Out of View? In Danger


Solitary workers face a greater risk from workplace violence than those who work in groups because they are the most vulnerable to robbery and assault and because of the additional time it takes to respond to them with help. Consequently, security directors should audit their organization’s handling of employees who work alone. Security teams should apply the “working alone” framework to any employee who is out of view or earshot of another person and who cannot expect a visit from anyone for an extended period of time. Workers are at risk of violent attack by intruders when their work location is isolated from public view. Safe work procedures should direct workers to check the security of the workplace at the beginning and at the end of the shift and training should include how to behave when confronted with an intruder. A secure facility with a proper security system is the primary defense against break-ins. It is also important to have a “check-in” plan in place—that defines under what circumstances a solitary employee will check in and how often—which increases contact with employees who work in isolation.


Source:


Institute of Financial Management (IOFM); printed with permission. To read more, click here


Near-Miss Reporting: The Cornerstone of Effec- tive Accident Prevention


According to the National Safety Council, most accidents are preceded by at least one near miss, making near-miss reporting a cornerstone of effec- tive accident prevention. Near-miss incident reports can be used to identify a pattern of undesirable events that enable you to correct the conditions that caused the incidents before an accident occurs. And yet, near-miss reporting is often inadvertently discouraged or avoided at many workplaces because of a culture of blame and disciplinary action associated with mistakes or wrong behavior. Near- miss reporting will be most successful in a "blame- free" environment and where employees see positive action taken to eliminate hazards. Ten key steps for setting up an effective near-miss reporting system include: gathering a work group; reviewing OSHA logs and workers' compensation files; conducting a trend analysis; looking at incident investigation reports, reviewing current procedures; deciding on what you want reported; revising (or creating) procedures, training everyone on proce- dures; establishing an audit mechanism; and establishing metric to track reports.


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3-D Maps Designed To Help First Responders


A group of Ohio University students who develop video games has produced a federally funded computer program to help emergency crews more safely respond to threats ranging from fires to terrorist attacks. The 3-D “IVIN,” or Immersive Video Imaging Network, shows the inside of the 10 most-critical buildings in Franklin County. Created at OU’s Game Research and Immersive Design lab, the program eventually could be used by communi- ties across the country.


The goal of IVIN’s creators is to allow police and firefight- ers equipped with laptops to more quickly develop a plan of attack when confronted by an emergency. The software creates a Web-based model of the buildings in its database and allows first responders to virtually place themselves inside a facility with 360-degree views, just like in a video game.


This will be important to SWAT, and if you think about some recent shooting situations, it will provide us with a better tool on how to address those,” Scott said. “But more importantly, this will keep deputies and the public safe, and it will cut down on mishaps at those scenes.”


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


Should Employee Who Made Threats to Kill Herself on Facebook Be Accommodated or Considered a Direct Threat?


Three months after Rebecca Peer was hired to work on the 3rd shift, she was diagnosed with major depress- sion. Several weeks later, Peer emailed her manager that "this shift is really stressing me out and ... making me really depressed." Peer then sent her manager a message on Facebook that included: "All I do all day at work for the past week is dream up practical ways to kill myself that won't require the people I love to clean up the mess" and another posts saying; "Work feels like a war zone. I have some serious PTSD. Walked in the building and automatically started puking this morning."


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