Preventing Workplace Violence

Upon completing the Preventing Workplace Violence program, participants will be able to:

• Classify workplace violence incidents by type: Type I (criminal intent — no relationship to workplace), Type II (customer/client/patient), Type III (worker-on-worker), and Type IV (personal relationship spilling into the workplace), understanding the risk factors and prevention strategies specific to each type.
• Conduct workplace violence risk assessments: evaluating physical environment (access control, lighting, layout), operational factors (cash handling, late-night work, isolated workers, client-facing roles), workforce factors (staffing levels, turnover, conflict history), and industry-specific risk profiles that determine prevention priorities.
• Recognise warning signs and behavioural threat indicators: escalating language, fixation on grievances, intimidation, boundary violations, fascination with violence, substance abuse changes, performance deterioration, and behavioural patterns that may precede violent acts.
• Establish and operate a threat assessment and management team: defining team composition (HR, security, safety, management, EAP, legal), referral pathways, threat evaluation frameworks, intervention options (counselling, administrative action, security measures, law enforcement), and documentation supporting decision-making and defensible actions.
• Apply de-escalation techniques: verbal de-escalation (tone, pace, language, active listening, empathy, limit-setting), environmental management (space, barriers, exits), and communication strategies designed to reduce emotional intensity while maintaining safety and control of the situation.
• Develop active threat/active shooter awareness: situational awareness, Run-Hide-Fight response options and their limitations, communication during active events, coordination with law enforcement, and response decision-making when prevention fails.
• Design a workplace violence prevention programme: written policy, zero-tolerance framework, reporting procedures, threat assessment protocols, investigation processes, training requirements, and governance systems that ensure continuous and auditable prevention performance.
• Implement physical security measures: access control systems (badge entry, visitor management, reception barriers), surveillance systems (CCTV monitoring), CPTED principles (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design), lighting and sightline optimisation, safe rooms, and risk-based security design.
• Manage post-incident response: crisis management activation, employee accountability and safety, coordination with law enforcement, critical incident stress management, media communication, investigation processes, and organisational recovery and continuity planning.
• Comply with OSHA obligations: application of the General Duty Clause to workplace violence prevention, OSHA industry guidance (healthcare, late-night retail, high-risk sectors), documentation of good-faith preventive measures, and regulatory response readiness during OSHA investigations.

Core Curriculum Topics

• Four Types of Workplace Violence: criminal intent, customer/client, worker-on-worker, personal relationship — risk classification and prevention strategies
• Risk Assessment and Vulnerability Analysis: physical, operational, workforce, and industry-specific risk evaluation frameworks
• Warning Signs and Behavioural Indicators: escalation patterns and pre-incident behavioural warning signals
• Threat Assessment and Management: team structure, referral systems, evaluation models, intervention strategies, and documentation requirements
• De-Escalation Techniques: verbal communication strategies, environmental control, and behavioural de-escalation under stress
• Active Threat / Active Shooter Awareness: situational awareness, Run-Hide-Fight response model, and emergency coordination procedures
• Prevention Programme Design: policy development, reporting systems, assessment processes, investigation protocols, training, and governance
• Physical Security Design: access control, CCTV systems, CPTED principles, safe room design, and layered security approaches
• Post-Incident Response: crisis management, psychological support, investigation, media handling, and recovery planning
• OSHA Compliance Framework: General Duty Clause application, industry-specific guidance, documentation standards, and inspection preparedness
• Industry-Specific Applications: healthcare violence prevention, retail security, social services, and high-risk operational environments

• No prior workplace violence or security training required
• Relevant for every industry and organisational level
• No formal academic degree required
• All instruction in English; working proficiency required

Upon completion, graduates receive an American Institute of Safety Professionals certificate, wallet card, and transcript. Employer-verifiable at amiosp.com/student-verifications.

• Safety managers and HSE directors responsible for workplace violence prevention programmes
• HR managers and employee relations professionals who manage threat reporting, investigation, and disciplinary processes
• Security managers and corporate security directors responsible for physical security and active threat preparedness
• Supervisors and managers who must recognise warning signs, de-escalate confrontations, and manage threatening employees
• Healthcare safety officers where patient and visitor violence is a daily operational reality
• Retail and hospitality managers where robbery and customer aggression are primary violence risks
• Social service and government agency professionals who work with high-risk client populations
• Any professional designated to serve on a threat assessment and management team

Preventing Workplace Violence — YOU ARE HERE (focused violence prevention)

• Emergency Action Plans (companion course for emergency response including active threat)
• CHSO / CHSM (general safety certifications where workplace violence is one hazard category)
• International Diploma in Healthcare EVS Management (includes healthcare-specific violence awareness)