OSHA analysis

Occupational Safety and Health Association
U.S. Department of Labor

Summary from "Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Health Care and Social Workers"
OSHA 3148-01R 2004

Recommendations: Conducting a workplace security analysis

A workplace analysis involves a step-by-step, commonsense look at the workplace to find existing or potential hazards for workplace violence. This entails reviewing specific procedures or operations that contribute to hazards and specific areas where hazards may develop.

To find areas requiring further evaluation, the team or coordinator should:

Analyze incidents, including the characteristics of assailants and victims, and account of what happened before and during the incident, and the relevant details of the situation and its outcome. Then possible, obtain police reports and recommendations.
Identify jobs or locations with the greatest risk of violence as well as processes and procedures that put employees at risk of assault, including how often and when.
Note high-risk factors such as types of clients or patients (for example, those with psychiatric conditions or who are disoriented by drugs, alcohol or stress); physical risk factors related to building layout or design; isolated locations or job activities; lighting problems; lack of phones and other communication devices; areas of easy, unsecured access; and areas with previous security problems.
Evaluate the effectiveness of existing security measures, including engineering controls. Determine if risk factors have been reduced or eliminated and take appropriate action.

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