OSHA Defense

Workplace Violence and the Construction Industry Part 4

Millions of lives are affected every year by workplace violence. As the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) website states, “homicide is currently the fourth-leading cause of fatal occupational injuries in the United States.” Although this statistic is concerning, there are ways we can prevent all forms of violence from affecting our workplaces.

In the first section of this four-part article, we discussed the many types of workplace violence. In the second section, we discussed the employer’s legal obligation to provide employees with a secure workplace. In the third section and this section, we are discussing ways that employers can monitor their workers to ensure that their workplace will not be another statistic and will not be in need of a Texas OSHA lawyer.

Workplace Training Procedures

It’s crucial that employers create an established system that governs their employee’s conduct and can reduce the threat of violence in the workplace. This begins with implementing training programs for both management-level and hourly employees. These training classes should educate the employees on the broad definition of workplace violence, what constitutes a violation of this policy, and ways to manage and prevent violence in the workplace.

Establishing Written Policies

Every project should have established written policies that notify all of the employees of the preventive measures taken to prohibit violent conduct in the workplace. Further, the employees should also be aware of the ramifications of violating this policy. Whether this policy is incorporated into their employment agreement or is implemented into a separate prevention program is up to the employer; however, the employees need to have a full understanding of this policy and the penalties for violating the policy.

Governing Potential Violations

Every project needs to have an established incident reporting system and an assessment team that can analyze the claim. This investigation and evaluation process can be a critical prevention tool that can stop perpetrators at the first signs of misconduct. Lastly, construction sites need a recordkeeping system in place as well to consistently update and maintain access to this valuable information.

Zero Tolerance

When training procedures, written policies, and a reporting system are all established, it’s best to institute a zero-tolerance policy as well. Incorporating these clearly explained policies and notifying everyone at the workplace that workplace violence will not be tolerated and result in immediate termination can help prevent the threat of workplace violence.

Although there is no guarantee that a workplace will not experience violent conduct despite creating training methods, written policies, and a review board, educating workers on workplace violence and establishing a zero-tolerance culture can help reduce the chances of an unfortunate act transpiring at your workplace.

If you would like to speak with a Texas OSHA attorney, please contact us today.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.