Description
Preventing Workplace Violence Safety Poster
Help employees recognize, report, and respond to potential workplace violence with the Preventing Workplace Violence Safety Poster. This visual safety resource reinforces workplace violence awareness, prevention practices, employee reporting, and appropriate responses when threatening or violent behavior occurs.
Workplace violence can affect employees, customers, clients, patients, contractors, and visitors. Providing employees with clear safety information can help reinforce an organization's workplace violence prevention policies and encourage workers to report threats or concerning behavior promptly.
What Is Workplace Violence?
OSHA defines workplace violence as acts or threats of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening behavior that occur at the work site. Workplace violence can range from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and homicide.
Who May Be at Greater Risk of Workplace Violence?
Workplace violence can occur in any industry, but certain working conditions may increase the risk. OSHA identifies several workplace violence risk factors, including:
- Exchanging money with the public
- Working alone or in isolated areas
- Working late at night or during early morning hours
- Providing services or care to others
- Working with volatile or unstable individuals
- Working where alcohol is served
- Delivering passengers, goods, or services
- Frequent interaction with customers, clients, patients, or members of the public
How Can Employers Help Prevent Workplace Violence?
Employers should evaluate their workplaces for violence-related risk factors and establish appropriate prevention measures based on the hazards present. OSHA recommends a workplace violence prevention program where workplace risk factors can be identified.
Prevention measures may include:
- Establishing and communicating a workplace violence prevention policy
- Encouraging employees to promptly report threats, intimidation, and violent incidents
- Evaluating the workplace for known violence-related hazards
- Implementing appropriate engineering and administrative controls
- Providing employees with workplace violence prevention and response training
- Establishing procedures for responding to threatening or violent situations
- Investigating reported incidents and addressing identified hazards
What Should Employees Do if Workplace Violence Occurs?
Employees should follow their employer's established emergency and workplace violence response procedures. When an immediate threat exists, employees should prioritize personal safety, move away from danger when it is safe to do so, and contact emergency services or workplace security as appropriate.
Threats, intimidation, harassment, and violent incidents should be reported through the employer's established reporting procedures so that the situation can be evaluated and appropriate action can be taken.
OSHA and Workplace Violence Prevention
There is currently no specific federal OSHA standard dedicated exclusively to workplace violence. However, employers have a responsibility to provide a workplace free from recognized serious hazards under the General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
OSHA recommends that employers with identifiable workplace violence risks establish prevention programs that may include management commitment, employee involvement, worksite analysis, hazard prevention and control, employee training, and appropriate incident response procedures.
Where Can This Workplace Violence Poster Be Used?
The Preventing Workplace Violence Safety Poster can help reinforce employee awareness in many types of workplaces, including:
- Healthcare and social service facilities
- Retail businesses
- Restaurants and hospitality businesses
- Offices and administrative workplaces
- Schools and educational facilities
- Warehouses and manufacturing facilities
- Public service workplaces
- Customer service operations
- Businesses with employees who work alone or interact frequently with the public
Reinforce Workplace Violence Prevention Awareness
Displaying workplace violence prevention information can help reinforce employee training, established reporting procedures, and an organization's commitment to maintaining a safe workplace.
This poster is intended as a supplemental workplace safety and employee-awareness resource. It does not replace a workplace-specific violence prevention program, employee training, emergency procedures, hazard assessments, or applicable federal, state, or local requirements.
Preventing Workplace Violence Poster Specifications
- 11"W x 17"H
- Portrait orientation
- Printed in full color
- Laminated with high-quality laminate
