Employers Still Ignoring Workplace Violence

A new survey by the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) says many companies are still not addressing the problem of workplace violence, despite the fact that the number of violent incidents has remained steady since 1999.

An article in the online version of the Insurance Journal says the survey, a follow-up to a 1999 survey on the issue, shows that not much has changed with regard to workplace violence. The survey found that although the number of violent incidents in the survey respondents' workplaces stayed the same, 70 percent of employers said their organization has not undergone a formal risk assessment of the potential for violent acts.

The survey also found that there was no change from the 1999 survey with respect to whether or not companies train their employees on how to identify the warning signs of violent behavior. Fifty-eight percent said their companies had provided training and 42 percent said they had not.

Only one percent of survey respondents said their company had a written policy to address violence in the workplace.

To read the full article, click here: http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2004/07/27/44404.htm.