Use a Common Sense Approach To Risk Management

Your organization's program to reduce the hazards of violence in the workplace should be based on common sense, reflecting:

1. the potential impact of one or more violent incident,
2. the likelihood of violent incidents occurring, and
3. the cost and effectiveness of the different measures you could take to reduce your risk.

Your risk assessment should consider the likelihood of incidents occurring given the individuals, community, and type of organization involved. Among the sources of information available to help you make those determinations are:

1. your organization's incident history,
2. police data concerning the type and rate of violent acts in your area, and
3. published reports comparing the violence rates across different types of organizations.