Violence Prevention Program Provides Successful Risk Management

Jan. 1, 2003
Michael Miles, president of Staff Management, the leading provider of vendor-on-premise staffing and management solutions, said that companies can achieve

Michael Miles, president of Staff Management, the leading provider of vendor-on-premise staffing and management solutions, said that companies can achieve vastly increased workplace safety by adopting successful risk management solutions that address violence prevention issues by establishing critical guidelines and employee training.

“With so much emphasis on violence and workplace safety today, it is imperative that companies integrate risk management solutions into their everyday business practices ensure a safe work environment and avoid on-site violence,” said Miles. “Staff Management believes so strongly in this practice that we have brought in an expert consultant to help us establish a violence prevention and recognition program that enables us to offer employees and clients a safer and more secure workplace. This is an important value-added benefit that many of our customers take advantage of as they outsource their recruitment and staffing process to us.”

To implement its award-winning program, Staff Management retained the services of Dr. Dana Picore, Ph.D., a former Los Angeles police officer and training instructor for the L.A. Police Department who is also a licensed psychotherapist and threat assessment expert to help the company develop its risk management program. Picore has assisted Staff Management in pioneering a substantial violence prevention program in the human resources industry today. She trains its staff, key managers, and supervisors, and develops guidelines for the company to follow. She also helped Staff Management develop a CD-ROM on its workplace violence program as an interactive presentation tool for all employees, old and new.

“State and federal agencies encourage and recommend suggested policies and procedures that vary from state to state. Many companies only offer minimum risk management procedures such as the development of safety guidelines and a pamphlet that outlines these procedures for employees,” said Picore. “However, these guidelines are not always enforced and do not put a complete risk management program in place that trains others to prevent violent acts before they occur, or, more importantly, instruct personnel on how to handle issues of violence when they arise. Staff Management has set itself apart from other vendor-on-premise staffing and management companies by training its organization on the definitions of violence, including what constitutes sexual or other harassment, a threat and on-the-job intimidation. In addition, it has developed a highly trained team of elected employees called the ‘F.A.S.T. Team’ (First Safety Assessment Team), which is called into any company they provide staffing for if any employee has a safety concern.”

With violence statistics in the workplace on the rise throughout the country, Staff Management believes there are certain “must haves” for successful risk management programs. First, a company must spell out its policies and procedures clearly too every employee. This includes defining what is considered violence and how it can be prevented. Second, companies should provide at least four- to eight-hour training programs on the principles of threat management during which managers and supervisors learn what to look for before problems occur. Lastly, time and money should not be an issue when it comes to the safety and protection of a company’s staff.

For more information, visit ww.staffmanagement.com or www.picore.com.