatality rate of about 30 percent; however, flat and hemorrhagic smallpox usually are fatal. Variola minor

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is a less common presentation of smallpox, and a much less severe disease, with death rates historically of one percent or less. Smallpox outbreaks have occurred from time to time for thousands of years, but the disease is now eradicated after a successful worldwide vaccination program. The last case of smallpox in the United States was in 1949. The last naturally occurring case in the world was in Somalia in 1977. After the disease was eliminated from the world, routine vaccination against smallpox among the general public was stopped because it was no longer necessary for prevention. Where Smallpox Comes From Smallpox is caused by the variola virus that emerged in human populations thousands of years ago. Except for laboratory stockpiles, the variola virus has been eliminated. However, in the aftermath of the events of September and October, 2001, there is heightened concern that the variola virus might be used as an agent of bioterrorism. For this reason, the U.S. government is taking precautions for dealing with a smallpox outbreak. Transmission Generally, direct and fairly prolonged face-to-face contact is required to spread smallpox from one person to another. Smallpox also can be spread through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated objects, such as bedding or clothing. Rarely, smallpox has been spread by virus carried in the air in enclosed settings, such as buildings, buses, and trains. Humans are the only natural hosts of variola. Smallpox is not known to be transmitted by insects or animals. A person with smallpox is sometimes contagious with onset of fever (prodrome phase), but the person becomes most contagious with the onset of rash. At this stage the infected person is usually very sick and not able to move around in the community. The infected person is contagious until the last smallpox scab falls off.

Other threats Other infectious diseases that pose a threat include plague, tularemia, botulism, viral hemorrhagic fever and tuberculosis. Botulism Botulism is a muscle-paralyzing disease caused by a toxin made by a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum. There are three main kinds of botulism: Food borne botulism occurs when a person ingests pre-formed toxin that leads to illness within a few hours to days. Food borne botulism is a public health emergency because the contaminated food may still be available to other persons besides the patient. Infant botulism occurs in a small number of susceptible infants each year who harbor C. botulinum in their intestinal tract.

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Wound botulism occurs when wounds are infected with C. botulinum that secretes the toxin. With food borne botulism, symptoms begin within six hours to two weeks (most commonly between 12 and 36 hours) after eating toxin-containing food. Symptoms of botulism include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, muscle weakness that always descends through the body: first shoulders are affected, then upper arms, lower arms, thighs, calves, etc. Paralysis of breathing muscles can cause a person to stop breathing and die, unless assistance with breathing (mechanical ventilation) is provided. Botulism is not spread from one person to another. Food borne botulism can occur in all age groups. A supply of antitoxin against botulism is maintained by CDC. The antitoxin is effective in reducing the severity of symptoms if administered early in the course of the disease. Most patients eventually recover after weeks to months of supportive care. However, experts believe these organisms and diseases are unlikely to cause widespread illness because they’re difficult to manufacture and distribute. These organisms are also less hardy than anthrax is. Alternatively, biological toxins derived from living organisms, such as the botulinum toxin derived from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, or toxins derived from plants, such as ricin from castor beans, could be used in terrorist attacks. The bad news is that there is little that citizens can do to prepare for a bioterror attack. The best defense against widespread disease is early detection which is handled by public health authorities, and that is where resources need to be focused. Biological agent(s)

Disease Category A

Variola major

Smallpox

Bacillus anthracis

Anthrax

Yersinia pestis

Plague

Clostridium botulinum (botulinum toxins)

Botulism

Francisella tularensis

Tularemia

Filoviruses and Arenaviruses (e.g., Ebola virus, Lassa virus)

Viral hemorrhagic fevers

Category B Coxiella burnetii

Q fever

Brucella spp.

Brucellosis

Burkholderia mallei

Glanders

Burkholderia pseudomallei

Melioidosis

Alphaviruses

Encephalitis

Rickettsia prowazekii

Typhus fever

Toxins (e.g., Ricin)

Toxic syndromes

Chlamydia psittaci

Psittacosis

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Food safety threats (e.g., Salmonella spp) Water safety threats (e.g., Vibrio cholerae) Category C Emerging threat agents (e.g., Nipah virus, hantavirus) Source: Public Health Assessment of Potential Biological Terrorism Agents (CDC, 2002)

Chemical Incidents From industrial chemicals and toxic waste to household detergents and air fresheners, hazardous materials are part of our everyday lives. Affecting urban, suburban and rural areas, hazardous materials incidents can range from a chemical spill on a highway to groundwater contamination by naturally occurring methane gas. Hazardous materials are substances that, because of their chemical nature, pose a potential risk to life, health or property if they are released. Hazards can exist during production, storage, transportation, use or disposal. Chemical plants are one source of hazardous materials, but there are many others. Your local service station stores gasoline and diesel fuel, hospitals store a range of radioactive and flammable materials, and there are about 30,000 hazardous materials waste sites in the country. Many communities have Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) that identify industrial hazardous materials and keep the community informed of the potential risk. All companies that have hazardous chemicals must report annually to the LEPC. The public is encouraged to participate in the process. Contact your local emergency management office to find out if your community has an LEPC and how you can participate. What to do before a hazardous materials incident 

Ask your fire or police department about warning procedures. These could include: 

Outdoor warning sirens or horns

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Emergency Alert System (EAS) – Information provided via radio and television

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“All-Call” telephoning – An automated system for sending recorded messages

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News media – Radio, television and cable

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Residential route alerting – Messages announced to neighborhoods from vehicles equipped with public address systems.

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Ask your LEPC or emergency management office about community plans for responding to a hazardous materials accident at a plant or other facility, or a transportation accident involving hazardous materials.

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Ask your LEPC about storage and usage of hazardous chemicals in your local area.

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Use the information gathered from LEPC and local emergency management offices to evaluate risks to your household. Determine how close you are to factories, freeways, or railroads that may produce or transport toxic waste.

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Be prepared to evacuate. An evacuation could last for a few hours or several days.

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Be prepared to shelter-in-place; that is, to seek safety in your home or any other building you might be in at the time of a chemical release. At home you should select a room to be used as a shelter. The shelter room for use in case of a hazardous material incident should be above ground, large enough to accommodate all household members and pets, and should have the fewest possible exterior doors and windows. You should also assemble a shelter kit to be used to seal the shelter room during a chemical release. The kit should include plastic sheeting, duct tape, scissors, a towel, and modeling clay or other material to stuff into cracks.

What to do during a hazardous materials incident 

If you witness (or smell) a hazardous materials accident, call 911, your local emergency notification number or the fire department as soon as safely possible.

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If you hear a warning signal, listen to local radio or television stations for further information. Follow instructions carefully.

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Stay away from the incident site to minimize the risk of contamination.

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If you are caught outside during an incident, remember that gases and mists are generally heavier than air. Try to stay upstream, uphill and upwind. Hazardous materials can quickly be transported by water and wind. In general, try to go at least one-half mile (10 city blocks) from the danger area; for many incidents you will need to go much farther.

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If you are in a motor vehicle, stop and seek shelter in a permanent building, if possible. If you must remain in your car, keep car windows and vents closed, and shut off the air conditioner and heater.

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If asked to evacuate your home, do so immediately.

If authorities indicate there is enough time, close all windows, shut vents and turn off attic, heating and air conditioning fans to minimize contamination. See the Are You Ready – Basics, if available, for more information. 

If you are requested to stay indoors (shelter-in-place) rather than evacuate: 

Follow all instructions given by emergency authorities.

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Get household members and pets inside as quickly as possible.

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Close and lock all exterior doors and windows. Close vents, fireplace dampers, and as many interior doors as possible.

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Turn off air conditioners and ventilation systems. In large buildings, building superintendents should set all ventilation systems to 100 percent recirculation so that no outside air is drawn into the building. If this is not possible, ventilation systems should be turned off.

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

Go into the pre-selected shelter room (the above-ground room with the fewest openings to the outside). Take a battery-powered radio, water, sanitary supplies, a flashlight, and the shelter kit containing plastic sheeting, duct tape, scissors, a towel, and modeling clay or other materials to stuff into cracks.

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Close doors and windows in the room. Stuff a towel tightly under each door and tape around the sides and top of the door. Cover each window and vent in the room with a single piece of plastic sheeting, taping all around the edges of the sheeting to provide a continuous seal. If there are any cracks or holes in the room, such as those around pipes entering a bathroom, fill them with modeling clay or other similar material.

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Remain in the room, listening to emergency broadcasts on the radio, until authorities advise you to leave your shelter.

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If authorities warn of the possibility of an outdoor explosion, close all drapes, curtains, and shades in the room. Stay away from windows to prevent injury from breaking glass.

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When authorities advise people in your area to leave their shelters, open all doors and windows and turn on air conditioning and ventilation systems. These measures will flush out any chemicals that infiltrated into the building.

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Schools and other public buildings may institute procedures to shelter-in-place. If there is a hazardous materials incident and your children are at school, you will probably not be permitted to drive to the school to pick up your children. Even if you go to the school, the doors will probably be locked to keep your children safe. Follow the directions of your local emergency officials.

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Avoid contact with spilled liquids, airborne mists or condensed solid chemical deposits. Keep your body fully covered to provide some protection. Wear gloves, socks, shoes, pants and long-sleeved shirts.

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Do not eat or drink food or water that may have been contaminated.

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If indoors, fill the bathtub (first sterilize it with a diluted bleach solution, one part bleach to 10 parts water, and large containers with water for drinking, cooking, and dishwashing. Be prepared to turn off the main water intake valve in case authorities advise you to do so.

What to do after an incident 

Do not return until local authorities say it is safe.

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Upon returning, open windows, vents and turn on fans to provide ventilation.

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A person or item that has been exposed to a hazardous chemical may be contaminated and could contaminate other people or items. If you have come in contact with or have been exposed to hazardous chemicals, you should: 

Follow decontamination instructions from local authorities. (Depending on the chemical, you may be advised to take a thorough shower, or you may be advised to stay away from water and follow another procedure.)

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Seek medical treatment for unusual symptoms as soon as possible.

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If medical help is not immediately available and you think you might be contaminated, remove all of your clothing and shower thoroughly (unless local authorities say the chemical is water reactive and advise you to do otherwise). Change into fresh, loose clothing and seek medical help as soon as possible.

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Place exposed clothing and shoes in tightly sealed containers. Do not allow them to contact other materials. Call local authorities to find out about proper disposal.

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Advise everyone who comes in contact with you that you may have been exposed to a toxic substance.

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Find out from local authorities how to clean up your land and property.

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Report any lingering vapors or other hazards to your local emergency services office.

Chemical Emergencies Nearly every office, school and facility uses products containing hazardous materials. Although the risk of a chemical incident is slight, knowing how to handle these products and how to react during an emergency can reduce the risk of injury. How to prepare for chemical emergencies 

Contact agencies with expertise on hazardous household materials, such as your local public health department or the Environmental Protection Agency, for information about potentially dangerous household products and their antidotes. Ask about the advisability of maintaining antidotes in your home or workplace for: cleaners and germicides, deodorizers, detergents, drain and bowl cleaners, gases, home medications, laundry bleaches, liquid fuels, paint removers and thinners.

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Follow instructions on the product label for proper disposal of chemicals. Proper disposal will ensure environmental and public health, as well as household/workplace well being. If you have additional questions on chemical disposal, call your local environmental or recycling agency. 

Small amounts of the following products can be safely poured down the drain with plenty of water: bathroom and glass cleaner, bleach, drain cleaner, household disinfectant, laundry and dishwashing detergent, rubbing alcohol, rug and upholstery cleaner, and toilet bowl cleaner.

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Small amounts of the following products should be disposed by wrapping the container in newspaper and plastic, and placing it in the trash: brake fluid, car wax or polish, dish and laundry soap, fertilizer, furniture and floor polish, insect repellent, nail polish, oven cleaner, paint thinners and strippers, pesticides, powder cleansers, water-based paint, wood preservatives.

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Dispose of the following products at a recycling center or a collection site: kerosene, motor or fuel oil, car battery or battery acid, diesel fuel, transmission fluid, large amounts of paint, thinner or stripper, power steering fluid, turpentine, gun cleaning solvents, and tires.

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Empty spray cans completely before placing in the trash. Do not place spray cans into a burning barrel, incinerator, or trash compactor because they may explode.

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Flush outdated and unused medicines down the toilet and place the empty container in the trash. Out-dated medicines can cause ill effects. Flushing them will eliminate the risk of people or animals picking them out of the trash.

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Read directions before using a new chemical product and be sure to store household chemicals according to the instructions on the label.

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Store chemicals in a safe, secure location, preferably up high and always out of the reach of children.

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Avoid mixing household chemical products. Deadly toxic fumes can result from the mixture of chemicals, such as chlorine bleach and ammonia.

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Never smoke while using household chemicals. Avoid using hair spray, cleaning solutions, paint products, or pesticides near an open flame, pilot light, lighted candle, fireplace, wood burning stove, etc. Although you may not be able to see or smell them, vapor particles in the air could catch fire or explode.

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If you spill a chemical, clean it up immediately with rags. Be careful to protect your eyes and skin by wearing gloves and eye protection. Allow the fumes in the rags to evaporate outdoors, then dispose of the rags by wrapping them in a newspaper and placing them in a sealed plastic bag in your trash can.

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Buy only as much of a chemical as you think you will use. If you have product left over, try to give it to someone who will use it. The storing of hazardous chemicals increases risk of chemical emergencies.

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Keep an A-B-C-rated fire extinguisher in the home and car, and get training from your local fire department on how to use it.

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Post the number of the nearest poison control center by all telephones. In an emergency situation you may not have time to look up critical phone numbers.

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Learn to detect hazardous materials. Many hazardous materials do not have a taste or an odor, and some can be detected because they cause physical reactions, such as watering eyes or nausea. Other hazardous materials exist beneath the ground and can be recognized by an oil or foam-like appearance.

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Learn to recognize the symptoms of toxic poisoning: 

Difficulty breathing

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Irritation of the eyes, skin, throat or respiratory tract

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Changes in skin color

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Headache or blurred vision

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Dizziness

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Clumsiness or lack of coordination

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Cramps or diarrhea

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What to do during a chemical emergency 

If someone should eat or drink a non-food substance, find any containers immediately and take them to the phone. Medical professionals may need specific information from the container to give you the best emergency advice.

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Call the poison control center, emergency medical services (EMS), 911, hospital emergency room, county health department, fire department or your local pharmacy. They will give you emergency advice while you wait for professional help. You should have such numbers on hand for easy access and use.

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Follow the emergency operator or dispatcher’s instructions carefully. The first aid advice found on containers may not be appropriate. Do not give anything by mouth until medical professionals have advised you.

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Take immediate action if the chemical gets into the eyes. Delaying first aid can greatly increase the likelihood of injury. Flush the eye with clear water for a minimum of 15 minutes, unless authorities instruct you not to use water on the particular chemical involved. Continue the cleansing process even if the victim indicates he or she is no longer feeling any pain, and then seek medical attention.

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Get out of the area immediately if there is danger of a fire or explosion. Do not waste time collecting items or calling the fire department when you are in danger.

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If there is a fire or explosion, call the fire department from outside (a cellular phone or a neighbor’s phone) once you are safely away from danger.

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Stay upwind and away from the residence to avoid breathing toxic fumes.

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Wash hands, arms, or other exposed body parts that may have been exposed to the chemical. Chemicals may continue to irritate the skin until they are washed off.

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Discard clothing that may have been contaminated. Some chemicals may not wash out completely. Discarding clothes will prevent potential future exposure.

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Administer first aid treatment to victims of chemical burns. 

Call 911 for emergency help.

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Remove clothing and jewelry from around the injury.

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Pour clean, cool water over the burn for 15 to 30 minutes.

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Loosely cover the burn with a sterile or clean dressing. Be sure that the dressing will not stick to the burn.

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Refer victim to a medical professional for further treatment.

Bio-chemical attacks There are a number of chemicals that terrorists can use in an attack. Chemical warfare agents are poisonous vapors, aerosols, liquids or solids that have toxic effects on people, animals or plants. They can be released by bombs, sprayed from aircraft, boats, or vehicles, or used as a liquid to create a hazard to people and the environment. Some chemical agents may be odorless and tasteless. They can have an immediate effect (a few seconds to a few minutes) or a delayed effect (several hours to several days). While

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potentially lethal, chemical agents are difficult to deliver in lethal concentrations. Outdoors, the agents often dissipate rapidly. Chemical agents are also difficult to produce. There are six types of agents: 

Lung-damaging (pulmonary) agents, such as phosgene,

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Cyanide,

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Vesicants or blister agents, such as mustard,

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Nerve agents, such as GA (tabun), GB (sarin), GD (soman), GF, and VX,

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Incapacitating agents, such as BZ, and

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Riot-control agents (similar to MACE).

Most likely chemical weapons would include: Mustard gas Sulfur mustard is a type of chemical warfare agent. These kinds of agents are called vesicants or blistering agents, because they cause blistering of the skin and mucous membranes on contact. Sulfur mustard is also known as mustard gas or mustard agent, or by the military designations H, HD, and HT. Sulfur mustard sometimes smells like garlic, onions, or mustard and sometimes has no odor. It can be a vapor (the gaseous form of a liquid), an oily-textured liquid, or a solid. Sulfur mustard can be clear to yellow or brown when it is in liquid or solid form. Where sulfur mustard is found and how it is used Sulfur mustard is not found naturally in the environment. Sulfur mustard was introduced in World War I as a chemical warfare agent. Until recently, it was available for use in the treatment of a skin condition called psoriasis. Currently, it has no medical use. How people can be exposed to sulfur mustard If sulfur mustard is released into the air as a vapor, people can be exposed through skin contact, eye contact, or breathing. Sulfur mustard vapor can be carried long distances by wind. If sulfur mustard is released into water, people can be exposed by drinking the contaminated water or getting it on their skin. People can be exposed by coming in contact with liquid sulfur mustard. Sulfur mustard can last from one to two days in the environment under average weather conditions and from weeks to months under very cold conditions. Sulfur mustard breaks down slowly in the body, so repeated exposure may have a cumulative effect (that is, it can build up in the body). Sarin Sarin is a human-made chemical warfare agent classified as a nerve agent. Nerve agents are the most toxic and rapidly acting of the known chemical warfare agents. They are similar to certain kinds of pesticides (insect killers) called organophosphates in terms of how they work and what kind of harmful effects they cause. However, nerve agents are much more potent than organophosphate pesticides. Sarin

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originally was developed in 1938 in Germany as a pesticide. Sarin is a clear, colorless, and tasteless liquid that has no odor in its pure form. However, sarin can evaporate into a vapor (gas) and spread into the environment. Sarin is also known as GB. Where sarin is found and how it is used Sarin and other nerve agents may have been used in chemical warfare during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. Sarin was used in two terrorist attacks in Japan in 1994 and 1995. Sarin is not found naturally in the environment. How people can be exposed to sarin Following release of sarin into the air, people can be exposed through skin contact or eye contact. They can also be exposed by breathing air that contains sarin. Sarin mixes easily with water, so it could be used to poison water. Following release of sarin into water, people can be exposed by touching or drinking water that contains sarin. Following contamination of food with sarin, people can be exposed by eating the contaminated food. A person’s clothing can release sarin for about 30 minutes after it has come in contact with sarin vapor, which can lead to exposure of other people. Because sarin breaks down slowly in the body, people who are repeatedly exposed to sarin may suffer more harmful health effects. Because sarin vapor is heavier than air, it will sink to low-lying areas and create a greater exposure hazard there. Tabun Tabun is a man-made chemical warfare agent classified as a nerve agent. Tabun was originally developed as a pesticide in Germany in 1936. Tabun is also known as “GA”. Tabun is a clear, colorless, tasteless liquid with a faint fruity odor. Tabun can become a vapor if heated. Where tabun is found and how it is used It is possible that tabun or other nerve agents were used in chemical warfare during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. Tabun is not found naturally in the environment. How people can be exposed to tabun Following release of tabun into the air, people can be exposed through skin contact, eye contact, or inhalation (breathing in the tabun). Tabun mixes easily with water, so it could be used to poison water. Following release of tabun into water, people can be exposed by drinking contaminated water or getting contaminated water on their skin. Following contamination of food with tabun, people can be exposed by eating the contaminated food. A person’s clothing can release tabun for about 30 minutes after contact with tabun vapor, which can lead to exposure of other people. Tabun breaks down slowly in the body, meaning that repeated exposures to tabun and/or other nerve agents can have a cumulative effect (build up in the body). Because tabun vapor is heavier than air, it will sink to low-lying areas and create a greater exposure hazard there. VX VX is a human-made chemical warfare agent classified as a nerve agent. VX was originally developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1950s. VX is odorless and tasteless. VX is an oily liquid that is amber in color and very slow to evaporate. It evaporates about as slowly as motor oil.

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Where VX is found and how it is used It is possible that VX or other nerve agents were used in chemical warfare during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. VX is not found naturally in the environment. How people can be exposed to VX Following release of VX into the air, people can be exposed through skin contact, eye contact, or inhalation (breathing in the VX mist). Though VX does not mix with water as easily as other nerve agents do, it could be released into water. Following release of VX into water, people can be exposed by drinking contaminated water or getting contaminated water on their skin. Following contamination of food with VX, people can be exposed by eating the contaminated food. VX is primarily a liquid exposure hazard, but if it is heated to very high temperatures, it can turn into small amounts of vapor (gas). A person’s clothing can release VX for about 30 minutes after contact with VX vapor, which can lead to exposure of other people. VX breaks down slowly in the body, meaning that repeated exposures to VX and/or other nerve agents can have a cumulative effect (build up in the body). Because VX vapor is heavier than air, it will sink to low-lying areas and create a greater exposure hazard there. Other chemical agents include: Abrin Adamsite (DM) Agent 15 Ammonia Arsine (SA) Bromobenzylcyanide (CA) BZ Cannabinoids Chlorine (CL) Chloroacetophenone (CN) Chloropicrin (PS) CNB (CN in Benzene and Carbon Tetrachloride) CNC (CN in Chloroform) Red Phosphorous (RP) CNS (CN and Chloropicrin in Chloroform) CR

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CS Cyanide Cyanogen Chloride (CK) Cyclohexyl Sarin (GF) Diphenylchloroarsine (DA) Diphenylcyanoarsine (DC) Diphosgene (DP) Distilled Mustard (HD) Ethyldichloroarsine (ED) Fentanyls and Other Opioids Hydrogen Chloride Hydrogen Cyanide (AC) Lewisite (L, L-1, L-2, L-3) LSD Methyldichloroarsine (MD) Mustard Gas (H) (Sulfur Mustard) Mustard/Lewisite (HL) Mustard/T Nitrogen Mustard (HN-1, HN-2, HN-3) Nitrogen Oxide (NO) Perflurorisobutylene (PHIB) Phenodichloroarsine (PD) Phenothiazines Phosgene (CG) Phosgene Oxime (CX) Potassium Cyanide (KCN) Red Phosphorous (RP)

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Attachments Ricin Sarin (GB) Sesqui Mustard Sodium Cyanide (NaCN) Soman (GD) Sulfur Mustard (H) (Mustard Gas) Sulfur Trioxide-Chlorosulfonic Acid (FS) Tabun (GA) Teflon and Perflurorisobutylene (PHIB) Titanium Tetrachloride (FM) VX Zinc Oxide (HC)

Handling Suspicious Parcels and Letters Be wary of suspicious packages and letters. They can contain explosives, chemical or biological agents. Be particularly cautious at your place of employment. Some typical characteristics postal inspectors have detected over the years, which ought to trigger suspicion, include parcels that: 

Are unexpected or from someone unfamiliar to you

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Have no return address, or have one that can’t be verified as legitimate

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Are marked with restrictive endorsements, such as “Personal,” “Confidential” or “Do not X-ray”

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Have protruding wires or aluminum foil, strange odors or stains

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Show a city or state in the postmark that doesn’t match the return address

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Are of unusual weight, given their size, or are lopsided or oddly shaped

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Are marked with any threatening language

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Have inappropriate or unusual labeling

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Have excessive postage or excessive packaging material, such as masking tape and string

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Have misspellings of common words

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Are addressed to someone no longer with your organization or are otherwise outdated

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Have incorrect titles or title without a name

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Are not addressed to a specific person

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Have handwritten or poorly typed addresses

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With suspicious envelopes and packages other than those that might contain explosives, take these additional steps against possible biological and chemical agents: 

Refrain from eating or drinking in a designated mail handling area.

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Place suspicious envelopes or packages in a plastic bag or some other type of container to prevent leakage of contents. Never sniff or smell suspect mail.

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If you do not have a container, then cover the envelope or package with anything available (e.g., clothing, paper, trash can, etc.) and do not remove the cover.

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Leave the room and close the door, or section off the area to prevent others from entering.

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Wash your hands with soap and water to prevent spreading any powder to your face.

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If you are at work, report the incident to your building security official or an available supervisor, who should notify police and other authorities without delay.

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List all people who were in the room or area when this suspicious letter or package was recognized. Give a copy of this list to both the local public health authorities and law enforcement officials for follow-up investigations and advice.

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If you are at home, report the incident to local police.

Indications of CBR Contamination Researchers are working on a prototype device to automatically and continuously monitor the air for the presence of bacterial spores. The device would continuously sample the air and use microwaves to trigger a chemical reaction, the intensity of which would correspond to the concentration of bacterial spores in the sample. If an increase in spore concentration is detected, an alarm, similar to a smoke detector, would sound and a technician would respond and use traditional sampling and analysis to confirm the presence of anthrax spores. Researchers hope the device response time will be fast enough to help prevent widespread contamination. In the absence of a warning property, people can be alerted to some airborne hazards by observing symptoms or effects in others. This provides a practical means for initiating protective actions, because the susceptibility to hazardous materials varies from person to person. The concentrations of airborne materials may also vary substantially within a given building or room, producing a hazard that may be greater to some occupants than to others. Other warning signs of a hazard may involve seeing and hearing something out of the ordinary, such as the hiss of a rapid release from a pressurized cylinder. Awareness to warning properties, signs, and symptoms in other people is the basis of a protective action plan. Such a plan should apply four possible protective actions: sheltering in place, using protective masks, evacuating, and purging. For protection against imperceptible agents, the only practical protective measures are those that are continuously in place, such as filtering all air brought into the building on a continuous basis and using automatic, real-time sensors that are capable of detecting the imperceptible agents. Chemical, biological, and radiological materials, as well as industrial agents, may travel in the air as a gas or on surfaces we physically contact. Dispersion methods may be as simple as placing a container in

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a heavily used area, opening a container, or using conventional garden/commercial spray devices, or as elaborate as detonating an aerosol. Chemical incidents are characterized by the rapid onset (minutes to hours) of medical symptoms and easily observed indicators (e.g., colored residue, dead foliage, pungent odor, and dead animals, birds, fish, or insects. Possible Signs of Chemical Threat Many sick or dead birds, fish or small animals are cause for suspicion; not just an occasional road kill, but numerous animals (wild and domestic, small and large), birds, and fish in the same area. Lack of insect life. If normal insect activity (ground, air, and/or water) is missing, check the ground/ water surface/shore line for dead insects. If near water, check for dead fish/aquatic birds. Physical Symptoms  Numerous individuals experiencing unexplained water-like blisters, wheals (like bee stings), pinpointed pupils, choking, respiratory ailments, and/or rashes.  Mass casualties are found.  Numerous individuals exhibiting unexplained serious health problems ranging from nausea to disorientation to difficulty in breathing to convulsions to death.  Definite pattern of casualties. Casualties distributed in a pattern that may be associated with possible agent dissemination methods.  Illness associated with a confined geographic area.  Lower attack rates for people working indoors than those working outdoors, and vice versa.  Unusual liquid droplets.  Numerous surfaces exhibit oily droplets/film; numerous water surfaces have an oily film. (No recent rain.)  Areas which look different in appearance.  Not just a patch of dead weeds, but trees, shrubs, bushes, food crops, and/or lawns that are dead, discolored, or withered. (No current drought.)  Unexplained odors.  Smells may range from fruity to flowery to sharp/pungent to garlic/horseradish-like to bitter almonds/peach kernels to new mown hay. It is important to note that the particular odor is completely out of character with its surroundings.  Low-lying cloud/fog-like condition that is not explained by its surroundings.  Unusual metal debris.

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 Unexplained bomb/munitions-like material, especially if it contains a liquid. (No recent rain.) If You see Signs of Chemical Attack: Find Clean air Quickly Quickly try to define the impacted area or where the chemical is coming from, if possible. Take immediate action to get away. If the chemical is inside a building where you are, get out of the building without passing through the contaminated area, if possible. If you can’t get out of the building or find clean air without passing through the area where you see signs of a chemical attack, it may be better to move as far away as possible and “shelter-in-place.” If you are outside, quickly decide the fastest way to find clean air. Consider if you can get out of the area or if you should go inside the closest building and “shelter-in-place.” If You Think You Have Been Exposed to a Chemical If your eyes are watering, your skin is stinging, and you are having trouble breathing, you may have been exposed to a chemical. If you think you may have been exposed to a chemical, strip immediately and wash. Look for a hose, fountain, or any source of water, and wash with soap, if possible, being sure not to scrub the chemical into your skin. Seek emergency medical attention. In the Event of a Chemical Attack In case of a chemical or biological weapon attack near you, authorities will instruct you on the best course of action. This may be to evacuate the area immediately, to seek shelter at a designated location, or to take immediate shelter where you are and seal the premises. The best way to protect yourself is to take emergency preparedness measures ahead of time and to get medical attention as soon as possible, if needed. What to do to Prepare for a Chemical Attack Assemble a disaster supply kit and be sure to include: 

Battery-powered commercial radio with extra batteries

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Non-perishable food and drinking water

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Roll of duct tape and scissors

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Plastic for doors, windows and vents for the room in which you will shelter in place (this should be an internal room where you can block out air that may contain hazardous chemical or biological agents. To save critical time during an emergency, sheeting should be pre-measured and cut for each opening.)

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First aid kit

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Sanitation supplies, including soap, water and bleach

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What to do During a Chemical Attack 

Listen to your radio for instructions from authorities, such as whether to remain inside or to evacuate.

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If you are instructed to remain in your home, the building where you are, or other shelter during a chemical or biological attack:

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Turn off all ventilation, including furnaces, air conditioners, vents and fans.

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Seek shelter in an internal room, preferably one without windows. Seal the room with duct tape and plastic sheeting. Ten square feet of floor space per person will provide sufficient air to prevent carbon dioxide build-up for up to five hours.

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Remain in protected areas where toxic vapors are reduced or eliminated, and be sure to take your battery-operated radio with you.

If you are caught in an unprotected area, you should: 

Attempt to get up-wind of the contaminated area.

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Attempt to find shelter as quickly as possible.

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Listen to your radio for official instructions.

Staying put Whether you are at home, work or elsewhere, there may be situations when it’s simply best to stay where you are and avoid any uncertainty outside. There are other circumstances when staying put and creating a barrier between yourself and potentially contaminated air outside, a process known as “sealing the room,” is a matter of survival. Use available information to assess the situation. If you see large amounts of debris in the air, or if local authorities say the air is badly contaminated, you may want to take this kind of action. The process used to seal the room is considered a temporary protective measure to create a barrier between you and potentially contaminated air outside. It is a type of sheltering in place that requires preplanning. Staying put in an Office or Large Building In normal operations, a building does little to protect occupants from airborne hazards outside the building because outdoor air must be continuously introduced to provide a comfortable, healthy indoor environment. However, a building can provide substantial protection against agents released outdoors if the flow of fresh air is filtered/cleaned, or temporarily interrupted or reduced. Interrupting the flow of fresh air is the principle applied in the protective action known as sheltering in place. The advantage of sheltering in place is that it can be implemented rapidly. The disadvantage is that its protection is variable and diminishes with the duration of the hazard. Sheltering requires that two distinct actions be taken without delay to maximize the passive protection a building provides: GTI books.com

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First, reduce the indoor-outdoor air exchange rate before the hazardous plume arrives. This is achieved by closing all windows and doors, and turning off all fans, air conditioners, and combustion heaters. Second, increase the indoor-outdoor air exchange rate as soon as the hazardous plume has passed. This is achieved by opening all windows and doors, and turning on all fans to ventilate the building. The level of protection that can be attained by sheltering in place is substantial, but it is less than can be provided by high efficiency filtration of the fresh air introduced into the building. The amount of protection varies with: 

The building’s air exchange rate. The tighter the building (i.e., the lower the air exchange rate), the greater the protection it provides. In most cases, air conditioners and combustion heaters cannot be operated while sheltering in place because operating them increases the indoor-outdoor exchange of air.

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The duration of exposure. Protection varies with time, diminishing as the time of exposure increases. Sheltering in place is, therefore, suitable only for exposures of short duration, roughly two hours or less, depending on conditions.

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Purging or period of occupancy. How long occupants remain in the building after the hazardous plume has passed also affects the level of protection. Because the building slowly purges contaminants that have entered it, at some point during plume passage, the concentration inside exceeds the concentration outside. Maximum protection is attained by increasing the air exchange rate after plume passage or by exiting the building into clean air.

Natural filtering. Some filtering occurs when the agent is deposited in the building shell or upon interior surfaces as air passes into and out of the building. The tighter the building, the greater the effect is of this natural filtering. In a home, taking the actions required for sheltering (i.e., closing windows and doors, and turning off all air conditioners, fans, and combustion heaters) is relatively simple. Doing so in a commercial or apartment building may require more time and planning. All air handling units must be turned off and any dampers for outside air must be closed. Procedures for a protective action plan, therefore, should include: 

Identifying all air handling units, fans, and the switches needed to deactivate them.

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Identifying cracks, seams, joints, and pores in the building envelope to be temporarily sealed to further reduce outside air infiltration. Keeping emergency supplies, such as duct tape and polyethylene sheeting, on hand.

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Identifying procedures for purging after an internal release (i.e., opening windows and doors, turning on smoke fans, air handlers, and fans that were turned off ) to exhaust and purge the building.

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Identifying sheltering rooms (i.e., interior rooms having a lower air exchange rate) that may provide a higher level of passive protection. It may be desirable to go to a predetermined sheltering room (or rooms) and: 

Shut and lock all windows and doors.

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Seal any windows and vents with plastic sheeting and duct tape.

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Seal the door(s) with duct tape around the top, bottom, and sides.

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Firmly pack dampened towels along the bottom of each door.

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Turn on a TV or radio that can be heard within the shelter and listen for further instructions.

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When the “all clear” is announced, open windows and doors.

Important considerations for use of sheltering in place are that stairwells must be isolated by closed fire doors, elevators must not be used, and clear evacuation routes must remain open if evacuation is required. Escape hoods may be needed if the only evacuation routes are through contaminated areas. One final consideration for sheltering in place is that occupants cannot be forced to participate. It is important to develop a plan in cooperation with likely participants and awareness training programs that include discussions of sheltering in place and events (CBR attacks, hazardous material releases, or natural disasters) that might make sheltering preferable to evacuation. During an event, some building protective action plans call for making a concise information announcement, and then giving occupants three to five minutes to proceed to the sheltering area or evacuate the building before it is sealed. Training programs and information announcements during an event should be tailored to help occupants to make informed decisions.

To “Shelter-in-Place and Seal the Room” at home: Bring your family and pets inside. Lock doors, close windows, air vents and fireplace dampers. Turn off fans, air conditioning and forced-air heating systems. Take your emergency supply kit unless you have reason to believe it has been contaminated. Go into an interior room with few windows, if possible. Seal all windows, doors and air vents with plastic sheeting and duct tape. Consider measuring and cutting the sheeting in advance to save time. Be prepared to improvise and use what you have on hand to seal gaps so that you create a barrier between yourself and any contamination. Local authorities may not immediately be able to provide information on what is happening and what you should do. However, you should watch TV, listen to the radio or check the Internet often for official news and instructions as they become available. What to do After a Chemical Attack Immediate symptoms of exposure to chemical agents may include blurred vision, eye irritation, difficulty breathing and nausea. A person affected by a chemical or biological agent requires immediate attention by professional medical personnel. If medical help is not immediately available, decontaminate yourself and assist in decontaminating others. Decontamination is needed within minutes of exposure

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to minimize health consequences. (However, you should not leave the safety of a shelter to go outdoors to help others until authorities announce it is safe to do so.) 

Use extreme caution when helping others who have been exposed to chemical agents: 

Remove all clothing and other items in contact with the body. Contaminated clothing normally removed over the head should be cut off to avoid contact with the eyes, nose, and mouth. Put into a plastic bag if possible. Decontaminate hands using soap and water. Remove eyeglasses or contact lenses. Put glasses in a pan of household bleach to decontaminate.

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Remove all items in contact with the body.

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Flush eyes with lots of water.

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Gently wash face and hair with soap and water; then thoroughly rinse with water.

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Decontaminate other body areas likely to have been contaminated. Blot with a cloth soaked in soapy water and rinse with clear water. Do not swab or scrape the skin.

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Change into uncontaminated clothes. Clothing stored in drawers or closets is likely to be uncontaminated.

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If possible, proceed to a medical facility for screening.

Homeland Security Advisory System The Homeland Security Advisory System was designed to provide a comprehensive means to disseminate information regarding the risk of terrorist acts to federal, state, and local authorities and to the American people. This system provides warnings in the form of a set of graduated “Threat Conditions” that increase as the risk of the threat increases. At each threat condition, federal departments and agencies would implement a corresponding set of “Protective Measures” to further reduce vulnerability or increase response capability during a period of heightened alert. Although the Homeland Security Advisory System is binding on the executive branch, it is voluntary to other levels of government and the private sector. There are five threat conditions, each identified by a description and corresponding color. The greater the risk of a terrorist attack, the higher the threat condition. Risk includes both the probability of an attack occurring and its potential gravity. Threat conditions are assigned by the Attorney General in consultation with the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security. Threat conditions may be assigned for the entire nation, or they may be set for a particular geographic area or industrial sector. Assigned threat conditions will be reviewed at regular intervals to determine whether adjustments are warranted. Threat Conditions and Associated Protective Measures There is always a risk of a terrorist threat. Each threat condition assigns a level of alert appropriate to the increasing risk of terrorist attacks. Beneath each threat condition are some suggested protective measures that the government and the public can take, recognizing that the heads of federal departments and agencies are responsible for developing and implementing appropriate agency-specific Protective Measures:

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Low Condition (Green). This condition is declared when there is a low risk of terrorist attacks. Federal departments and agencies will consider the following protective measures. Refine and exercise prearranged protective measures; Ensure personnel receive proper training on the Homeland Security Advisory System and specific prearranged department or agency protective measures; and Institute a process to ensure that all facilities and regulated sectors are regularly assessed for vulnerabilities to terrorist attacks, and all reasonable measures are taken to mitigate these vulnerabilities. Members of the public can develop a household disaster plan and assemble a disaster supply kit. Guarded Condition (Blue). This condition is declared when there is a general risk of terrorist attacks. In addition to the measures taken in the previous threat condition, federal departments and agencies will consider the following protective measures: 

Check communications with designated emergency response or command locations;

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Review and update emergency response procedures; and

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Provide the public with any information that would strengthen its ability to act appropriately.

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Members of the public, in addition to the actions taken for the previous threat condition, can:

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Update their disaster supply kit;

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Review their household disaster plan;

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Hold a household meeting to discuss what members would do and how they would communicate in the event of an incident;

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Develop a more detailed household communication plan;

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Apartment residents should discuss with building managers steps to be taken during an emergency; and

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People with special needs should discuss their emergency plans with friends, family or employers.

Elevated Condition (Yellow). An Elevated Condition is declared when there is a significant risk of terrorist attacks. In addition to the measures taken in the previous threat conditions, federal departments and agencies will consider the following protective measures: 

Increase surveillance of critical locations;

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Coordinate emergency plans with nearby jurisdictions, as appropriate;

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Assess whether the precise characteristics of the threat require the further refinement of prearranged protective measures; and GTI books.com

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

Implement, as appropriate, contingency and emergency response plans.

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Members of the public, in addition to the actions taken for the previous threat condition, can:

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Be observant of any suspicious activity and report it to authorities;

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Contact neighbors to discuss their plans and needs;

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Check with school officials to determine their plans for an emergency and procedures to reunite children with parents and caregivers; and

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Update the household communication plan.

High Condition (Orange). A High Condition is declared when there is a high risk of terrorist attacks. In addition to the measures taken in the previous threat conditions, federal departments and agencies will consider the following protective measures: 

Coordinate necessary security efforts with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, National Guard or other security and armed forces;

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Take additional precautions at public events, possibly considering alternative venues or even cancellation;

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Prepare to execute contingency procedures, such as moving to an alternate site or dispersing the workforce; and

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Restrict access to a threatened facility to essential personnel only.

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Members of the public, in addition to the actions taken for the previous threat conditions, can:

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Review preparedness measures (including evacuation and sheltering) for potential terrorist actions including chemical, biological, and radiological attacks;

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Avoid high profile or symbolic locations; and

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Exercise caution when traveling.

Severe Condition (Red). A Severe Condition reflects a severe risk of terrorist attacks. Under most circumstances, the protective measures for a Severe Condition are not intended to be sustained for substantial periods of time. In addition to the protective measures in the previous threat conditions, federal departments and agencies also will consider the following general measures: 

Increase or redirect personnel to address critical emergency needs;

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Assign emergency response personnel and pre-position and mobilize specially trained teams or resources;

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Monitor, redirect, or constrain transportation systems; and

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Close public and government facilities not critical for continuity of essential operations, especially public safety.

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Avoid public gathering places, such as sports arenas, holiday gatherings, or other high risk locations;

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Follow official instructions about restrictions to normal activities;

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Contact employer to determine status of work;

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Listen to the radio and TV for possible advisories or warnings; and

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Prepare to take protective actions, such as sheltering in place or evacuation if instructed to do so by public officials.

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