Workplace Violence

Every Employer's Nightmare Part I

Mike Miele

Regional EHS Director

Eaton Corporation

May 26th 2016

• Housekeeping

– Emergency Exits

– Evacuation Process

• Introductions

– Name/position

– Company/business

– Expectations from this session

• Have you personally experienced WPV?

Workplace Violence Every Employer's Nightmare Part I

Workplace Violence

• Agenda

– Where do you start

– Recent data

– Employer’s responsibility • OSHA’s role

• WPV Policy

• WPV Preparedness Plan

– Main tenants of WPV readiness/prevention/response

– Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI)

– Lessons learned – next steps

Every Employer's Nightmare Part I

Workplace Violence

Every employer's nightmare

Active Shooter

Source – Willis Group

Workplace Violence

What were the key takeaways from the video

Source – Willis Group

Workplace Violence

We are here on the timeline

Average time of an incident = 14 min

Workplace Violence

From 2006 to 2010, an average of 551 workers per year were killed as a result of work-related homicides

Workplace Violence

Workplace Violence

OSHA’s general duty clause……

5 A 1 - Each employer shall furnish to each of his

employees employment and a place of employment which

are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are

likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his

employees.

Workplace Violence

Who Cares

Accent Signage Company on September 27, 2012.

“What's interesting about this case is the scope of the

ruling. It states that the suit – which includes two

negligence counts against the company- can proceed for

failing to include language in their policies along with

training for their employees that mitigates workplace

violence and trains employees how to survive a critical

incident.”

Workplace Violence

Workplace Violence

Workplace Violence Prevention Plan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKA_l8iI7nc

Workplace Violence

• Zero tolerance policy

• WPV prevention plan

• Types of threats

• Risk factors

• Form a WPV team

Employer’s responsibility

Workplace Violence

• Training – Ability to react

• Plan ahead

• Risk Assessment – Current control measures

• Facility

• Office

• Parking lots

• Local demographics

• Relationships and response capabilities with local authorities

• Run table tops – Practice, practice, practice

Employer’s responsibility

• Do you have a process to…..

– Perform data collection and do an initial assessment

– Perform an investigation

– Address your duty to warn and protect

Workplace Violence If an incident takes place

Workplace Violence

• Introduction

• Definition

• Company Response

• Reporting Procedure

• Protective and Restraining Orders

• Designated Management Representative

• Partner Violence in the Workplace

• Options for Employees Experiencing a Threat of Violence

• Procedures for Employees Feeling a Threat of Violence

Zero tolerance policy

• Indirect

• Conditional

• Direct

Workplace Violence Types of threats

• Threats of harm to targets

• Capacity to commit the act

• Absence of control to deter the act

• Loner

• Past history

• Personal problems

• Threats of homicide/suicide

• Chronic stressors

Workplace Violence

Risk Factors

• High risk terminations

• Problems with co-workers

• Disciplinary action

• Weapons being brought to work

• Drug or alcohol use at work

• Marriage break up

• Family conflicts

• Financial legal problems

• Destructive behavior

Latent drivers

• Mood shifts

• Suspicion of others

• Unable to keep a conversation

• Changes in appearance

• Changes in personal hygiene

• Appears to be using

drugs/alcohol

Workplace Violence

Additional Risk Factors

• Traumatic Stress

• Financial trouble

• Job loss or potential loss

• Parenting crisis

• Marital/relationship problems

• Significant Illness of self or family

member

Behavioral Changes Significant Life Events

Workplace Violence

Assess and document

Fascination with Weapons

Marginal Job Behavior

Personal History Issues

General Warning Signs

Domestic Violence

Stalking

Workplace Violence

• Investigate all threats

• Collect data/facts

• Expertise to make threat determinations

– Disgruntled employee making a threat

– Disgruntled employee posing a threat

Workplace Violence

Threat investigation process

1 Initiate

4 Document

5 Consult

6 Implement Plan

2 Investigate

3 Collaborate

Workplace Violence

The Risk Assessment Process

The Risk Cube

Se

ve

rity

Probability / Likelihood

5

4

3

2

1

1 2 3 4 5

Workplace Violence

• Management responsibility

• Remove threat from workplace

• Notify target if deemed necessary

• Implement protective strategies

Duty to warn and protect

• Protective escorts – workplace and parking lots

• Coordination with law enforcement

• Change computer access/voicemail/remote access

• Enhanced security

• Facility access from the outside (Infrastructure harding)

Workplace Violence

Protective Strategies

• Use your threat assessment team

• Pre I.D. resources

– Security professionals

– Law enforcement

– Mental Health

– Social Services

– Shelters

• Response and countermeasures

• Resolution

Workplace Violence

Create a plan

• Types of serious incident requiring immediate action

– Weapon in hand

– Active Shooter

– Assault

– Damaging of equipment

– Hostage taking

– Rape

– Sabotage

– Homicide

– Serious injury

Workplace Violence

Managing an actual incident

• Internal Notification protocol

• Dial 911

• Emergency Mass Notification System?

• Invoke Crisis Communication Plan

• Post Incident Process

Workplace Violence

Take Control of the Situation

• Train employees to….

– Work Place Violence policy

– Active shooter training

– Threat recognition and reporting process

– Support resources

– What happens after a report is made

Workplace Violence

Training your employees

Crisis Prevention Intervention

http://www.crisisprevention.com/

Workplace Violence

Scene Safe – Personal Safety

Karen Miele RN,BSN St. Mary’s Hospital,

UCONN Health Center CPI Instructor

• The world we live in today is a different place

• New way of thinking

• Preparation is key

• Vulnerability assessment

• Establish relationships with law enforcement

• Engage with employees

• Open culture of reporting

• Litigation preparedness

Workplace Violence

Summary and proposed next steps

Questions/Comments

Workplace Violence

• Agenda

– Preparation/response/recovery

Hardening your location

– Vulnerability assessment exercise

– Business Continuity

– Organizational Resilience

Every Employer's Nightmare Part II

Video Links

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFQ-oxhdFjE

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKA_l8iI7nc

Mike Miele Contact Information

• Michael Miele

• Mobile phone 203-206-9428

• Email – mielemaster@aol.com

Michael J. Miele

Regional EHS Director

Eaton Corporation

Mike Miele has been working in general industry for 38 years. He started his career which included 12 years in semiconductor manufacturing and then spent the next 25 years at United Technologies Corporation in CT. While there, he worked 18 years at Hamilton Sundstrand in Windsor Locks CT and the next 7 at Sikorsky Aircraft in Stratford CT. He recently joined Eaton Corporation in his current position as the North East Regional EHS Director.

Mike started his working career as an electro mechanical technician at National Semiconductor and then transitioned to a production manager for Hamilton Sundstrand where he was responsible for the manufacture of a semiconductor designed pressure sensor used in fuel controls for Pratt and Whitney jet engines. He then move into environment health and safety in 1990 where he continues in this capacity today.

Mike has an associate’s degree in electrical engineering technology from Waterbury State Technical College, a bachelor’s degree in general studies from the University of CT, a master’s degree from RPI in management and a second masters in professional studies from the University of CT in Homeland Security Leadership.

Mr. Miele has also been the chairman of his town’s Emergency Management Advisory Council where he helped form a local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and participated in the last 2 years of state wide table top drills in addition to managing the town’s emergency operations center (EOC).

Mr. Miele did his capstone project while at UCONN in Business Continuity Planning. He actively participated in running table top drills for active shooter preparation at Sikorsky as well as developing a continuity of operations plan for Sikorsky’s embedded customer (US Department of Defense). He currently has direct responsibility for implementing enhanced security protection programs for the 20 Eaton sites he oversees in the North East region of the U.S.