Violence in the Workplace

Violence in the workplace is a leading cause of occupational injuries and fatalities among late night retail businesses, social services occupations, tax drivers, and other types of businesses that deal directly with the public. While employers and employees in these industries understand that violence is an occupational hazard, many employers in general industry establishments fail to address the possibility of a violent incident's occurring in the workplace.

The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Fed-OSHA or just OSHA) has provided outreach to industries suffering the highest rate of injuries and fatalities due to workplace violence. While no OSHA standard currently addresses workplace violence specifically, the General Duty Clause of the OSH Act requires employers to provide a "form of employment and place of employment free from recognized hazards." Since violence is a recognized hazard, employers must prevent its occurrence in the workplace.

Employers have found that one of the  most effective means of ensuring the prevention of violence is by adopting a "zero tolerance" policy, which treats each act of violence promptly with discripline or termination.