Evaluation of Policies and Procedures to Reduce Worker-on-Worker Violence

Details

• Personal Author:
  Casteel C ; Peek-Asa, Corinne ; Ramirez M ; Romano S ; Rugala E
• Description:
  Overview: Workplace threats and violence are a persistent concern among businesses. Many companies have implemented threat management teams to identify and reduce the consequences of workplace violence. Few studies have examined the incidence and characteristics of workplace violence or examined training modalities to improve threat management team response. Objective: The objective of this project was to determine if tabletop scenario exercises adapted from disaster preparedness research could serve as an effective tool to evaluate and improve threat management team's response to worker-on-worker violence. We also examined characteristics of investigations conducted by the threat assessment teams. Methods: This project was a collaborative with a large multinational company known for their leadership in workplace violence prevention. The first year involved a process evaluation and the second and third years involved a larger evaluation of the use of tabletop scenarios as a training tool for threat management teams. Two full tabletop scenario exercises were implemented with the Company's regional threat management training, conducted annually in five sites. In addition, the Company provided a database, stripped of personal identifiers, of events that required investigation by the corporate threat management team in 2009 and 2010. Rates were calculated using worker population data. Results: Tabletop scenario exercises were effective in increasing knowledge of company policies and procedures and in increasing confidence in performing TMT duties. In responding to the tabletop scenarios, teams effectively identified the highest-priority steps. In our review of investigations over a two-year study period, half of the events involved a communicated threat and another 15.2% involved individual behavior of concern. Fewer than a quarter of all events involved assault or battery. Conclusion: The tabletop scenario exercises were successful in helping more the teams from thinking as individuals to thinking as groups; in using input from the breadth and different areas of expertise within the team; and, in moving the team through a comprehensive model of threat management response. The Company's Threat Management Teams responded to a diverse caseload using standard company process, procedures, tools and resources. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Disaster Planning Emergencies Occupational Health Safety Staff Development Violence Workplace
• Keywords:
  Emergency Preparedness Emergency Response Intervention Effectiveness Policy Training Effectiveness Violence Prevention Workplace Violence
• Series:
  Grant Final Reports
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Final Grant Report
• Place as Subject:
  Iowa ; North Carolina ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 7
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OEP - Office of Extramural Programs
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-47
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20058931
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2022-100300
• Citation:
  Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, R21-OH-009492, 2012 Oct; :1-47
• Contact Point Address:
  Corinne Peek-Asa, MPH, PhD University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
• Email:
  Corinne-peek-asa@uiowa.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2013
• NORA Priority Area:
  Services ; Manufacturing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Iowa
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20090801
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• End Date:
  20120731
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:abcd2d8fe60beffcc1f11ba495af1fb1a0feedc97bcab1e843c4b81f4f0ea8745e826b1ebaa4fa98fbcd0ae5474f28012380c725c9af09c12ad076ce0ab9882a
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/218960/cdc_218960_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 610.26 KB ]