Workplace Violence

Does the name Brian Uyesugi ring a bell?  Probably not.  What about Robert A. Hawkins? Or Mark Burton?  Terry Ratzman? Robert Stewart?

Each entered a national consciousness when they picked up a gun and ended multiple lives: Uyesugi in1999, Hawaii office building, seven dead...Hawkins, 2007 Nebraska shopping mall, 9 dead...Burton, Ratzman and Stewart--24 dead among them in 1999 (Atlanta Brokerage office),...2005 (Wisconsin Church Service), and March 2009 (North Carolina rehab center), and mass shooting of 14 in Binghamton, NY April 2009

These are just a few examples from a very long list in this country alone. Each is only unique in the number of deaths. If it was just one dead or two dead hardly even news worthy. Everyday violence enters the workplace and most just feel “It will never happen to us and never happen here” until it happens to them.

Robbery, sexual assault, aggravated assault, and a hostile or scared workforce is all costly to your bottom line as well as productivity. It is far less expensive and easier to prevent the incident in the first place. Far easier to contain the damage with a plan and easier to return to “normal” after with knowledge gained beforehand. Just fear of co-workers, customers, contractors, general public, or common crime striking at the job site can alter your bottom line in subtle and substantial ways. Any incident that gets public attention is a bad competitive advantage to say the least.

Think hard about these basic questions:

• Are you right now or have you ever been scared of a co-worker, contractor or customer?

• Does your job entail you contacting the public in the normal course of the work day?

• Is overnight travel ever involved in your job description? Do you have staff coming in early or working late at night? Do you have anyone who goes to off-site job locations?

• Do you have key employees who work from home whose security you are concerned about?

• Is your job site safe truly safe from crime?

• Is your company fully prepared in the event of workplace violence?

• Does your company have a written policy on violence that serves as a referenced daily living document?

• Is your company doing all it can to prevent trouble?

• If something happened today, would management know what to do and how to lead?

If you need help with any of the above questions then this flexible length seminar is designed to teach key people prevention, protection, and how to handle violent incidents in the workplace. This seminar helps prepare your firm for the unthinkable.

This seminar covers all the basics:

• Learn the three types of work place violence threats and specifically how to deal with each
• Learn about crime prevention through environmental design (C.E.P.T.E.D.) and how it can easily and simply lower your risk profile
• Learn how to get employees involved to inexpensively helping implement C.E.P.T.E.D. to make for a far safer work environment
• Learn to develop each of the three classic crisis responses into a seamless plan for the group and to aid each individual to find their own plan
• Learn how to make a simple addition to your work place policy manual that can change a range of behaviors
• Learn how to get everyone involved in the prevention and management of a work place incident
• Discuss how to deal with the aftermath of an incident

And so much more…

There are many options with this topic and Davis Seminars. You can get the seminar as a stand alone tool.  The seminar is perfect for a meeting of diverse corporate and/or group interests. A one time pre-seminar consultation and seminar is available as well. In the pre-seminar consultation, Austin will walk the property, review your policies and procedures (or help you develop a new set altogether) and learn first hand from your decision makers what risk you face and discuss ways to reduce the risk without slowing your business model or excessive cost.

Since 1996, Austin Davis is experienced in dealing with just about every type of business and organization on this most delicate matter of workplace violence. He can provide you and your people with a wide variety of real world experience in not only preventing but managing the event and related aftermath.  As an experienced Law Enforcement trainer and a regular instructor at a major city's police academy, as well as featured on his own 30 minute training series for Law Enforcement Television, he is ready to help your company be ready to deal with the unthinkable.

Please feel free to call or email Austin to discuss your situation to find a the best solution to your unique workplace challenges. Because the most expensive way to treat the risk is to say “It will never happen to us”.