b'BUSINESS MANAGEMENT CSIA 23Ayear,employeeopenedfireatato an employer for not having provided one. from disgruntled small Philadelphia-area business earlier thiskillingtwofellowemployeesEmployerscanalsoincurfinanciallosses andinjuringthreeothers.Thetragicworkerscompensationclaimsandlawsuitsby event added more numbers to the nationwide tollinjured employees or customers, or by the next of ofgun-relatedfatalities,highlightingtheongoingkin or family of an employee who has been killed. reality of workplace violence in America.Litigation can be expensive, said Benyamini. And if a case gets in front of a jury that determines the Any exposure to the news media today will revealemployerlookedtheotherwaywhentherewere thatincidentsofworkplaceviolenceoccurquitewarning signs of a pending violent act, a company frequently across the country, said Ed Sherman, ancan get hit with punitive damages.organizational and public safety consultant. Most business owners and employees recognize this isClearly, businesses would be wise to take action to a significant issue and its something that should bemitigate risk when the warning signs of a pending addressed. violent act first appear. Those signs often take the form of behavioral changes that begin far in advance The facts are clear: The Bureau of Labor Statisticsof a serious incident. The company mentioned in the reports 392 workplace homicides and 37,060 non- opening paragraph of this article, for example, had fatalworkplaceinjuriesresultingfromintentionalreceived prior warnings of the employees threats harmin2020(thelastyearforwhichdataaretoward colleagues. available).Andworkplaceviolenceisthethird leadingcauseoffataloccupationalinjuriesinThepathwaytoviolenceistypicallyagradual the United States, according to a report from theone,saidBonczyk.Anindividualmaybeginby OccupationalSafetyandHealthAdministrationcoming in to work late every day. That may proceed (OSHA). to snapping at coworkers or customers. Then they may begin bullying people. Later their performance At least one state has taken steps to reduce thetakes a dive. Then things accelerate to threats of danger. The California legislature recently passed aviolence, and then ultimately violence.law requiring employers with more than ten workers tocreateanddisseminateaWorkplaceViolenceManyearlywarningsignsareconsideredactsCENTRAL STATES INSULATION ASSOCIATIONPrevention Plan, said Kathleen Bonczyk, founderofviolenceinthemselvesbyOSHA.These of the Workplace Violence Prevention Institute. Theincludeverbalorwrittenthreats,harassment, standard must include employee training, along withandintimidation.Violencecantaketheformof anti-retaliation and grievance procedures. I predictbullying, as well as swearing and hurling of insults. we will see more jurisdictions do something similarSupervisors should watch for:in coming years.Unexpected and unwelcome behavioral Warning signs changes. The person may become quick to anger or engage in continuing confrontations.The toll in human suffering from workplace violenceTalk of suicide or self-harm.is incalculable. Too, businesses can be held liableParanoia, and a tendency to blame others for for injuries. The employer has an obligation undertheir troubles.the General Duty Clause of the OSHA Act to provideObsession with weapons, when accompanied a safe workplace, said Pascal Benyamini, a partnerby any of the other behaviors listed above.at the law firm Faegre Drinker. OSHA and other government entities can assess fines and penaltiesIndividualsplanningviolentactsmaybecome continuedon pg. 24csiaonline.org'