How Do You Prevent Workplace Violence?

On January 7, 2010, Timothy Hendron, 51, a longtime employee of ABB’s north St. Louis, Missouri, plant, reportedly took the lives of three coworkers, wounded five others, and took his own life.  This is just one of the latest incidents of worker-on-worker violence that have been on the increase in the last several decades.

In retrospect, of course, it is always clear that “the signs were there”. The individual was under a lot of stress…he was disaffected, alienated, a guy who kept to himself…bills were mounting…he had an unusual interest in weapons…and on, and on. Not everyone fits “the profile”, but most are close enough that we invariably ask “Why didn’t they (we) see it coming?”, or “Why didn’t somebody do something about it before it got to that point?”

Unfortunately, there is no “one size fits all” answer — the answers are as varied and as complex as humanity itself. Recognizing, though, that workplace violence is the ultimate antisocial act against social animals, there are things we can do to and for one another to minimize the risk, among them:

• Showing respect for one another;
• Getting to know coworkers;
• Being better communicators (which means being much better listeners);
• Taking an interest in coworkers outside the workplace;
• At least occasionally, putting coworkers’ interests ahead of our own;
• Watching out for one another;
• Not thinking “someone else can take care of it” or “it’s not my job”;
• Becoming more aware of and responsive to coworkers’ needs, stated and unstated;
• Knowing coworkers well enough that you know what their “normal” is; and
• Having the courage and compassion to help when their “normal” isn’t there.

Does your company have a workplace anti-violence policy? Better yet, do you have a personal policy regarding the prevention of violence in the workplace?

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
(Lao Tzu)

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Originally published in 2010 by Bizmanualz, Inc. under the title How Do You Prevent Workplace Violence?. All rights reserved. Reproduction permitted with attribution only. www.bizmanualz.com