playing it safe

A job to die for? For some unlucky workers, simply going to work costs them their lives. Consider this statement found on the Occupational Safety & Health Administration's Web site: "Workplace murder is the leading killer of working females, and the second leading killer of males. For each murder, there are countless other incidents of workplace violence in which the victim is harassed, threatened or injured, sometimes seriously." And it's not only taxi drivers, 7-11 clerks or postal employees who have to worry. Workplace violence can break out anywhere, the DC included. Just last August, six workers were killed in a shooting spree in an auto parts warehouse in Chicago.

Though it's not always true, many times causes of workplace violence are within the employer's control. As a manager, you must be conscientious about ensuring your staff 's physical and mental safety.

1. Physical safety: Keeping employees safe from physical harm involves much more than teaching laborers not to lift with their backs. Here are some other steps you can take:

• Keep your parking lot well-lit to protect workers going to and from their cars in the dark, and set up programs to protect personnel in case of an attempted robbery.Video surveillance and alarm systems can help prevent unauthorized access, as can identification badges and electronic keys. Develop a buddy system for drivers whose jobs take them into crimeridden areas, as well as for staff members who work the second and third shifts. Keep in mind that male employees are just as vulnerable to danger as your female employees.
• Establish a protocol for conflict resolution. Worker-on-worker violence poses a very real danger. Develop a written policy covering employees' interactions with one another and provide training, if necessary. Establish simple directives for dealing with conflicts with peers, supervisors and direct reports—and stick to them! Maintain good communication at all times; poor communication can result in pent-up anger that can boil over at the slightest provocation. Educate employees about what to do in case of trouble. Establish a toll-free line through which staff members can report an incident anonymously.
• Make sure your work site is secure. Unhappy clients, estranged partners and disgruntled exemployees can cause problems on the job. Security checkpoints should be set up that exclude even family members and friends from certain areas. These checkpoints must remain secure after the receptionist and front office personnel leave for the day. It's amazing how many workplaces are open to anyone during off hours.

2. Mental safety: Are harassment and abusive language a problem in your workplace? Even if they haven't risen to illegal levels, they'll still be a drain on employee productivity. Every good manager wants employees' minds on their jobs, not on distracting comments from co-workers.

Develop policies and procedures for dealing with conflicts that arise not just between supervisors and their direct reports but among coworkers as well. Even when no clear solution exists, oftentimes just letting each person air his or her grievances can improve the situation. But do deal with it. If a staff member feels strongly enough to initiate a discussion with you, you owe it to that person to treat him or her with respect, validate his or her concerns and investigate the situation. Don't have time for such trivial matters? Find it. Effective resolution of conflicts like these goes a long way toward maintaining your department's efficiency and effectiveness and toward keeping everybody safe.