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and authority for the various aspects of the workplace violence prevention program to ensure that all managers and supervisors understand their obligations; ■ Maintaining a system of accountability for involved managers, supervisors and workers; ■ Supporting and implementing appropriate recommendations from safety and health committees; 5 If employers take this approach, they should consult and follow the applicable provisions of the National Labor Relations Act—29 U.S.C. 151-169. Effective management leadership begins by recognizing that workplace violence is a safety and health hazard. Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers 7 ■ Establishing a comprehensive program of medical and psychological counseling and debriefing for workers who have experienced or witnessed assaults and other violent incidents and ensuring that trauma-informed care is available; and ■ Establishing policies that ensure the reporting, recording, and monitoring of incidents and near misses and that no reprisals are made against anyone who does so in good faith. Additionally, management should: (1) articulate a policy and establish goals; (2) allocate sufficient resources; and (3) uphold program performance expectations. Through involvement and feedback, workers can provide useful information to employers to design, implement and evaluate the program. In addition, workers with different functions and at various organizational levels bring a broad range of experience and skills to program design, implementation, and assessment. Mental health specialists have the ability to appropriately characterize disease characteristics but may need training and input from threat assessment professionals. Direct care workers, in emergency departments or mental health, may bring very different perspectives to committee work. The range of viewpoints and needs should be reflected in committee composition. This involvement should include: ■ Participation in the development, implementation, evaluation, and modification of the workplace violence prevention program; ■ Participation in safety and health committees that receive reports of violent incidents or security problems, making facility inspections and responding to recommendations for corrective strategies; ■ Providing input on additions to or redesigns of facilities; ■ Identifying the daily activities that employees believe put them most at risk for workplace violence; ■ Discussions and assessments to improve policies and procedures—including complaint and suggestion programs designed to improve safety and security; ■ Ensuring that there is a way to report and record incidents and near misses, and that issues are addressed appropriately; ■ Ensuring that there are procedures to ensure that employees are not retaliated against for voicing concerns or reporting injuries; and ■ Employee training and continuing education programs. 2. Worksite Analysis and Hazard Identification A worksite analysis involves a mutual step-by-step assessment of the workplace to find existing or potential hazards that may lead to incidents of workplace violence. Cooperation between workers and employers in identifying and assessing hazards is the foundation of a successful violence prevention program. The assessment should be made by a team that includes senior management, supervisors and workers. Although management is responsible for controlling hazards, workers have a critical role to play in helping to identify and assess workplace hazards, because of their knowledge and familiarity with facility operations, process activities and potential threats. Depending on the size and structure of the organization, the team may also include representatives from operations; employee assistance; security; occupational safety and health; legal; and human resources staff. The assessment should include a records review, a review of the procedures and operations for different jobs, employee surveys and workplace security analysis. Once the worksite analysis is complete, it should be used to identify the types of hazard prevention and control measures needed to reduce or eliminate the possibility of a