Recommendations for Workplace Violence Prevention
Programs in Late-Night Retail Establishments
U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration
U.S. Department of Labor
Alexis M. Herman, Secretary
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Charles N. Jeffress, Assistant Secretary
OSHA 3153
1998
Material contained in this publication is in the public domain and may be reproduced fully or partially without permission of the Federal Government. Source credit is not required.
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Contents
Acknowledgements
Background
High-Risk Establishments
High-Risk Occupations
Overview
Elements of an Effective Violence Prevention Program
Employers' Duties and Workplace Violence
Management Commitment and Employee Involvement
Management Commitment
Employee Involvement
Worksite Analysis
Common Risk Factors in Retail Establishments
Workplace Hazard Analysis
Review of Records and Past Incidents
Workplace Security Analysis
Periodic Safety Audits
Hazard Prevention and Control
Prevention Strategies
Engineering Controls and Workplace Adaptation
Administrative and Work Practice Controls
Post-Incident Response
Training and Education
General Training
Training for Supervisors, Managers and Security Personnel
Evaluation
Recordkeeping
Prevention Programs
Conclusion
Appendices
A: Sample Workplace Violence Factors and Controls Checklist
B: Sample Incident Report and Suspect Description Form
C: Sources of Assistance
D: OSHA Office Directories
Selected Bibliography
Glossary
Acknowledgements
Many persons and organizations contributed to this document. OSHA would like to thank the many contributing researchers, educators, representatives from victims' groups, industry, and law enforcement personnel for their comments and suggestions.
Background
Workplace violence is a serious safety and health hazard in many workplaces. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, homicide is the second leading cause of death to American workers, claiming the lives of 912 workers in 1996 and accounting for 15 percent of the 6,112 fatal work injuries in the United States (BLS, 1997). Violent incidents at work also resulted in 20,438 lost work-day cases in 1994 (BLS, 1996).
The Department of Justice's National Crime Victimization Survey reported that from 1987 to 1992 almost 1 million persons annually were victims of violent crime at work (Bachman, 1994). These data include four categories: 615,160 simple assaults; 264,174 aggravated assaults; 79,109 robberies; and 13,068 rapes. These victimizations resulted in an estimated 159,000 injuries annually. Violence inflicted upon employees may come from many sources, including customers, robbers, muggers and co-workers.
Although workplace violence may appear to be random, many incidents can be anticipated and avoided. Even where a potentially violent incident occurs, a timely and appropriate response can prevent the situation from escalating and resulting in injury or death. OSHA believes that all late-night retail establishments can benefit from an examination of their workplaces to determine if workplace violence is a potential hazard for their employees.
OSHA has developed this document for use in the late-night retail industry, especially for convenience stores, liquor stores, and gasoline stations. Other types of retail establishments providing services during evening and night hours also may find this information helpful. This document will help retail employers design, select, and implement prevention programs based on the specific risk factors they identify in their particular workplaces.
High-Risk Establishments
From 1980 to 1992, the overall rate of homicide was 1.6 per 100,000 workers per year in the retail industry, compared with a national average of 0.70 per 100,000 workers (NIOSH, 1996). Job-related homicides in retail trade accounted for 48 percent of all workplace homicides in 1996 (BLS, 1997). The wide diversity within the retail industry results in substantial variation in levels of risk of violence. Homicides in convenience and other grocery stores, eating and drinking places, and gasoline service stations constituted the largest share of homicides in retail establishments (BLS, 1997). From 1990 to 1992, the highest annual homicide risks among retail industries were as follows:
- Liquor stores: 7.5 per 100,000 workers
- Gasoline service stations: 4.8 per 100,000
- Jewelry stores: 4.7 per 100,000
- Grocery stores (including convenience stores):
- 3.8 per 100,000
- Eating and drinking places: 1.5 per 100,000 (NIOSH, 1996).
The retail sector accounted for 21 percent of nonfatal assaults in 1992, second only to the general services sector. Within that 21 percent, grocery stores experienced 6 percent of assaults, eating and drinking places had 5 percent, and other general retail establishments had 10 percent (NIOSH, 1996).
High-Risk Occupations
Workers in many occupations in the retail sector face an above-average risk of violence. Even if an establishment is classified in a segment of the industry with a relatively low incidence of reported workplace violence, employees in certain occupations may have an elevated risk of being victimized. During 1990-1992, the average risk of homicides for all occupations was 0.7 per 100,000 employees per year. The retail occupations at highest risk for homicide during this period are as follows :
- Gasoline service and garage workers:
- 5.9 per 100,000
- Stock handlers and baggers: 3.5 per 100,000
- Sales supervisors and proprietors: 3.3 per 100,000
- Salescounter clerks: 3.1 per 100,000 (NIOSH, 1996).
Overview
Elements of an Effective Violence Prevention Program
In January 1989, OSHA published voluntary, generic safety and health program management guidelines that all employers can use as a foundation for their safety and health programs.1 The violence prevention information presented in this document builds on those guidelines by identifying common risk factors for workplace violence and describing some prevention measures for the late-night retail industry.
The goal of this document is to encourage employers to implement programs to identify the potential risks of workplace violence and implement corrective measures. These recommendations are not a "model program" or a rigid package of violence prevention steps uniformly applicable to all establishments. Indeed, no single strategy is appropriate for all businesses. Environmental and other risk factors for workplace violence differ widely among workplaces. Employers may use a combination of strategies recommended in this document, as appropriate, for their particular workplace.
These recommendations consist of the basic elements from which an employer can construct a violence prevention program tailored to meet the specific needs of his workplace. An effective approach to preventing workplace violence includes five key components: (1) management commitment and employee involvement, (2) worksite analysis, (3) hazard prevention and control, (4) safety and health training, and (5) evaluation. Using these basic elements, an employer can fashion prevention plans that are appropriate for his/her establishment, based upon the hazards and circumstances of the particular situation.
OSHA encourages employers to develop a written program for workplace violence prevention. A written statement of policy serves as a touchstone for the many separate plans, procedures, and actions required for an effective prevention program. The extent to which the components of the program are in writing, however, is less important than how effective the program is in practice. In smaller establishments, a program can be effective without being heavily documented. As the size of a workplace or the complexity of hazard control increases, written guidance becomes more important as a way to ensure clear communication and consistent application of policies and procedures. An employer could create a separate workplace violence prevention program or incorporate this information into an existing accident prevention program, employee handbook, or manual of standard operating procedures.
Employers' Duties and Workplace Violence
These recommendations are not a new standard or regulation and do not create any new OSHA duties. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (the OSH Act, or the Act), the extent of an employer's obligation to address workplace violence is governed by the General Duty Clause.2 The fact that a measure is recommended in this document but not adopted by an employer is not evidence of a violation of the General Duty Clause. The recommendations provide information about possible workplace violence prevention strategies. They describe a variety of tools that may be useful to employers designing a violence prevention program.
In addition, when Congress passed the OSH Act, 29 U.S.C. §651 et seq., it stated categorically its intent that the Act was not intended to change remedies available at the state level for workplace injuries, illnesses, or deaths. Section 4(b)(4) states: "Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to supersede or in any manner affect any workmen's compensation law or to enlarge or diminish or affect in any other manner the common law or statutory rights, duties, or liabilities of employers and employees under any law with respect to injuries, diseases or death of employees arising out of, or in the course of, employment."3 (Emphasis added).
Therefore, these recommendations are not intended to establish a legal standard of care with respect to workplace violence. Accordingly, these recommendations do not impose, and are not intended to result in, the imposition of any new legal obligations or constraints on employers or the states.
Management Commitment and Employee Involvement
Management Commitment
Management provides the motivation and resources to deal effectively with workplace violence. The visible commitment of management to worker safety and health is an essential precondition for its success. Management can demonstrate its commitment to violence prevention through the following actions:
- Create and disseminate a policy to managers and employees that expressly disapproves of workplace violence, verbal and nonverbal threats, and related actions.
- Take all violent and threatening incidents seriously, investigate them, and take appropriate corrective action.
- Outline a comprehensive plan for maintaining security in the workplace.
- Assign responsibility and authority for the program to individuals or teams with appropriate training and skills. This means ensuring that all managers and employees understand their obligations.
- Provide necessary authority and resources for staff to carry out violence prevention responsibilities.
- Hold managers and employees accountable for their performance. Stating expectations means little if management does not track performance, reward it when competent, and correct it when it is not.
- Take appropriate action to ensure that managers and employees follow the administrative controls or work practices.
- Institute procedures for prompt reporting and tracking of violent incidents that occur in and near the establishment.
- Encourage employees to suggest ways to reduce risks, and implement appropriate recommendations from employees and others.
- Ensure that employees who report or experience workplace violence are not punished or otherwise suffer discrimination.4
- Work constructively with other parties such as landlords, lessees, local police, and other public safety agencies to improve the security of the premises.
Employee Involvement
Management commitment and employee involvement are complementary elements of an effective safety and health program. To ensure an effective program, management, front-line employees, and employee representatives need to work together in the structure and operation of their violence prevention program.
Employee involvement is important for several reasons. First, front-line employees are an important source of information about the operations of the business and the environment in which the business operates. This may be particularly true for employees working at night in retail establishments when higher level managers may not routinely be on duty. Second, inclusion of a broad range of employees in the violence prevention program has the advantage of harnessing a wider range of experience and insight than that of management alone. Third, front-line workers can be very valuable problem solvers, as their personal experience often enables them to identify practical solutions to problems and to perceive hidden impediments to proposed changes. Finally, employees who have a role in developing prevention programs are more likely to support and carry out those programs.
Methods for cooperation between employees and management can vary. Some employers could choose to deal with employees one-on-one or assign program duties to specific employees. Other employers may elect to use a team or committee approach. The National Labor Relations Act may limit the form and structure of employee involvement.5 Employers should seek legal counsel if they are unsure of their legal obligations and constraints.
Employees and employee representatives can be usefully involved in nearly every aspect of a violence prevention program. Their involvement may include the following:
- Participate in surveys and offer suggestions about safety and security issues.
- Participate in developing and revising procedures to minimize the risk of violence in daily business operations.
- Assist in the security analysis of the establishment.
- Participate in performing routine security inspections of the establishment.
- Participate in the evaluation of prevention and control measures.
- Participate in training current and new employees.
- Share on-the-job experiences to help other employees recognize and respond to escalating agitation, assaultive behavior, or criminal intent, and discuss appropriate responses.
Worksite Analysis
Common Risk Factors in Retail Establishments
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has identified a number of factors that may increase a worker's risk for workplace assault. Those pertaining to late-night retail include:
- Contact with the public.
- Exchange of money.
- Delivery of passengers, goods, or services.
- Working alone or in small numbers.
- Working late night or early morning hours.
- Working in high-crime areas (NIOSH, 1996).
Employees in some retail establishments may be exposed to multiple risk factors. The presence of a single risk factor does not necessarily indicate that the risk of violence is a problem in a workplace. The presence, however, of multiple risk factors or a history of workplace violence should alert an employer that the potential for workplace violence is increased.
Research indicates that the greatest risk of work-related homicide comes from violence inflicted by third parties such as robbers and muggers. Robbery and other crimes were the motive in 80 percent of workplace homicides across all industries in 1996 (BLS, 1996). A large proportion of the homicides occurring in the retail sector are associated with robberies and attempted robberies (Amandus, 1997). On average, one in 100 gun robberies results in a homicide (Bellamy, 1996). For this reason, effective programs that reduce the number of robberies should result in a decrease in the number of homicides (Erickson, 1996).
Sexual assault is another significant occupational risk in the retail industry. Indeed, the risk of sexual assault for women is equal to or greater than the risk of homicide for employees in general. Sexual assault is usually not robbery-related, but may occur more often in stores with a history of robbery. These assaults occur disproportionately at night and involve a female clerk alone in a store in the great majority of cases (Seligman, et al., 1987; Erickson, 1991; Alexander, Franklin, and Wolf, 1994). The risk factors for robbery and sexual assault overlap (e.g., working alone, late at night, in high-crime areas), so actions to reduce robbery also may be effective for preventing sexual assaults.
Several studies have examined risk factors for robbery in retail establishments. In a 1975 study, researchers interviewed ex-convicts to determine which stores were most "attractive" to robbers (Crow and Bull, 1975). The stores that were most attractive had large amounts of cash on hand, an obstructed view of counters, poor outdoor lighting, and easy escape routes. Subsequent studies have confirmed that robbers do not choose targets randomly but, instead, consider environmental factors (Southland Corporation, Athena Research Corporation, 1985, 1990, and 1995; Jeffery, Hunter, and Griswold, 1987). Risk factors for robbery include easy access or escape, and low risk of recognition or detection of robbers (such as lack of cameras, lack of customers or nearby businesses, and poor visibility from outside the store) (Scott, Crow and Erickson, 1985; Swanson, 1986; Hunter, 1990; Erickson, 1995). Studies also have identified working alone,6 lack of police or armed guards, and a large amount of money on hand as risk factors for robbery (Scott, Crow and Erickson, 1985; Swanson, 1986; Erickson, 1995).
The time of day also affects the likelihood of robbery. Studies have consistently found that retail businesses face an elevated risk of robbery during the nighttime hours.7 Retail robberies occur in the late evening and early morning hours more often than during daylight hours because it is dark and fewer people are on the streets (Bellamy, 1996). Risks at night may vary by the number of neighboring businesses open late, the amount of traffic and the level of lighting (among other factors). While the risk of robbery is greater at night, the risks during the daytime may also be significant, and also vary based on such factors as the amount of traffic and visibility.
Workplace Hazard Analysis
A worksite hazard analysis involves a step-by-step, common-sense look at the workplace to find existing and potential hazards for workplace violence. This entails the following steps: (1) review records and past experiences, (2) conduct an initial worksite inspection and analysis, and (3) perform periodic safety audits.
Because the hazard analysis is the foundation for the violence prevention program, it is important to select carefully the person(s) who will perform this step. The employer can delegate the responsibility to one person or a team of employees. If a large employer uses a team approach, it may wish to draw the team members from different parts of the enterprise, such as representatives from senior management, operations, employee assistance, security, occupational safety and health, legal, human resources staff, and employees or union representatives. Small establishments might assign the responsibility to a single staff member or a consultant.
Review of Records and Past Incidents
As a starting point for the hazard analysis, the employer would review the experience of the business over the previous 2 or 3 years. This involves collecting and examining any existing records that may shed light on the magnitude and prevalence of the risk of workplace violence. For example, injury and illness records, workers' compensation claims, and police department robbery reports can help identify specific incidents related to workplace violence. Finding few documented cases of workplace violence does not necessarily mean that violence is not a problem in a workplace, because incidents may be unreported or inconsistently documented. In some cases, management may not be aware of incidents of low-intensity conflict or threats of violence to which their employees have been exposed. To learn of such incidents, the employer could canvass employees about their experience while working for the business. The following questions may be helpful in compiling information about past incidents:
- Has your business been robbed during the last 2-3 years? Were robberies attempted? Did injuries occur due to robberies or attempts?
- Have employees been assaulted in altercations with customers?
- Have employees been victimized by other criminal acts at work (including shoplifting that became assaultive) ? What kind?
- Have employees been threatened or harassed while on duty? What was the context of those incidents?
- In each of the cases with injuries, how serious were the injuries?
- In each case, was a firearm involved? Was a firearm discharged? Was the threat of a firearm used? Were other weapons used?
- What part of the business was the target of the robbery or other violent incident?
- At what time of day did the robbery or other incident occur?
- How many employees were on duty?
- Were the police called to your establishment in response to the incident? When possible, obtain reports of the police investigation.
- What tasks were the employees performing at the time of the robbery or other incident? What processes and procedures may have put employees at risk of assault? Similarly, were there factors that may have facilitated an outcome without injury or harm?
- Were preventive measures already in place and used correctly?
- What were the actions of the victim during the incident? Did these actions affect the outcome of the incident in any way?
Employers with more than one store or business location could review the history of violence at each operation. Different experiences in those stores can provide insights into factors that can make workplace violence more or less likely. Contacting similar local businesses, community and civic groups and local police departments is another way to learn about workplace violence incidents in the area. In addition, trade associations and industry groups often provide useful information about conditions and trends in the industry as a whole.
Workplace Security Analysis
The team or coordinator could conduct a thorough initial risk assessment to identify hazards, conditions, operations, and situations that could lead to violence. The initial risk assessment includes a walkthrough survey to provide the data for risk identification and the development of a comprehensive workplace violence prevention program. The assessment process includes the following:
- Analyze incidents, including the characteristics of assailants and victims. Give an account of what happened before and during the incident, and note the relevant details of the situation and its outcome.
- Identify any apparent trends in injuries or incidents relating to a particular worksite, job title, activity, or time of day or week. The team or coordinator should identify specific tasks that may be associated with increased risk.
- Identify factors that may make the risk of violence more likely, such as physical features of the building and environment, lighting deficiencies, lack of telephones and other communication devices, areas of unsecured access, and areas with known security problems.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of existing security measures. Assess whether those control measures are being properly used and whether employees have been adequately trained in their use.
Appendix A contains a sample checklist that illustrates a number of questions that may be helpful for the security analysis. Trade associations and other organizations also have materials that can help employers assess the risk of violent incidents in their business. In some areas, local law enforcement agencies provide free advice to business owners on ways to reduce exposure to crime. Security management consultants, insurance safety auditors, and loss-prevention specialists also can help employers analyze workplace risks and offer advice for solutions. Independent experts such as these can provide fresh perspectives on implementing and improving a violence prevention program.
Periodic Safety Audits
Hazard analysis is an ongoing process. A good violence prevention program will institute a system of periodic safety audits to review workplace hazards and the effectiveness of the control measures that have been implemented. These audits also can evaluate the impact of other operational changes (such as new store hours, or changes in store layout) that were adopted for other reasons but may affect the risk of workplace violence. A safety audit is important in the aftermath of a violent incident or other serious event for reassessing the effectiveness of the violence prevention program.
Hazard Prevention and Control
Prevention Strategies
After assessing violence hazards, the next step is to develop measures to protect employees from the identified risks of injury and violent acts. Workplace violence prevention and control programs include specific engineering and work practice controls to address identified hazards. The tools listed in this section are not intended to be a "one-size-fits-all" prescription. No single control will protect employees. To provide effective deterrents to violence, the employer may wish to use a combination of controls in relation to the hazards identified through the hazard analysis.
Since the major risk of death or serious injury to retail employees is from robbery-related violence, an effective program would include, but not be limited to, steps to reduce the risk of robbery. In general, a business may reduce the risk of robbery by increasing the effort that the perpetrator must expend (target hardening, controlling access, and deterring offenders); increasing the risks to the perpetrator (entry/exit screening, formal surveillance, surveillance by employees and others); and reducing the rewards to the perpetrator (removing the target, identifying property, and removing inducements).8
Physical and behavioral changes at a site can substantially reduce the frequency of robberies. A test group of 7-Eleven stores that eliminated or reduced several risk factors experienced a 30-percent drop in robberies compared to a control group. Target-hardening efforts, including a basic robbery deterrence package, were implemented in 7-Eleven stores nationwide in 1976. The 7-Eleven program tried to make the store a less attractive target by reducing the cash on hand, maximizing the take/risk ratio, and training employees. After implementing the program throughout the company, the robbery rate at 7-Eleven stores decreased by 64 percent over 20 years.9
The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) developed a robbery and violence deterrence program based on these elements and has made it available to its members and others since 1987. NACS also has supported research in these areas.
Other deterrents that may reduce the potential for robbery include making sure that there are security cameras, time-release safes, other 24-hour business at the location, no easy escape routes or hiding places, and that the store is closed during late night hours.
Engineering Controls and Workplace Adaptation
Engineering controls remove the hazard from the workplace or create a barrier between the worker and the hazard. The following physical changes in the workplace can help reduce violence-related risks or hazards in retail establishments:
- Improve visibility as visibility is important in preventing robbery in two respects: First, employees should be able see their surroundings, and second, persons outside the store, including police on patrol, should be able to see into the store. Employees in the store should have an unobstructed view of the street, clear of shrubbery, trees or any form of clutter that a criminal could use to hide. Signs located in windows should be either low or high to allow good visibility into the store. The customer service and cash register areas should be visible from outside the establishment. Shelves should be low enough to assure good visibility throughout the store. Convex mirrors, two-way mirrors, and an elevated vantage point can give employees a more complete view of their surroundings.
- Maintain adequate lighting within and outside the establishment to make the store less appealing to a potential robber by making detection more likely. The parking area and the approach to the retail establishment should be well lit during nighttime hours of operation. Exterior illumination may need upgrading in order to allow employees to see what is occurring outside the store.
- Use fences and other structures to direct the flow of customer traffic to areas of greater visibility.
- Use drop safes to limit the availability of cash to robbers. Employers using drop safes can post signs stating that the amount of cash on hand is limited.
- Install video surveillance equipment and closed circuit TV (CCTV) to deter robberies by increasing the risk of identification. This may include interactive video equipment. The video recorder for the CCTV should be secure and out of sight. Posting signs that surveillance equipment is in use and placing the equipment near the cash register may increase the effectiveness of the deterrence.
- Put height markers on exit doors to help witnesses provide more complete descriptions of assailants.
- Use door detectors to alert employees when persons enter the store.
- Control access to the store with door buzzers.
- Use silent and personal alarms to notify police or management in the event of a problem. To avoid angering a robber, however, an employee may need to wait until the assailant has left before triggering an alarm.
- Install physical barriers such as bullet-resistant enclosures with pass-through windows between customers and employees to protect employees from assaults and weapons in locations with a history of robberies or assaults and located in high-crime areas.
Administrative and Work Practice Controls
Administrative and work practice controls affect the way employees perform jobs or specific tasks. The following examples illustrate work practices and administrative procedures that can help prevent incidents of workplace violence:
- Integrate violence prevention activities into daily procedures, such as checking lighting, locks, and security cameras, to help maintain worksite readiness.
- Keep a minimal amount of cash in each register (e.g., $50 or less), especially during evening and late-night hours of operation. In some businesses, transactions with large bills (over $20) can be prohibited. In situations where this is not practical because of frequent transactions in excess of $20, cash levels should be as low as is practical. Employees should not carry business receipts on their person unless it is absolutely necessary.
- Adopt proper emergency procedures for employees to use in case of a robbery or security breach.
- Establish systems of communication in the event of emergencies. Employees should have access to working telephones in each work area, and emergency telephone numbers should be posted by the phones.
- Adopt procedures for the correct use of physical barriers, such as enclosures and pass-through windows.
- Increase staffing levels at night at stores with a history of robbery or assaults and located in high-crime areas. It is important that clerks be clearly visible to patrons.10
- Lock doors used for deliveries and disposal of garbage when not in use. Also, do not unlock delivery doors until the delivery person identifies himself or herself. Take care not to block emergency exits—doors must open from the inside without a key to allow persons to exit in case of fire or other emergency.
- Establish rules to ensure that employees can walk to garbage areas and outdoor freezers or refrigerators without increasing their risk of assault. The key is for employees to have good visibility, thereby eliminating potential hiding places for assailants near these areas. In some locations, taking trash out or going to outside freezers during daylight may be safer than doing so at night.
- Keep doors locked before business officially opens and after closing time. Establish procedures to assure the security of employees who open and close the business, when staffing levels may be low. In addition, the day's business receipts may be a prime robbery target at store closing.
- Limit or restrict areas of customer access, reduce the hours of operation, or close portions of the store to limit risk.
- Adopt safety procedures and policies for off-site work, such as deliveries.
Administrative controls are effective only if they are followed and used properly. Regular monitoring helps ensure that employees continue to use proper work practices. Giving periodic, constructive feedback to employees helps to ensure that they understand these procedures and their importance.
Post-Incident Response
Post-incident response and evaluation are important parts of an effective violence prevention program. This involves developing standard operating procedures for management and employees to follow in the aftermath of a violent incident. Such procedures may include the following:
- Assure that injured employees receive prompt and appropriate medical care. This includes providing transportation of the injured to medical care. Prompt first-aid and emergency medical treatment can minimize the harmful consequences of a violent incident.
- Report the incident to the police.
- Notify other authorities, as required by applicable laws and regulations.11
- Inform management about the incident.
- Secure the premises to safeguard evidence and reduce distractions during the post- incident response process.
- Prepare an incident report immediately after the incident, noting details that might be forgotten over time. Appendix B contains a sample incident report form that an employer may use or adapt for its own purposes.
- Arrange appropriate treatment for victimized employees. In addition to physical injuries, victims and witnesses may suffer psychological trauma, fear of returning to work, feelings of incompetence, guilt, powerlessness, and fear of criticism by supervisors or managers. Post-incident debriefings and counseling can reduce psychological trauma and stress among victims and witnesses.12 An emerging trend is to use critical incident stress management to provide a range or continuum of care tailored to the individual victim or the organization's needs.
Training and Education
Training and education ensure that all staff are aware of potential security hazards and the procedures for protecting themselves and their co-workers. Employees with different roles in the business may need different types and levels of training.
General Training
Employees need instruction on the specific hazards associated with their job and worksite to help them minimize their risk of assault and injury. Such training would include information on potential hazards identified in the establishments, and the methods to control those hazards. Topics may include the following:
- An overview of the potential risk of assault.
- Operational procedures, such as cash handling rules, that are designed to reduce risk.
- Proper use of security measures and engineering controls that have been adopted in the workplace.
- Behavioral strategies to defuse tense situations and reduce the likelihood of a violent outcome, such as techniques of conflict resolution and aggression management.
- Specific instructions on how to respond to a robbery (such as the instruction to turn over money or valuables without resistance) and how to respond to attempted shoplifting.
- Emergency action procedures to be followed in the event of a robbery or violent incident.
Training should be conducted by persons who have a demonstrated knowledge of the subject and should be presented in language appropriate for the individuals being trained. Oral quizzes or written tests can ensure that the employees have actually understood the training that they received. An employee's understanding also can be verified by observing the employee at work.
The need to repeat training varies with the circumstances. Retraining should be considered for employees who violate or forget safety measures. Similarly, employees who are transferred to new job assignments or locations may need training even though they may already have received some training in their former position. Establishments with high rates of employee turnover may need to provide training frequently.
Training for Supervisors, Managers, and Security Personnel
To recognize whether employees are following safe practices, management personnel should undergo training comparable to that of the employees and additional training to enable them to recognize, analyze, and establish violence prevention controls. Knowing how to ensure sensitive handling of traumatized employees also is an important skill for management. Training for managers also could address any specific duties and responsibilities they have that could increase their risk of assault. Security personnel need specific training about their roles, including the psychological components of handling aggressive and abusive customers and ways to handle aggression and defuse hostile situations.
The team or coordinator responsible for implementation of the program should review and evaluate annually the content, methods, and frequency of training.
Program evaluation can involve interviewing supervisors and employees, testing and observing employees, and reviewing responses of employees to workplace violence incidents.
Evaluation Recordkeeping Good records help employers determine the severity of the risks, evaluate the methods of hazard control, and identify training needs. An effective violence prevention program will use records of injuries, illnesses, incidents, hazards, corrective actions, and training to help identify problems and solutions for a safe and healthful workplace.
Employers can tailor their recordkeeping practices to the needs of their violence prevention program. The purpose of maintaining records is to enable the employer to monitor its on-going efforts, to determine if the violence prevention program is working, and to identify ways to improve it. Employers may find the following types of records useful for this purpose:
- Records of employee and other injuries and illnesses at the establishment.13
- Records describing incidents involving violent acts and threats of such acts, even if the incident did not involve an injury or a criminal act. Records of events involving abuse, verbal attacks, or aggressive behavior can help identify patterns and risks that are not evident from the smaller set of cases that actually result in injury or crime.
- Written hazard analyses.
- Recommendations of police advisors, employees, or consultants.
- Up-to-date records of actions taken to deter violence, including work practice controls and other corrective steps.
- Notes of safety meetings and training records.
This document can be ordered online from the Government Printing Office at http://www.gpo.gov/su_docs/ or can be downloaded from http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/Recordkeeping/index.html/.
Prevention Programs
Violence prevention programs benefit greatly from periodic evaluation. The evaluation process could involve the following:
- Review the results of periodic safety audits.
- Review post-incident reports. In analyzing incidents, the employer should pay attention not just to what went wrong, but to actions taken by employees that avoided further harm, such as handling a shoplifting incident in such a way as to avoid escalation to violence.
- Examine reports and minutes from staff meetings on safety and security issues.
- Analyze trends and rates in illnesses, injuries or fatalities caused by violence relative to initial or "baseline" rates.
- Consult with employees before and after making job or worksite changes to determine the effectiveness of the interventions.
- Keep abreast of new strategies to deal with violence in the retail industry.
Management should communicate any lessons learned from evaluating the workplace violence prevention program to all employees. Management could discuss changes in the program during regular meetings of the safety committee, with union representatives, or with other employee groups.
Conclusion
Workplace violence has emerged as an important occupational safety and health issue in many industries, including the retail trade. These voluntary recommendations offer a systematic framework to help an employer protect employees from risks of injury and death from occupationally related violence. By addressing workplace violence as a preventable hazard, employers can develop practical and effective strategies to protect their employees from this serious risk and provide a safe and healthful workplace.
Appendix A: Sample Workplace Violence Factors and Controls Checklist
This sample checklist can help employers identify present or potential workplace violence problems. The checklist contains various factors and controls that are commonly encountered in retail establishments. Not all of the questions listed here, however, are appropriate to all types of retail businesses, and the checklist obviously does not include all possible topics relevant to specific businesses. Employers are encouraged to expand and modify this checklist to fit their own circumstances. These factors and controls are not a new standard or regulation and the fact that a control is listed here but is not adopted by an employer is not evidence of a violation of the General Duty Clause. (Note: "N/A" stands for "not applicable.")
| Yes |
No |
N/A |
Environmental Factors |
| |
|
|
Do employees exchange money with the public? |
| |
|
|
Is the business open during evening or late-night hours? |
| |
|
|
Is the site located in a high-crime area? |
| |
|
|
Has the site experienced a robbery in the past 3 years? |
| |
|
|
Has the site experienced other violent incidents in the past 3 years? |
| |
|
|
Has the site experienced threats, harassment, or other abusive behavior in the past 3 years? |
| Yes |
No |
N/A |
Engineering Controls |
| |
|
|
Do employees have access to a telephone with an outside line? |
| |
|
|
Are emergency telephone numbers for law enforcement, fire and medical services, and an internal contact person posted adjacent to the phone? |
| |
|
|
Is the entrance to the building easily seen from the street and free of heavy shrub growth? |
| |
|
|
Is lighting bright in parking and adjacent areas? |
| |
|
|
Are all indoor lights working properly? |
| |
|
|
Are windows and views outside and inside clear of advertising or other obstructions? |
| |
|
|
Is the cash register in plain view of customers and police cruisers to deter robberies? |
| |
|
|
Is there a working drop safe or time access safe to minimize cash on hand? |
| |
|
|
Are security cameras and mirrors placed in locations that would deter robbers or provide greater security for employees? |
| |
|
|
Are there height markers on exit doors to help witnesses provide more complete descriptions of assailants? |
| |
|
|
Are employees protected through the use of bullet-resistant enclosures in locations with a history of robberies or assaults in a high-crime area? |
| Yes |
No |
N/A |
Administrative/Work Practice Controls |
| |
|
|
Are there emergency procedures in place to address robberies and other acts of potential violence? |
| |
|
|
Have employees been instructed to report suspicious persons or activities? |
| |
|
|
Are employees trained in emergency response procedures for robberies and other crimes that may occur on the premises? |
| |
|
|
Are employees trained in conflict resolution and in nonviolent response to threatening situations? |
| |
|
|
Is cash control a key element of the establishment's violence and robbery prevention program? |
| |
|
|
Does the site have a policy limiting the number of cash registers open during late-night hours? |
| |
|
|
Does the site have a policy to maintain less than $50 in the cash register? (This may not be possible in stores that have lottery ticket sales and payouts.) |
| |
|
|
Are signs posted notifying the public that limited cash, no drugs, and no other valuables are kept on the premises? |
| |
|
|
Do employees work with at least one other person throughout their shifts, or are other protective measures utilized when employees are working alone in locations with a history of robberies or assaults in a high-crime area? |
| |
|
|
Are there procedures in place to assure the safety of employees who open and close the store? |
Appendix B: Incident Report and Suspect Description Form
Incident # _____________________________________________________
Date/Time RCVD: _______________________________________________
Address: ______________________________________________________
Facility Telephone Number: Area Code _________ Number _______________
Person Reporting & Title: __________________________________________
Date and Time of Incident: _________________________________________
Type of Incident: ________________________________________________
| 1 |
Death** |
_______________________ |
2 |
Shooting** _______________________ |
| 3 |
Robbery** |
_______________________ |
4
| Robb/Injury**_______________________ |
| 5 |
Assault** |
_______________________ |
6 |
Sex Assault**_______________________ |
| 7 |
Beer Run |
_______________________ |
8 |
Beer Run/Inj** _______________________ |
| 9 |
Theft |
_______________________ |
10 |
Vandalism _______________________ |
| 11 |
Embezzlement |
_______________________ |
12 |
Other _______________________ |
| ** "A"=Employee "B"=Customer "C"=Other |
| Amount of Loss: |
Currency=$ ____________ |
Merchandise=$ ____________ |
| Weapon Used: |
1 Handgun |
2 Other Firearm |
| |
3 Other Weapon |
4 Physical Force |
Number of Employees Present at Time of Incident: ____________
Is Incident Captured on Video Tape?: Yes: _________ No:_________
Was Video Tape Released to Police?: Yes: ________ No: ________
Description of Suspects & Incident:
Susp#1: ________________________________________________
Susp#2: ________________________________________________
Susp#3: ________________________________________________
Describe Incident: ____________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
| Was News Media at Location?: |
Yes: _____ |
No: _____ |
Unknown: |
_______________ |
| Was Police Report Made?: |
Yes: _____ |
No: _____ |
|
|
| Name of Police Agency: |
______________________________ |
| Officer Handling: |
______________________________ |
| Report Number: |
______________________________ |
| Name of Person Notified: |
______________________________ |
Suspect Description Form
Sex
Male ❒
Female ❒ |
Race
White ❒ Black ❒
Other ❒ |
Age |
| Height |
 |
Left/Right Handed |
| Weight |
Hat (Color/Type) |
| Hair (Color/Style) |
Tie |
| Eyes |
Coat |
| Glasses Type |
Shirt |
| Tattoos |
Trousers |
| Scars/Marks |
Shoes |
| Complexion |
Weapon |
| Facial Hair |
Accent |
Indicate Type Weapon Used
Large Automatic |
Small Automatic |
 Pump
Automatic
Single Shot
Sawed-Off Shotguns |
Long Barrell Revolver |
Snub Nose Revolver |
Bolt-Action
Lever
Sawed-Off Rifles |
| Other Weapons |
Additional Information - Be Specific
What Suspect Said ____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Type of Vehicle (License Number, Make, Color) _____________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
| Police Notified |
Yes _____ |
No _____ |
Person Notified _______________ |
| Police Badge Number |
_______________ |
Case Number _______________ |
| Supervisor Notified |
Yes _____ |
No _____ |
| Region/Division Notified |
Yes _____ |
No _____ |
Person Notified _______________ |
| Medical Attention Required |
Yes _____ |
No _____ |
| Date of Incident |
_______________ |
Time of Incident _______________ |
| Name of Witnesses |
1. Name __________ |
Address __________ |
Phone __________ |
| |
2. Name __________ |
Address__________ |
Phone __________ |
| Print Name of Cashier/Attendant on Duty |
|
|
| Signature __________ |
Date of Report __________ |
Source: American Petroleum Institute, Washington, DC
Appendix C: Sources of Assistance
State and Local Government Resources
Several states have developed relevant requirements, guidelines, or recommendations. These include California OSHA, CAL/OSHA Guidelines for Workplace Security, and Model Injury and Illness Prevention Program for Workplace Security; the State of Florida, Convenience Business Security Act, and Study of Safety and Security Requirements for "At-Risk" Businesses; the State of Virginia, Report to the Virginia State Crime Commission on Violent Crime and Workers' Safety in Virginia Convenience Stores; and Violent Crimes in Convenience Stores: Analysis of Crimes, Criminals, and Costs; and the State of Washington Department of Labor and Industries, Violence in Washington Workplaces, and Late Night Retail Workers' Crime Protection. Information is available from these and other agencies to assist employers who are trying to implement an effective workplace violence prevention program. (See also Selected Bibliography.)
Sources of OSHA Assistance
OSHA has a variety of products and programs available to help employers comply with its regulations and improve workplace safety and health. These include numerous publications on regulatory topics, such as hazard communication, asbestos, bloodborne pathogens, and on programs such as consultation, voluntary protection, grants, and training and education to name a few.
Publications are available either as a single free copy per request or for sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office. Lists of publications are available from the OSHA Publications Office, P.O. Box 37535, Washington, DC 20013-7535, (202) 219-4667 (phone); (202)
219-9266 (fax). OSHA also has several videos available on loan or for sale by National Technical Information Service (http://www.ntis.gov) and its National Audiovisual Service (see OSHA publication 2019).
OSHA also offers a variety of programs and initiatives to help employers comply with the agency's standards or guidelines, as discussed in the following paragraphs.
Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines
A single free copy of the guidelines can be obtained from the OSHA Publications Office, P.O. Box 37535, Washington, DC 20013-7535 by sending a self-addressed label with your request or by calling (202) 219-4667. The guidelines are also available on OSHA's web site at http://www.osha.gov/ under Federal Register Notices.
State Programs
Many states have their own OSHA-approved safety and health regulations covering workplaces in their jurisdiction. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 encourages states to develop and operate their own job safety and health plans. States with plans approved under section 18(b) of the OSH Act must adopt standards and enforce requirements that are at least as effective as federal requirements.
There are currently 25 state plan states: 23 covering private and public (state and local government) sectors and two covering public sector only. Plan states must adopt standards comparable to the federal within 6 months of a federal standard's promulgation. Until such time as a state standard is promulgated, Federal OSHA provides interim enforcement assistance, as appropriate, in these states.
A listing of the state plan states appears on the Home Page at http://www.osha.gov/ under Office Directory; an explanation appears under Programs and Services. See also the enclosed list of States with Approved Plans at the end of this appendix.
Consultation Program
Another way OSHA helps employers, especially small employers, is through its consultation program. Free onsite safety and health consultation services are available to employers in all states who want help in establishing and maintaining a safe and healthful workplace. Largely funded by OSHA and primarily developed for smaller employers with more hazardous operations, state governments employing professional safety and health consultants provide the consultation service, on request, to those employers who ask for help. These consultants offer employers comprehensive assistance that includes an appraisal of all mechanical systems, physical work practices, and environmental hazards of the workplace and all aspects of the employer's present job safety and health program.
This program is completely separate from the OSHA inspection efforts. No penalties are proposed or citations issued for any safety or health problems identified by the consultant. The service is confidential.
Another incentive program, SHARP (Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program), recognizes employers with comprehensive, effective safety and health programs. SHARP is open to small high-hazard employers who do the following:
- request full-service consultation assistance;
- involve their employees in the development, operation, and improvement of all elements of the site's safety and health program;
- work with project consultants for at least one year to improve worker protection at the site; and
- meet other program requirements.
In return, employers receive public recogition for exemplary efforts and achievement, reap the benefits of extensive professional assistance, and may be eligible to receive a 1-year exemption from OSHA general scheduled inspections.
For more information concerning consultation services, see Programs and Services and the list of consultation projects under Office Directory on OSHA's Home Page, or the Consultation Project Directory in Appendix D.
Voluntary Protection Programs (VPPs)
OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) also help employers and employees recognize and promote effective safety and health program management. In the VPP, management, labor, and OSHA establish cooperative relationships at workplaces that have implemented strong programs.
Sites approved for VPP's Star, Merit, and Demonstration programs have met—and must continue meeting—rigorous participation standards. Benefits of VPP participation include improved employee motivation to work safely, leading to better quality and productivity; lost-workday case rates that generally are 60 to 80 percent below industry averages; reduced workers' compensation and other injury- and illness-related costs; positive community recognition and interaction; further improvement and revitalization of already good safety and health programs; and partnership with OSHA.
For additional information about the VPP, contact the VPP Manager in your nearest OSHA regional office listed under Office Directory on OSHA's Home Page or see the lists of OSHA Regional and Area Offices at the end of this appendix.
Training and Education
OSHA's area offices offer a variety of information services, such as publications, audiovisual aids, technical advice, and speakers for special engagements. OSHA's Training Institute in Des Plaines, IL, provides basic and advanced courses in safety and health for federal and state compliance officers, state consultants, federal agency personnel, and private sector employers, employees, and their representatives.To meet the demand for these courses, OSHA also has 12 Training Institute Education Centers nationwide. These centers—comprised of nonprofit colleges, universities, and other organizations—offer a variety of OSHA courses for private and federal sectors.
OSHA also provides funds to nonprofit organizations, through grants, to conduct workplace training and education in subjects where OSHA believes there is a lack of workplace training. Grants are awarded annually. Grant recipients are expected to contribute 20 percent of the total grant cost.
For more information on grants, training, and education, contact the OSHA Training Institute, Office of Training and Education, 1555 Times Drive, Des Plaines, IL 60018, phone (847)297-4810 or fax (847) 297-4874. See also Programs and Services, Training and Education, on OSHA's Home Page.
Electronic Information
Internet—OSHA standards, interpretations, directives, publications, and additional information are available or can be ordered online from OSHA's Home Page at http://www.osha.gov/.
For example, to search for OSHA standards, go to the OSHA Home Page and select Standards, or Federal Register Notices. For information on specific chemicals or substances, go to Technical Information. See also categories on Compliance Assistance, Programs and Services, and OSHA Software/Advisors. All categories allow search functions to help you locate the information you need.
CD-ROM—A wide variety of OSHA materials including standards, interpretations, directives, and more can be purchased on CD-ROM from the Government Printing Office. To order, write to Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 152507954. Specify OSHA Regulations, Documents, and Technical Information on CD-ROM, (ORDT); S/N 729013-00000-5. The price is $38 per year (4 discs quarterly); single copy $15. (Foreign costs: $47.50 annually; $18.75 single copy.)
In addition, OSHA has interactive compliance assistance software, OSHA Expert Systems, or Advisors, to help respond to individual compliance questions. These deal with confined spaces, asbestos, and cadmium. A new test version on fire safety also is available. These can be downloaded from OSHA's Home Page under OSHA Software/Advisors.
Emergencies
To report life-threatening situations, catastrophes, or fatalities, call (800) 321-OSHA. Complaints will go immediately to the nearest OSHA area or state office for help. You can also contact your nearest OSHA area or regional office listed in Appendix D or online under Office Directory on OSHA's Home Page.
Appendix D: OSHA Office Directories
States with Approved Plans
Commissioner
Alaska Department of Labor
1111 West 8th Street
Room 306
Juneau, AK 99801
(907) 465-2700
Director
Industrial Commission of Arizona
800 W. Washington
Phoenix, AZ 85007
(602) 542-5795
Director
California Department of Industrial Relations
45 Fremont Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 972-8835
Commissioner
Connecticut Department of Labor
200 Folly Brook Boulevard
Wethersfield, CT 06109
(203) 566-5123
Director
Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
830 Punchbowl Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 586-8844
Commissioner
Indiana Department of Labor
State Office Building
402 West Washington Street
Room W195
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 232-2378
Commissioner
Iowa Division of Labor Services
1000 E. Grand Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281-3447
Secretary
Kentucky Labor Cabinet
1047 U.S. Highway, 127 South, STE 2
Frankfort, KY 40601
(502) 564-3070
Commissioner
Maryland Division of Labor and Industry
Department of Labor Licensing and Regulation
1100 N. Eutaw Street, Room
613 Baltimore, MD 21201-2206
(410) 767-2215
Director
Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services
4th Floor, Law Building
P.O. Box 30004
Lansing, MI 48909
(517) 373-7230
Commissioner
Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry
443 Lafayette Road
St. Paul, MN 55155
(612) 296-2342
Administrator
Nevada Division of Industrial Relations
400 West King Street
Carson City, NV 89710
(702) 687-3032
Secretary
New Mexico Environment Department
1190 St. Francis Drive
P.O. Box 26110
Santa Fe, NM 87502
(505) 827-2850
Commissioner
New York Department of Labor
W. Averell Harriman State Office Building - 12
Room 500
Albany, NY 12240
(518) 457-2741
Commissioner
North Carolina Department of Labor
319 Chapanoke Road
Raleigh, NC 27603
(919) 662-4585
Administator
Department of Consumer and Business Services
Occupational Safety and Health Division (OR-OSHA)
350 Winter Street, NE, Room 430
Salem, OR 97310-0220
(503) 378-3272
Secretary
Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources
Prudencio Rivera Martinez Building
505 Munoz Rivera Avenue
Hato Rey, PR 00918
(809) 754-2119
Director
South Carolina Department of Labor
Licensing and Regulation
Koger Office Park, Kingstree Building
110 Centerview Drive
P.O. Box 11329
Columbia, SC 29210
(803) 896-4300
Commissioner
Tennessee Department of Labor
Attention: Robert Taylor
710 James Robertson Parkway
Nashville, TN 37243-0659
(615) 741-2582
Commissioner
Industrial Commission of Utah
160 East 300 South, 3rd Floor
P.O. Box 146650
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6650
(801) 530-6898
Commissioner
Vermont Department of Labor and Industry
National Life Building - Drawer 20
120 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05620
(802) 828-2288
Commissioner
Virginia Department of Labor and Industry
Powers-Taylor Building
13 South 13th Street
Richmond, VA 23219
(804) 786-2377
Commissioner
Virgin Islands Department of Labor
2131 Hospital Street, Box 890
Christiansted St. Croix, VI 00820-4666
(809) 773-1994
Director
Washington Department of Labor and Industries
General Administrative Building
P.O. Box 44001
Olympia, WA 98504-4001
(360) 902-4200
Administrator
Worker's Safety and Compensation Division (WSC)
Wyoming Department of Employment
Herschler Building, 2nd Floor East
122 West 25th Street
Cheyenne, WY 82002
(307) 777-7786
OSHA Consultation Projects
Alabama
Safety State Program
University of Alabama
425 Martha Parham West
P.O. Box 870388
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
(205) 348-7136
Alaska
Division of Consultation and Training ADOL/OSHA
3301 Eagle Street, Suite 305
P.O. Box 107022
Anchorage, AK 99510
(907) 269-4957
Arizona
Consultation and Training
Division of Occupational Safety and Health
Industial Commission of Arizona
800 West Washington
Phoenix, AZ 85007-9070
(602) 542-5795
Arkansas
OSHA Consultation
Arkansas Department of Labor
10421 West Markham
Little Rock, AR 72205
(501) 682-4522
California
CAL/OSHA Consultation Service
Department of Industrial Relations
45 Fremont Street, Room 5246
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 972-8515
Colorado
Occupational Safety and Health Section
Colorado State University
115 Environmental Health Building
Fort Collins, CO 80523
(970) 491-6151
Connecticut
Division of Occupational Safetey and Health
Connecticut Department of Labor
38 Wolcott Hill Road
Wethersfield, CT 06109
(860) 566-4550
Delaware
Occupational Safety and Health
Division of Industrial Affairs
Delaware Department of Labor
4425 Market Street
Wilmington, DE 19802
(302) 761-8219
District of Columbia
Office of Occupational Safety and Health
D.C. Department of Employment Services
950 Upshur Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20011
(202) 576-6339
Florida
7(c)(1) Onsite Consultation Program, Division of Safety
Florida Department of Labor and Employment Security
2002 St. Augustine Road
Building E, Suite 45
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0663
(904) 488-3044
Georgia
7(c)(1) Onsite Consultation Program
Georgia Institute of Technology
O'Keefe Building - Room 22
Atlanta, GA 30332
(404) 894-2643
Guam
OSHA Onsite Consultation
Department of Labor, Government of Guam
P.O. Box 9970
Tamuning, GU 96931
(671) 475-0136
Hawaii
Consultation and Training Branch
Dept of Labor and Industrial Relations
830 Punchbowl Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 586-9100
Idaho
Safety and Health Consultation Program
Boise State University
Department of Health Studies
1910 University Drive, ET-338A
Boise, ID 83725
(208) 385-3283
Illinois
Illinois Onsite Consultation
Industrial Service Division
Department of Commerce and Community Affairs
State of Illinois Center
100 West Randolph Street
Suite 3-400
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 814-2337
Indiana
Division of Labor
Bureau of Safety, Education and Training
402 West Washington
Room W195
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2287
(317) 232-2688
Iowa
7(c)(1) Consultation Program
Iowa Bureau of Labor
1000 East Grand Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 965-7162
Kansas
Kansas 7(c)(1) Consultation Program
Kansas Department of Human Resources
512 South West 6th Street
Topeka, KS 66603-3150
(913) 296-7476
Kentucky
Division of Education and Training
Kentucky Labor Cabinet
1047 U.S. Highway 127, South
Frankfort, KY 40601
(502)564-6895
Louisiana
7(c)(1) Consultation Program
Louisiana Department of Labor
P.O. Box 94094
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9094
(504) 342-9601
Maine
Division of Industrial Safety
Maine Bureau of Labor Stds.
Workplace Safety and Health Division
State House Station #82
Augusta, ME 04333
(207) 624-6460
Maryland
Division of Labor and Industry
312 Marshall Avenue, Room 600
Laurel, MD 20707
(410) 880-4970
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Department of Labor and Industries
1001 Watertown Street
West Newton, MA 02165
(617) 727-3982
Michigan (Health)
Department of Consumer and Industry Services
3423 North Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard
Lansing, MI 48909
(517) 322-1817(H)
Michigan (Safety)
Department of Consumer and Industry Services
7150 Harris Drive
Lansing, MI 48909
(517) 322-1809(S)
Minnesota
Department of Labor and Industry
Consultation Division
443 Lafayette Road
St. Paul, MN 55155
(612) 297-2393
Mississippi
Mississippi State University
Center for Safety and Health
2906 North State Street Suite 201
Jackson, MS 39216
(601) 987-3981
Missouri
Onsite Consultation Program
Division of Labor Standards
Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
3315 West Truman Boulevard
P.O. Box 449
Jefferson City, MO 65109
(573) 751-3403
Montana
Department of Labor and Industry
Bureau of Safety
P.O. Box 1728
Helena, MT 59624-1728
(406) 444-6418
Nebraska
Division of Safety, Labor and Safety Standards
Nebraska Department of Labor
State Office Building, Lower Level
301 Centennial Mall,South
Lincoln, NE 68509-5024
(402) 471-4717
Nevada
Division of Preventive Safety
Department of Industrial Relations
2500 W. Washington, Suite 106
Las Vegas, NV 89106
(702) 486-5016
New Hampshire
New Hampshire Department of Health
Division of Public Health Services
6 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03301-6527
(603) 271-2024
New Jersey
Division of Workplace Standards
New Jersey Department of Labor
STATION PLAZA 4,CN953
22 South Clinton Avenue
Trenton, NJ 08625-0953
(609) 292-2424
New Mexico
New Mexico Environment Department
Occupational Health and Safety Bureau
525 Camino De Los Marquez, Suite 3
Post Office Box 26110
Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 827-4230
New York
Division of Safety and Health State
Office Campus Building 12, Room 457
Albany, NY 12240
(518) 457-2481
North Carolina
Bureau of Consultative Services
N.C.Department of Labor - OSHA
319 Chapanoke Road, Suite 105
Raleigh, NC 27603-3432
(919) 662-4644
North Dakota
Division of Environmental Engineering
1200 Missouri Avenue, Room 304
Bismark, ND 58504
(701) 328-5188
Ohio
Division of Onsite Consultation
Bureau of Employment Services
145 S. Front Street
Columbus, OH 432156
(614) 644-2246
Oklahoma
Oklahoma Department of Labor
OSHA Division
4001 North Lincoln Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-5212
(405) 528-1500
Oregon
Department of Insurance and Finance
Occupational Safety and Health Division
Labor and Industries Building
350 Winter Street, N.E., Room 430
Salem, OR 97310
(503) 378-3272
Pennsylvania
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Safety Sciences Department
205 Uhler Hall
Indiana, PA 15705-1087
(412) 357-2561
Puerto Rico
Occupational Safety and Health Office
Department of Labor and Human Resources
505 Munoz Rivera Avenue, 21st Floor
Hato Rey, PR 00918
(787) 754-2188
Rhode Island
Division of Occupational Health
3 Capital Hill
Providence, RI 02908
(401) 277-2438
South Carolina
South Carolina Department of Labor Licensing and Regulation
3600 Forest Drive
P.O. Box 11329
Columbia, SC 29204
(803) 896-4300
South Dakota
Engineering Extension
Onsite Technical Division
SD State University, West Hall
907 Harvey Dunn Street
Box 510 Brookings, SD 57007
(605) 688-4101
Tennessee
OSHA Consultative Services Division
Tennessee Department of Labor
710 James Robertson Parkway, 3rd Fl.
Nashville, TN 37243-0659
(615) 741-7036
Texas
Workers' Health and Safety Division
Texas Workers' Compensation Commission
Southfield Building 4000 South I H 35
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 440-3834
Utah
State of Utah Labor Commission
Workplace Safety and Health Consultation Services
160 East 300 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6650
(801) 530-7606
Vermont
Division Of Occupational Safety and Health
Vermont Department of Labor and Industry
National Life Building, Drawer #20
Montpelier, VT 05602-3401
(802) 828-2765
Virginia
Virginia Department of Labor and Industry
Occupational Safety and Health
Training and Consultation
13 S. 13th Street
Richmond, VA 23219
(804) 786-6359
Virgin Islands
Division of Occupational Safety and Health
Virgin Islands Department of Labor
3021 Golden Rock
Christainsted St. Croix, VI 00840
(809) 772-1315
Washington
Washington Department of Labor and Industries
Division of Industrial Safety and Health
P.O. Box 44643
Olympia, WA 98504
(360) 902-5638
West Virginia
West Virginia Department of Labor
Capitol Complex Building #3
1800 E. Washington Street, Room 319
Charleston, WV 25305
(304) 558-7890
Wisconsin (Health)
Wisconsin Department of Health and Human Services
Division of Health
Section of Occupational Health
1414 E. Washington Avenue Room
112 Madison, WI 53703
(608) 266-8579
Wisconsin (Safety)
Wisconsin Department of Industry Labor and Human Relations
Bureau of Safety Inspections
401 Pilot Court, Suite C
Waukesha, WI 53188
(414) 521-5063
Wyoming
Wyoming Department of Employment
Workers' Safety and Compensation Division
Herschler Building, 2 East
122 West 25th Street, 2nd Floor
Cheyenne, WY 82002
(307) 777-7786
OSHA Area Offices
US Department of Labor - OSHA
Tod Mall - 2047 Canyon Road
Birmingham, AL 35216-1981
(205) 731-1534
US Department of Labor - OSHA
3737 Government Boulevard, Suite 100
Mobile, AL 36693-4309
(205) 441-6131
US Department of Labor - OSHA
301 W. Northern Lights Boulevard
Suite 407
Anchorage, AK 99503
(907) 271-5152
US Department of Labor - OSHA
3221 North 16th Street, Suite 100
Phoenix, AZ 85016
(602) 640-2007
US Department of Labor - OSHA
425 West Capitol Suite 450
Little Rock, AR 72201
(501) 324-6292
US Department of Labor - OSHA
71 Stevenson Street, Suite 415
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 975-4310
US Department of Labor - OSHA
1391 North Speer Boulevard Suite 210
Denver, CO 80204
(303) 844-5285
US Department of Labor - OSHA
7935 E. Prentice Avenue, Suite 209
Englewood, CO 80111-2714
(303) 843-4500
US Department of Labor - OSHA
One Lafayette Square, Suite
202 Bridgeport, CT 06604
(203) 579-5579
US Department of Labor - OSHA
Federal Office Building
450 Main Street, Room 613
Hartford, CT 06103
(203) 240-3152
US Department of Labor - OSHA
1 Rodney Square, Suite 402
920 King Street
Wilmington, DE 19801
(302) 573-6115
US Department of Labor - OSHA
Jacaranda Executive Court
8040 Peters Road Building H-100
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33324-4029
(954) 424-0242
US Department of Labor - OSHA
Ribault Building
1851 Executive Center Drive Suite 227
Jacksonville, FL 32207
(904) 232-2895
US Department of Labor - OSHA
5807 Breckenridge Parkway Suite A
Tampa, FL 33610-4249
(813) 626-1177
US Department of Labor - OSHA
450 Mall Boulevard, Suite J
Savannah, GA 31406-1418
(912) 652-4393
US Department of Labor - OSHA
2400 Herodian Way, Suite 250
Smyrna, GA 30080-2968
(770) 984-8700
US Department of Labor - OSHA
La Vista Perimeter Office Park Building 7, Suite 110
Tucker, GA 30084-4154
(770) 493-6644
US Department of Labor - OSHA
300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Suite 5122
Honolulu, HI 96850
(808) 541-2685
US Department of Labor - OSHA
1150 North Curtis Road Suite 201
Boise, ID 83706-1234
(208) 321-2960
US Department of Labor - OSHA
1600 167th Street, Suite 9
Calumet City, IL 60409
(708) 891-3800
US Department of Labor - OSHA
2360 E. Devon Avenue Suite 1010
Des Plaines, IL 60018
(847) 803-4800
US Department of Labor - OSHA
344 Smoke Tree Business Park North
Aurora, IL 60542
(630) 803-896-8700
US Department of Labor - OSHA
2918 West Willow Knolls Road
Peoria, IL 61614
(309) 671-7033
US Department of Labor - OSHA
46 East Ohio Street, Room 423
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 226-7290
US Department of Labor - OSHA
210 Walnut Street, Room 815
Des Moines, IA 50309
(515) 284-4794
US Department of Labor - OSHA
300 Epic Center 301 N. Main
Wichita, KS 67202
(316) 269-6644
US Department of Labor - OSHA
John C. Watts Federal Building, Room 108
330 W. Broadway
Frankfort, KY 40601
(502) 227-7024
US Department of Labor - OSHA
2156 Wooddale Boulevard Hoover Annex, Suite 200
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
(504) 389-0474
US Department of Labor - OSHA
U.S. Federal Building
202 Harlow Street, Room 211
Bangor, ME 04401
(207) 941-8177
US Department of Labor - OSHA
300 West Pratt Street Suite 280
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 962-2840
US Department of Labor - OSHA
639 Granite Street, 4th Floor
Braintree, MA 02184
(617) 565-6924
US Department of Labor - OSHA
Valley Office Park 13 Branch Street
Methuen, MA 01844
(617) 565-8110
US Department of Labor - OSHA
1145 Main Street, Room 108
Springfield, MA 01103-1493
(413) 785-0123
US Department of Labor - OSHA
801 South Waverly Road Suite 306
Lansing, MI 48917-4200
(517) 377-1892
US Department of Labor - OSHA
Federal Courts Building 300 South 4th Street, Suite 1205
Minneapolis, MN 55415
(612) 664-5460
US Department of Labor - OSHA
3780 I-55 North Suite 210
Jackson, MS 39211-6323
(601) 965-4606
US Department of Labor - OSHA
6200 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 100
Kansas City, MO 64120
(816) 483-9531
US Department of Labor - OSHA
911 Washington Avenue Room 420
St. Louis, MO 63101
(314) 425-4249
US Department of Labor - OSHA
2900 4th Avenue North Suite 303
(406) 247-7494
US Department of Labor - OSHA
Overland Wolf Building, Room 100
6910 Pacific Street
Omaha, NE 68106
(402) 221-3182
US Department of Labor - OSHA
705 North Plaza, Room 204
Carson City, NV 89701
(702) 885-6963
US Department of Labor - OSHA
279 Pleasant Street, Suite 201
Concord, NH 03301
(603) 225-1629
US Department of Labor - OSHA
1030 Saint Georges Avenue Plaza 35, Suite 205
Avenel, NJ 07001
(908) 750-3270
US Department of Labor - OSHA
500 Route 17 South, 2nd Floor
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07604
(201) 288-1700
US Department of Labor - OSHA
Marlton Executive Park 701
Route 73 South Building 2 Suite 120
Marlton, NJ 08053
(609) 757-5181
US Department of Labor - OSHA
299 Cherry Hill Road, Suite 304
Parsippany, NJ 07054
(201) 263-1003
US Department of Labor - OSHA
505 Marquette Avenue, NW Suite 820
Alburquerque, NM 87102-2160
(505) 248-5302
US Department of Labor - OSHA
401 New Karner Road Suite 300
Albany, NY 12205-3809
(518) 464-6742
US Department of Labor - OSHA
42-40 Bell Boulevard 5th Floor
Bayside, NY 11361
(718) 279-9060
US Department of Labor - OSHA
5360 Genesee Street
Bowmansville, NY 14026
(716) 684-3891
US Department of Labor - OSHA
6 World Trade Center, Room 881
New York, NY 10007
(212) 466-2482
US Department of Labor - OSHA
3300 Vikery Road, North New
Syracuse, NY 13212
(315) 451-0808
US Department of Labor - OSHA
660 White Plaines Road
4th Floor
Tarrytown, NY 10591-5107
(914) 524-7510
US Department of Labor - OSHA
990 Westbury Road
Westbury, NY 11590
(516) 334-3344
US Department of Labor - OSHA
Century Station Federal Building
300 Fayetteville Street Mall Room 438
Raleigh, NC 27601-9998
(919) 856-4770
US Department of Labor - OSHA
220 E. Rosser, Room 348
P.O. Box 2439 Bismarck, ND 58501
(701) 250-4521
US Department of Labor - OSHA
36 Triangle Park Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45246
(513) 841-4132
US Department of Labor - OSHA
Federal Office Building, Room 899
1240 East Ninth Street
Cleveland, OH 44199
(216) 522-3818
US Department of Labor - OSHA
Federal Office Building, Room 620
200 N. High Street
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 469-5582
US Department of Labor - OSHA
Federal Office Building, Room 734
234 North Summit Street
Toledo, OH 43604
(419) 259-7542
US Department of Labor - OSHA
420 West Main Place, Suite 300
Oklahoma City, OK 73102
(405) 231-5351
US Department of Labor - OSHA
1220 S.W. Third Avenue, Room 640
Portland, OR 97294
(503) 326-2251
US Department of Labor - OSHA
850 N. 5th Street
Allentown, PA 18102
(610) 776-0592
US Department of Labor - OSHA
3939 West Ridge Road Suite B-12
Erie, PA 16506-1857
(814) 833-5758
US Department of Labor - OSHA
Progress Plaza 49 N. Progress Avenue
Harrisburg, PA 17109
(717) 782-3902
US Department of Labor - OSHA
U.S. Custom House, Room 242
Second and Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 597-4955
US Department of Labor - OSHA
Federal Building, Room 1428
1000 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 644-2903
US Department of Labor - OSHA
Penn Place, Room 2005
20 North Pennsylvania Avenue
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701
(717) 826-6538
US Department of Labor - OSHA
BBV Plaza Building, Suite 5B
1510 F.D. Roosevelt Avenue
Guaynabo, PR 00968
(787) 277-1560
US Department of Labor - OSHA
380 Westminster Street, Room 243
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 528-4669
US Department of Labor - OSHA
Strom Thurman, Federal Building
1835 Assembly Street, Room 1468
Columbia, SC 29201-2453
(803) 765-5904
US Department of Labor - OSHA
Green Hills Office Park
2002 Richard Jones Road Suite C-205
Nashville, TN 37215-2869
(615) 781-5423
US Department of Labor - OSHA
903 San Jacinto Boulevard Suite
319 Austin, TX 78701
(512) 916-5783
US Department of Labor - OSHA
Wilson Plaza 606 N. Carancahua, Suite 700
Corpus Christi, TX 78476
(512) 888-3420
US Department of Labor - OSHA
8344 East R.L. Thornton Freeway Suite 420
Dallas, TX 75228
(214) 320-2400
US Department of Labor - OSHA
North Star 2 Building Suite 430
8713 Airport Freeway
Fort Worth, TX 76180-7604
(817) 581-7303
US Department of Labor - OSHA
17625 El Camino Real, Suite 400
Houston, TX 77058
(713) 286-0583
US Department of Labor - OSHA
350 North Sam Houston Parkway Suite 120
Houston, TX 77058
(713) 591-2438
US Department of Labor - OSHA
Federal Building, Room 806
1205 Texas Avenue
Lubbock, TX 79401
(806) 743-7681
US Department of Labor - OSHA
1781 South 300 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84115-1802
(801) 487-0073 ext 0267
US Department of Labor - OSHA
AFOB, Room 835
200 Granby Mall Norfolk, VA 23510
(757) 441-3820
US Department of Labor - OSHA
505 106th Avenue, N.E.
Bellevue, WA 98004
(206) 553-7520
US Department of Labor - OSHA
405 Capitol Street, Room 407
Charleston, WV 25301
(304) 347-5937
US Department of Labor - OSHA
2618 North Ballard Road
Appleton, WI 54915
(414) 734-4521
US Department of Labor - OSHA
4802 East Broadway
Madison, WI 53716
(608) 264-5388
US Department of Labor - OSHA
Henry S. Reuss Building Suite 1180
310 West Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53203
(414) 297-3315
OSHA Regional
Offices Region I
(CT,* MA, ME, NH, RI, VT*)
JKF Federal Building Room E-340
Boston, MA 02203
Telephone: (617) 565-9860
Region II
(NJ, NY,* PR,* VI*)
201 Varick Street Room
670 New York, NY 10014
Telephone: (212) 337-2378
Region III
(DC, DE, MD,* PA, VA,* WV)
Gateway Building, Suite 2100
3535 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Telephone: (215) 596-1201
Region IV
(AL, FL, GA, KY,* MS, NC, SC,* TN*)
Atlanta Federal Center
61 Forsyth Street, SW, Room 6T50
Atlanta, GA 30303
Telephone: (404) 562-2300
Region V
(IL, IN,* MI,* MN,* OH, WI)
230 South Dearborn Street Room 3244
Chicago, IL 60604
Telephone: (312) 353-2220
Region VI
(AR, LA, NM,* OK, TX)
525 Griffin Street Room 602
Dallas, TX 75202
Telephone: (214) 767-4731
Region VII
(IA,* KS, MO, NE)
City Center Square 1100 Main Street,
Suite 800 Kansas City, MO 64105
Telephone: (816) 426-5861
Region VIII
(CO, MT, ND, SD, UT,* WY*)
1999 Broadway, Suite 1690
Denver, CO 80202-5716
Telephone: (303) 844-1600
Region IX
(American Samoa, AZ,* CA,* Guam, HI,* NV,* Trust Territories of the Pacific)
71 Stevenson Street Room 420
San Francisco, CA 94105
Telephone: (415) 975-4310
Region X
(AK,* ID, OR,* WA*)
1111 Third Avenue Suite 715
Seattle, WA 98101-3212
Telephone: (206) 553-5930
*These states and territories operate their own OSHA-approved job safety and health programs (Connecticut and New York plans cover public employees only). States with approved programs must have a standard that is identical to, or at least as effective as, the federal standard.
Selected Bibliography
Albence, M.T. (1994). "Convenient Targets: An Examination of Convenience Store Robberies in Carbondale, Illinois, From 1986 to 1993." Unpublished Master's thesis, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
Alexander, B.H., Franklin, G.M. and Wolf, M.E. (1994). "The sexual assault of women at work in Washington State, 1980 - 1989." Am J Pub Health 84(4):640-642.
Amandus, H.E., et al. (1995). "Reevaluation of the effectiveness of environmental designs to reduce robbery risk in Florida convenience stores." J Occup Environ Med 37:711-717.
Amandus, H.E. (1995). "Status of NIOSH research on prevention of robbery-related intentional injuries to convenience store workers." In: National Institute of Justice-Research Report: Trends, Risks, and Interventions in Lethal Violence Proceedings of the Third Annual Spring Symposium of the Homicide Research Working Group. Atlanta, GA. Pp. 217-228.
Amandus, H.E., et.al. (1997). "Convenience store robberies in selected metropolitan areas: Risk factors for employee injury." J Occup Environ Med 39(5): 442-447.
American Insurance Services Group, Inc. (1994). Workplace Violence: A Prevention Program. New York, NY: American Insurance Services Group, Inc.
Athena Research Corporation. (1981). "Robber Interview Report." Presented to the Crime Committee of the Southland Corporation, Dallas, TX.
Bachman, R. (1994). "Violence and Theft in the Workplace." National Crime Victimization Survey. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Bellamy, L. (1995). "Situational Crime Prevention Strategies For Combating Convenience Store Robbery." Unpublished paper, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
Bellamy, L. (1996). "Situational Crime Prevention and Convenience Store Robbery." Security J 7:41-52.
Calder, J.D. and Bauer, J.R. (1992). "Convenience Store Robberies; Security Measures and Store Robbery Incidents." J Crim Justice 20:553-556.
California State Department of Industrial Relations. (1994). CAL-OSHA Guidelines for Workplace Security. San Francisco, CA: Division of Occupational Safety and Health.
____________ (1995). Model Injury and Illness Prevention Program for Workplace Security.
Clarke, R.V. (1983). "Situational Crime Prevention: Its theoretical basis and practical scope." Crime and Justice: An Annual Review of Research 4:225-256.
Clifton, W. Jr. and Callahan, P.T. (1987). Convenience Store Robberies: An Intervention Strategy by the City of Gainesville, Florida. Gainesville, FL: City of Gainesville.
Convenience Business Security Act. 1992 Supplement to Florida Statutes 1991. (§§ 812.1701- 812.1750).
Cook, P.J. (1987). "Robbery Violence." J Crim Law Criminol 78(2):357-375.
Crow, W.J. and Bull, J.L. (1975). Robbery Deterrence: An Applied Behavioral Science Demonstration. La Jolla, CA: Western Behavioral Sciences Institute.
Crow, W.J., Erickson, R.J. and Scott, L. (1987). "Set Your Sights on Preventing Retail Violence." Security Management 31(9):60-64.
Degner, R.L., et.al. (1983). "Food Store Robberies in Florida: Detailed Crime Statistics." Florida Agricultural Market Research Center, Gainesville, FL.
Erickson, R.J. (1991). "Convenience Store Homicide and Rape." In National Association of Convenience Stores (Ed.). Convenience Store Security. Alexandria, VA. Pp.29-101.
____________ (1995). "Employer Liability for Workplace Violence." In Fitzpatrick, R. B. Tips on Employment Law 5:1-7. Washington, DC: American Bar Association.
____________ (1996). Armed Robbers and Their Crimes. Seattle, WA: Athena Research.
____________ (1996). "Retail Employees as a Group at Risk for Violence." Occupational Medicine: State of the Art Reviews 11(2):269-275.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). (1993). Crime in the United States: Uniform Crime Reports. Washington, DC: United States Department of Justice.
Feitshans, Ilise Levy; and Murphy, Joseph E., Esq. "Positive Incentives for Compliance with Occupational Health: Addressing Workplace Violence." Preventive Law Reporter: 29-32, Winter 1996/97.
Figlio, R. and Aurand, S. (1991). "An Assessment of Robbery Deterrence Methods." In National Association of Convenience Stores (Ed.). Convenience Store Security 103-138. Alexandria, VA. Pp. 103-138.
Flannery, R, et al. (1991). "A program to help staff cope with psychological sequelae of assaults by patients." Hosp Comm Psych 42:935-938.
Flannery, R, et al. (1994). "Risk factors for psychiatric inpatient assaults on staff." J Ment Health Admin 21:24-31.
Flannery, R, et al. (1995). "The Assaulted Staff Action Program (ASAP): Guidelines for Fielding a Team." In VandenBos, G.R. and Bulatao, E.Q. (Eds.). Violence on the Job 327-342. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Florida, State of, Office of Attorney General. (1991). "Study of Safety and Security Requirements For ‘At-Risk Businesses.'" Unpublished report.
Florida Crime Prevention Institute. (1992). "Convenience Store Training Manual." Office of the Attorney General, Bureau of Crime Prevention and Training.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement. (1995). "Committed Violent Incidents at a Convenience Store Location." Division of Criminal Justice Information Systems (fax transmittal).
Gainesville, Florida Police Department. Preventing Convenience Store Robberies. (Video: 18 minutes).
Hales, T, et al. (1988). "Occupational Injuries Due to Violence." J Occup Med 30(6): 483-487.
Hunter, R.D. (1998). "Convenience Store Robbery Revisited: A Review of Prevention Results." Presented at the 1998 Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Annual Meeting. Albuquerque, NM.
__________(1990). "Convenience store robbery in Tallahassee." J Sec Admin 13:3-18.
___________(1988). The Effects of Environmental Factors Upon Convenience Store Robbery in Florida. Tallahassee, FL: State of Florida, Department of Legal Affairs, Bureau of Justice, grant 88CJ-3E-13-00-16-008.
Hunter, R.D. and Jeffery, C.R. (1991). "Environmental Crime Prevention: An Analysis of Convenience Store Robberies." Security J 2(2):78-83.
Jeffery, C.R., Hunter, R.D. and Griswald, J. (1987). "Crime Prevention and Computer Analysis of Convenience Store Robberies in Tallahassee, Florida." Security Systems:1-4, 1987.
Kinney, J.A., and Johnson, D.L. (1993). Breaking Point: The Workplace Violence Epidemic and What to Do About It. Chicago, IL: National Safe Workplace Institute.
Kraus, J.F., Blander, B., and McArthur, D. L. (1995). "Incidence, Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies for Work-Related Assault Injuries: A Review of What Is Known, What Needs To Be Known, and Countermeasures for Intervention." Ann Rev Pub Health 355-79.
Long Island Coalition for Workplace Violence Awareness and Prevention. (1996). "Information and Instructional Package for Use by Employers and Employees." Unpublished report.
Mathiason, G. G. (1994). "Terror and Violence in the Workplace." In The 1993 National Employer. San Franciso, CA: Littler, Mendelson, Fastiff, Tichy, and Mathiason. Pp. 137-173.
National Victim Center. (1995). INFOLINK: Workplace Violence - Employer and Employee Information. Available via Internet: http://www.nvc.org/ddir/ genlink.htm. Arlington, VA: National Victim Center.
Northwestern National Life Employee Benefits Division. (1993). Fear and Violence in the Workplace. Minneapolis, MN: Northwestern National Life Insurance Company.
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. P.L. 91596, 91st Congress, S. 2193, Dec. 29, 1970, as amended by P.L. 101-552, § 3101, Nov. 5, 1990, codified at 29 U.S.C. 651 - 678.
Reiss, A.J., Jr.; and Roth, J.A. (Eds.). (1993). Understanding and Preventing Violence. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Schreiber, B. (1991). "Survey of Convenience Store Crime and Security." In National Association of Convenience Stores (Ed.). Convenience Store Security Alexandria, VA. Pp. 1-28.
Scott, L., Crow, W.J. and Erickson, R. (1985). Robbery as Robbers See It. Dallas, TX: Southland Corporation.
Seligman, P, et al. (1987). "Sexual Assault of Women at Work." Am J Ind Med 12(4): 445-450.
Swanson, R. (1986). "Convenience Store Robbery Analysis: A Research Study of Robbers, Victims, and Environment." Unpublished Report to the Gainesville, Florida Police Department.
Toscano, Guy, and Weber, William. (1995). Violence in the Workplace. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Toscano, Guy; and Windau, Janice. (1994). "The Changing Character of Fatal Work Injuries." In Fatal Workplace Injuries in 1993: A Collection of Data and Analysis 6-17. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). (1992). Homicide in U.S. Workplaces: A Strategy for Prevention and Research. Publication No. 92-103. Morgantown, WV.
____________ (1993). CDC ALERT: Preventing Homicide in the Workplace. Publication No. 93-109. Cinncinnati, OH.
____________ (1993). Fatal Injuries to Workers in the United States, 1980-1989: A Decade of Surveillance. Publication No. 93-108. Cinncinnati, OH.
____________ (1996). Current Intelligence Bulletin 57: Violence in the Workplace—Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies. Publication No. 96-100. Cinncinnati, OH.
U.S. Department of Justice. (1994). Criminal Victimization in the United States, 1992. Pub. No. NCJ145125. Washington, DC.
U.S. Department of Labor, Occuptional Safety and Health Administration. (1994). "Reporting of Fatality or Multiple Hospitalization Incidents; Final Rule." Fed Reg 59:15594-15600 (April 1), codified at 29 CFR 1904.
____________ (1989). "Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines." Fed Reg 54:3904- 3916 (January 26).
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (1994). Violence in the Workplace Comes Under Closer Scrutiny. Summary 94-10. Washington, DC. ____________ (1995). Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 1993. Summary 95-5. Washington, DC.
____________ (1995). National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1994. News Bulletin USDL-95-288. Washington, DC.
____________ (1996). National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1995. News Bulletin USDL-96-315. Washington, DC.
____________ (1996). Fatal Work Injuries and Work Hazards: Job-Related Homicides Profiled. Fact Sheet CFOI-96-2. Washington, DC.
____________ (1997). National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1996. News Bulletin USDL97-266. Washington, DC.
Virginia Crime Prevention Center. (1993). Violent Crimes in Convenience Stores: Analysis of Crimes, Criminals, and Costs. House Document No. 30. Richmond, VA: Commonwealth of Virginia.
____________ (1991). Report to the Virginia State Crime Commission on Violent Crime and Workers' Safety in Virginia Convenience Stores. Richmond, VA: Department of Criminal Justice Services.
Washington Crime News Services. (1994). "New Police Approach Reduces Convenience Store Crime." Crime Control Digest. 28(1):1,4-5.
Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. (1994). Late Night Retail Workers' Crime Protection. Washington Administrative Code §§ 296-24102; 10203.
____________ (1993). "Is It Worth Your Life?" (Video: 18 minutes).
White, J.D. (1986). Convenience Store Robbery Analysis. Unpublished Report to the Gainesville, Florida Police Department.
Workers' Compensation Board of British Columbia. (1995). Take Care: How to Develop and Implement a Workplace Violence Prevention Program (A Guide for Small Business). Vancouver, BC: Workers' Compensation Board of British Columbia.
Zahn, M.A. and Sagi, P.C. (1987). "Stranger Homicides in Nine American Cities." J Crim Law Criminol 78 (2): 377-397.
Glossary
This glossary defines some of the terms that are used in these recommendations. These definitions are meant only to facilitate understanding of these recommendations and to advance the public discussion of this important area of occupational safety and health. They are not "official" OSHA definitions.
Abusive behavior - intentional action that results in injury or produces fear. Abusive behavior may include assaults, spitting, verbal threats, racial slurs, sexual innuendo, posturing, damaging property, and throwing food or objects.
Assault - any completed or attempted physical act directed against another person and intended to cause harm or a reasonable fear of imminent harm.
Battery - any unlawful touching, beating or other wrongful physical contact of another person without consent.
Injury - physical or mental harm to an individual resulting in broken bones, lacerations, bruises and contusions, scratches, bites, breaks in the skin, strains and sprains, or physical or mental pain and discomfort, immediate or delayed.
Larceny - the wrongful, intentional taking and removing of another's personal property without use of force or intimidation (e.g., shoplifting).
Mental harm - anxiety, fear, depression, inability to perform job functions, post-traumatic stress disorder, or other manifestations of emotional reactions to an assault or abusive incident.
Robbery - the intentional and unlawful taking of another's property by the use of force or intimidation.
Situational crime prevention - the systematic and permanent management, design, or manipulation of the immediate environment to reduce the opportunities for crime and increase its risks as perceived by a wide range of offenders.
Target-hardening - using physical barriers or changes in a location to reduce the opportunity for crime and to make completion of a crime more difficult.
Threat - a serious verbal or nonverbal declaration of intent to harm another person.
Violent Act - an act ranging from verbal or physical threats or intimidation to assault and battery.
Workplace - all locations, permanent or temporary, where work is performed by the employees in the course of their duties; the locations could include buildings, parking lots, field locations, vehicles, or customers' homes.
1 OSHA's Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines, Fed Reg 54:3904-3916, January 26, 1989.
2 Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act, or P.L. 91-596, is called the "General Duty Clause," and provides that: "Each employer shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees." 29 U.S.C. 654(a)(1).
3 29 U.S.C. 653(b)(4).
4Section 11 (c)(1) of the OSH Act provides: "No person shall discharge or in any manner discriminate against any employee because such employee has filed any complaint or instituted or caused to be instituted any proceeding under or related to this Act or has testified or is about to testify in any such proceeding or because of the exercise by such employee on behalf of himself or others of any right afforded by this Act." 29 U.S.C. 660(c).
5 29 U.S.C. 158(a)(2).
6A number of studies have found a statistically significant association between the use of multiple clerks and a reduced risk of robbery (Swanson, 1986; Jeffery, 1987; Hunter, 1988; Hunter, 1990; Calder, 1992; Figlio, 1992 (association between multiple clerks and reduced robbery at previously robbed stores)). In Gainesville, Florida, the only chain that employed two clerks round-the-clock was never robbed during a period of the study, while 95 percent of convenience stores adjacent to its franchises were robbed (Bellamy, 1996). These studies are not conclusive, but they suggest that use of more than one clerk is a deterrent to robbery. No study has found that use of more than one clerk increases or decreases the risk of injury. A recent study reported that, assuming the occurrence of a robbery, an employee's risk of injury and severe injury was essentially the same in single and multiple-employee stores (Amandus, et al., 1997).
7 Erickson, 1995, found that 65 percent of all robberies of convenience stores occurred in the hours between 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.; Kraus, et. al., 1995, found that 65 percent occurred from 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.; and a report by the State of Virginia, 1993, found that 69 percent took place between 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
8The theoretical concepts for this approach include "situational crime prevention" (Clarke, 1983), and "crime prevention through environmental design" (CPTED) (Hunter and Jeffery, 1991).
9 Comments submitted to OSHA by the Southland Corporation, 1996.
10 It may not, in all cases, be feasible to have more than one clerk. In those instances, the employer may wish to give extra consideration to additional engineering controls identified in the previous section.
11 All private sector employers are required to report work-related fatalities or incidents resulting in the hospitalization of 3 or more workers to OSHA within 8 hours, regardless of the employer's size or industry classification. These requirements are explained in 29 CFR 1904.8.
12 Flannery, et al., 1991, 1994, 1995. Counseling educates staff about workplace violence, provides a supportive environment for victims, and, when combined with effective training, positively influences workplace culture to help prepare employees to confront or prevent future incidents of violence and to reduce trauma associated with those future incidents.
13 OSHA regulations require employers with 11 or more employees to record work-related injuries and illnesses on the OSHA 200 and 101 forms. Employers in certain industries are exempt from this requirement. 29 CFR. 1904. If an employer is subject to the recordkeeping requirements, it must record all injuries resulting from assaults and other cases of work-related violence on the OSHA log if the injury requires medical treatment beyond first aid, or results in death, days away from work, restricted work activity, transfer to another job, or loss of consciousness. For more information on these requirements, see the 1986 BLS publication, Recordkeeping Guidelines for Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.
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