Campus Shooting: Rare Event, Common Pattern (continued from page 2)


Notwithstanding the low risk for college campuses there are certain themes that emerge time and time again in these tragic episodes.


Even if emerging facts confir m that the assailant at Oakland's Oikos University does indeed fit the mold, this does not mean that such behavior would have been foreseeable. One fact is indisputable, rare events can never be anticipated, not matter how ominous the circumstances. The best we can do is to continue efforts to keep concealed weapons as far away from college campuses as possible.


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Employer Workplace Safety Audits—No Good Deed Goes Unpunished


Workplace Violence Prevention: What’s Technology Got to Do With It?


Managing the threat of workplace violence is one of the most human of security’s tasks. Whether it's de- escalating a hostile situation or raising awareness among workers of inappropriate behavior, people skills and prevention go hand in hand. Perhaps it’s not a surprise, however, that technology also plays a key role in threat management and response at software giant Microsoft.


James Louie, Group Investigations Manager, Microsoft Global Security, a role that includes responsibility for threat management and workplace violence for the Americas region. In the last year, his staff and its counterparts in other regions dealt with 480 cases of workplace violence of which about 230 of those cases were 'traditional' workplace violence cases (assaults, domestic violence, harassment, stalking, and weapons). Louie says the heart of team’s investigations is its threat case management framework. “Every case that comes into Microsoft, we put through this framework because of the consistency" he said. "The only thing that changes are situational factors--that is the only variable.”


Technology’s value starts as soon as an incident or concern comes to the attention of the global security department. For the last two years, Louie’s team has been using the WVAR-21 (Workplace Assessment of Violence Risk). The WAVR-21 was developed through years of research and case management and helps in the assessment of workplace violence risk by allowing threat management representatives to organize and prioritize risk-relevant data. “We use the short form


internally. It’s a great tool,” said Louie. To read more, click here


It is common for employers to utilize the services of a consultant and/or an insurance carrier to conduct a self-assessment; a plant or facility safety audit, risk assessment, lost time control survey or other type of premises and procedure safety analysis. Employers utilize these types of services to learn of and address areas of concern. Similarly, employers assume these activities and any reports issued are "protected." A recent case disproved this assumption when the court ruled the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) had the authority to require production of evidence and obtain court enforcement of subpoenas seeking such evidence in investigations of workplace accidents or injuries. Not only are insurance carriers worrying this ruling could cause a chilling effect by discouraging companies from allowing insurers to conduct safety inspections, but OSHA has now made it a standard practice to utilize the information and documentation obtained to the detriment of employers. It is recommended that employers seek the legal opinion of counsel with respect to OSHA compliance issues.


To read more, click here DECISIONPOINT


This column is designed to help sharpen your judgment in providing valuable advice regarding how to handle incidents of aggression.


Was an off duty manager who assaulted an on duty employee while dining in a diner with fellow employees and a second time in the parking lot guilty of workplace violence?


Jason D. Morgan along with a crew consisting of


Brakeman William Tackett, Conductor Jeff Mastrorocco and Engineer Richard Vasquez to operate a train in the Paducah area. Phillips was the manager on duty at the time. While on duty Morgan and his crew rode together in a work van to "Trembles" diner for their mid-shift meal or "lunch." En route to lunch, Morgan heard Tackett and Mastrorocco talking on the phone with Foster, who was not on duty, telling him not to drive if he was intoxicated; that the crew


would pick him up in the work van; and he should leave the bar if he was going to get into a fight.When they arrived at the diner, Foster was sitting at the counter, smelling of alcohol.


(The situation continues on page 7) 3


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