The Occupational Safety and Health Administration mandates that employers provide a workplace free from recognized hazards. Traditionally, the veterinary profession has focused on risks such as animal bites and scratches, slips and falls, and ergonomic injuries from lifting and repetitive tasks. However, little focus has been given to protecting team members from violent intruders. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that nearly 15% of the fatal workplace injuries occurring in the United States in 2019 involved intentional injury by another person.
State legislatures have acknowledged the threat of workplace violence and are taking steps to ensure every business addresses the issue. A recently enacted California law requires nearly all employers to establish a comprehensive workplace violence-prevention plan. It must include procedures for identifying hazards, training employees, reporting incidents and conducting periodic reviews.
Soft Targets
Virtually all veterinary practices are potential soft targets for violent intruders. People traditionally have unhindered access to the waiting area and into the interior via hallways and unlocked doors. While such a setup is visually inviting to clients and convenient for hospital operations, it limits the ability to restrict access to potentially violent people.
Fortunately, nearly all irate clients and disgruntled employees express their frustrations nonviolently, either verbally, on social media or through the legal system. But what about individuals who escalate to violence?
Workplace violence has four major categories.
- Type 1: A disgruntled current or former employee.
- Type 2: An irrational client, often triggered by a billing dispute or negative medical outcome.
- Type 3: Individuals not employed at the workplace but with a personal connection to an employee, such as a family member, spouse or acquaintance.
- Type 4: Outsiders with no legitimate reason for being present. For example, their intent could be to steal or inflict random harm and chaos.
Common Motivators
Why might your practice become the scene of unpredictable violence? Here are a few reasons:
- Co-worker disputes: Half of mass-casualty attacks in the workplace are reportedly sparked by quarrels.
- Financial gain: A desire to steal money or other valuables.
- Drug addiction: Supporting a substance abuse habit.
- Vendettas: A desire for revenge against one or more people.
- Opportunity: Acting on impulse against an easy target.
- Mental illness: Certain psychological conditions leading to violent behavior.
Signs of potential trouble in co-workers, clients and a person’s circle of life (family, friends and acquaintances) include:
- Increased alcohol or drug use.
- Heightened anger or argumentative behavior.
- Unexplained absenteeism.
- Blaming others for personal problems.
- Repeated defiant behavior, particularly related to workplace policies and procedures.
- Failing to take responsibility for one’s actions.
- Perceived injustices.
- Recent purchase or fascination with weapons.
- Empathy for others committing violence.
What You Can Do
Veterinary practices should implement policies and procedures to prevent, report, investigate and document workplace violence. These include:
- Identifying, evaluating and correcting known hazards.
- Providing incident-response training.
- Conducting periodic plan reviews and updates.
- Logging incidents and training sessions.
Your practice has followed all the recommended precautions, yet a violent intruder appears. What now?
- Run: If possible, flee the building. Getting out of harm’s way should be the top priority. Even if others insist on staying, don’t let indecision slow you. Leave personal items behind. Do not reenter the building for any reason. Seek a safe place away from the perpetrator’s last-known location.
- Hide: If running isn’t safe, find a room where you can lock or barricade the door. Hide out of sight under or behind large objects. Always seek the shortest distance to a safe place.
- Fight: As a last resort, a physical response might be necessary if you are in immediate danger and no other options exist.
Are You Ready?
Violent intruders often show up suddenly and unexpectedly, leaving little time to react. Therefore, all team members must be prepared to recognize the threat and respond immediately. Psychological studies show that many people prefer to hide rather than run. Incident-response training aims to empower individuals to make quick, correct decisions. Role-playing scenarios are essential in mitigating potential disasters.
From an environmental standpoint, front office staff should act as sentries. They should have an unobstructed view of the waiting room and the area immediately outside the building. Unfortunately, some businesses cover their windows with shades, posters or promotional ads. Whether they are signs for 99-cent hot dogs and 64-ounce sodas at a convenience store or for a parasite-prevention promotion at a veterinary clinic, the result is the same: severely compromised visibility. Hospital personnel should always have a clear view of people, entrances and vehicular traffic.
Proactive risk management is essential regardless of your clinic’s layout, size, location and employee count. Implement safety-focused policies and procedures, and train your team.
Prevention is always the goal, but you must prepare for the worst. Awareness and training allow a potential victim to react faster, make better decisions and significantly reduce the chance of a tragic outcome.
Your insurance company and agent can serve as valuable educational resources and discuss the coverage you need to address such critical workplace concerns.
BY THE NUMBERS
A 2024 survey conducted by the online training company Traliant revealed that 1 in 4 employees had witnessed workplace violence happening to a co-worker and that 12% were the target of workplace violence themselves.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Protect & Defend columnist Dr. Ed Branam is retiring. He has appeared in every issue of Today’s Veterinary Business since the magazine’s 2017 launch. Read his first article, this final one and everything in between at go.navc.com/Ed-Branam.