Page 12
left by visitors or staff that could be used inappropriately by patients x Survey facilities regularly to ensure doors that should be locked are locked—smoking policies should not allow these doors to be propped open x Keep desks and work areas free of items, including extra pens and pencils, glass photo frames, etc. x Survey facility periodically to remove tools or possessions left by visitors or staff that could be used inappropriately by patients x Keep desks and work areas free of items, including extra pens and pencils, glass photo frames, etc. x Survey facility periodically to remove tools or possessions left by visitors or staff that could be used inappropriately by patients x Establish daily work plans to keep a designated contact person informed about employees’ whereabouts throughout the workday; have a contact person follow up if an employee does not report in as expected x Have clear contracts on how home visits will be conducted, the presence of others in the home during visits and the refusal to provide services in clearly hazardous situations x Establish daily work plans to keep a designated contact person informed about employees’ whereabouts throughout the workday; have a contact person follow up if an employee does not report in as expected Occupational Safety and Health Administration 2 2 Hospital Residential Treatment Non-residential Treatment/Service Community Care Field Workers (Home Healthcare, Social Service) Transportation procedures x Develop safety procedures that specifically address the transport of patients. x Ensure that workers transporting patients have an effective and reliable means of communicating with their home office x Develop safety procedures that specifically address the transport of patients. x Ensure that workers transporting patients have an effective and reliable means of communicating with their home office Post-incident procedures and services Post-incident response and evaluation are important components to an effective violence prevention program. Investigating incidents of workplace violence thoroughly will provide a roadmap to avoiding fatalities and injuries associated with future incidents. The purpose of the investigation should be to identify the “root cause” of the incident. Root causes, if not corrected, will inevitably recreate the conditions for another incident to occur. When an incident occurs, the immediate first steps are to provide first aid and emergency care for the injured worker(s) and to take any measures necessary to prevent others from being injured. All workplace violence programs should provide comprehensive treatment for workers who are victimized personally or may be traumatized by witnessing a workplace violence incident. Injured staff should receive prompt treatment and psychological evaluation whenever an assault takes place, regardless of its severity—free of charge. Also, injured workers should be provided transportation to medical care if not available on site. Victims of workplace violence could suffer a variety of consequences in addition to their actual physical injuries. These may include: ■ Short- and long-term psychological trauma; ■ Fear of returning to work; ■ Changes in relationships with coworkers and family; ■ Feelings of incompetence, guilt, powerlessness; and ■ Fear of criticism by supervisors or managers. Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers 2 3 Consequently, a strong follow-up program for these workers will not only help them address these problems but also help prepare them to confront or prevent future incidents of violence. Several types of assistance can be incorporated into the postincident response. For example, trauma-crisis counseling, critical-incident stress debriefing or employee assistance programs may be provided to assist victims. As explained by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, trauma-informed services are based on an understanding of the vulnerabilities or triggers of trauma for survivors and can be more supportive than traditional service delivery approaches, thus avoiding re-traumatization.10 Whether the support is traumainformed or not, certified employee assistance