Workplace violence can occur anywhere: schools, office buildings, hospitals, or late-night convenience stores. It can occur day or night, inside or outside of the workplace, and it can include threats, harassment, bullying, stalking, verbal abuse, and intimidation. Left unchecked, workplace violence can lead to physical assaults and homicide. This updated edition of The Workplace Violence Prevention Handbook tackles this often overlooked but pervasive problem and provides a comprehensive five-step process for understanding and preventing it.

The Workplace Violence Prevention Handbook looks at the extent of the problem, examines some of the myths surrounding it, and provides early warning and detection signs, best prevention polices and proven defusing, protection, and containment techniques and strategies. At the end of each section there are a combination of case studies, scenarios, worksheets, and checklists to assist you in understanding the steps needed to plan, develop, and execute an effec­tive workplace violence prevention program.

A workplace violence prevention plan is a must. Apart from the legal and liability issues, it just makes sense to protect the organization's most valuable assets—the workforce. For many organiza­tions there are added benefits from implementing a violence prevention plan. During the risk assessment phase, you frequently discover areas of vulnerability that can be remedied and practices that can be improved. This can lead to increased productivity and efficiency, which could have an ongoing impact on your bottom line. The biggest benefit, however, is in increased safety for everyone using that workplace.