Hiring and firing practices can help protect employees from workplace violence

Officers respond to reports of a deadly shooting at the Knight Transportation office in Katy, Texas, May 4, 2016. Authorities said a recently fired employee opened fire at the transportation company. (KPRC Houston via AP Photo)

While the Occupational Safety and Health Administration may cite employers for hazards associated with increased workplace violence risk, it surprisingly doesn’t require employers to implement workplace violence prevention programs.

A recently released U.S. Government Accountability Office study on workplace violence in health care has recommended that OSHA “assist inspectors in developing citations, develop a policy for following up on hazard alert letters concerning workplace violence hazards in health care facilities, and assess its current efforts.”