Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Administration & Finance
 

LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans Workplace Violence Prevention Plan

Effective January 1, 1998

Governor Mike J. Foster, Jr., of the State of Louisiana issued Executive Order MJF 97-15 effective March 5, 1997. This Executive Order commits the Governor and the State of Louisiana to work toward a violence free workplace for all state employees.

To that end, the following represents the primary Workplace Violence Policies and Plans of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC).

Effective date January 1, 1998

Mervin L. Trail, M.D.
Chancellor, LSU Health Sciences Center

Policy Statement

1.0  Introduction 

2.0  Purpose

3.0  Definitions

4.0  Management Responsibilities 

5.0  Management Commitment

6.0  Employee Responsibilities

7.0  Workplace Analysis

8.0  Hazard Prevention And Control 

9.0  Incident Response And Evaluation  

10.0  Bomb Threats

11.0  Records

12.0  Evaluation

13.0  Communication

14.0  Training And Education

15.0  LSU Health Sciences Center's Policy On The Possession Of Firearms And Other Dangerous Weapons On Campus

16.0  Additional Information Concerning Workplace Violence

List of Attachments

Attachment 1:  Workplace Analysis  [PDF Version]

Attachment 2:  Hazard Prevention and Control  [PDF Version]

Attachment 3:  Critical Incident Statement   [PDF Version]

Attachment 4:  Incident Response  [PDF Version]

Attachment 5:  Workplace Violence Checklist  [PDF Version]
 
 Attachment 6:  Potential Warning Signs  [PDF Version]

Attachment 7:  Personal Conduct to Minimize Violence  [PDF Version]

Attachment 8:  Bomb Threats by Phone  [PDF Version]

 

Violence-Free Workplace Policy Statement

    Employees are the State's most valuable resource and their safety and security are essential to carrying out their responsibilities. Every employee has a reasonable expectation to perform his/her assigned duties in an atmosphere free of threats and assaults. Recognizing the increasing incidence of violence in the workplace, the Governor of the State of Louisiana issued an executive order committing the Governor and the State of Louisiana to work toward a violence free workplace for state employees. Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center -New Orleans fully supports this effort and is committed to a violence free workplace.

    LSU Health Sciences Center will take positive action to ensure that the following will be implemented throughout all work environments within its jurisdiction.

  • The commitment of management and employees to promote a positive, respectful, and safe work environment that fosters employees' security, safety, and health.
  • Zero tolerance for the occurrence of violence, aggressive acts, verbal or nonverbal threatening behavior and harassment in the workplace.  
  • Eliminating and prohibiting acts or threats of violence, by or against employees at all work sites and wherever LSUHSC business is conducted.  
  • Minimize the chance of exposure of employees to violent, threatening, or harassing situations by implementing effective security measures, procedures and practices.  
  • Educate employees to increase their awareness about security, health and safety concerns and train them how to properly respond in the event that a violent, threatening or harassing situation occurs.

Maintaining a violence-free workplace requires the commitment, involvement, and cooperation of management and employees. A unified approach toward implementation of the Workplace Violence Policy will enable us to achieve our goal of providing and working in a safe environment. Persons who fail to adhere to the violence-free workplace policy are subject to administrative disciplinary actions. LSU Health Sciences Center will periodically analyze its violence-free workplace policy/program to ensure compliance.

Mervin L. Trail, M.D.
        Chancellor

Note:

My thanks to Vice-Chancellor Ron E. Gardner, Labor Relations Manager Flora McCoy, Director of Addictive Disorders and Employee Assistance Program Stanley L. Denton, and University Police Captain Solomon Johnson for their invaluable assistance in this project.

Mervin L. Trail, M.D.
        Chancellor

CONTENTS

1.0

Introduction
 
1.1 Employees are the State's most valuable resource and their safety and security are essential to carrying out their responsibilities. Every employee has a reasonable expectation to perform his/her assigned duties in an atmosphere free of threats and assaults.
1.2 Recognizing the increasing incidence of violence in the workplace, the Governor of the State of Louisiana issued an executive order committing the Governor and the State of Louisiana to Work toward a violence free workplace for state employees.
1.3  LSU Health Sciences Center fully supports this effort and is committed to a violence free workplace.
2.0

Purpose
  The purposes of this plan are to:
 
2.1 direct implementation of effective security measures and administrative work practices to minimize exposure to conditions that could result in harm to state workers;
2.2 promote a positive, respectful and safe work environment that fosters employees' security, safety and health; and
2.3 require ongoing analysis of the work force and each work site for hazard prevention and control.
3.0

Definitions
 
3.1 Assault
  Assault is an attempt to commit a battery, or the intentional placing of another in reasonable apprehension of receiving a battery. (Example: I may have a stick raised and know that I have no intention of striking you, but, based on the circumstances, you have a reasonable apprehension that I plan to strike you.)
3.2 Battery
  Battery is the intentional use of force or violence upon another; or the intentional administration of a poison or other noxious liquid or substance to another.
3.3 Credible Threat
  A credible threat is a statement or action that would cause a reasonable person to fear for the safety of him/herself or that of another person and does, in fact, cause such fear.
3.4 Intentional
  Intentional refers to conduct when the circumstances indicate that the offender, in the ordinary course of human experience, must have considered the criminal consequences as reasonably certain to result from his act or failure to act.
3.5 Violence
  Violence is the commission of an assault or battery or the making of a credible threat.
3.6 Workplace
  The workplace is any site where an employee is placed for the purpose of completing job assignments.
3.7  Workplace Violence
  Workplace violence is violence that takes place in the workplace.
4.0

Management Responsibilities
  LSU Health Sciences Center shall comply with federal and state statutes, rules, regulations and or guidelines in making reasonable efforts to:
4.1 hire, train, supervise and discipline employees;
4.2 intervene in situations of harassment in the workplace where the employer is aware of the harassment;
4.3 ensure employees and/or independent contractors are fit for duty, and do not pose unnecessary risks to others;
4.4 provide security precautions and other measures to minimize the risk of foreseeable criminal intrusion based upon prior experience or location in a dangerous area;
4.5 maintain an adequate level of security;
4.6 establish and implement a written policy and plan dealing with violence in the workplace;
4.7 provide employee training on the agency plan, warning signs of potential for violent behavior, and precautions which may enhance the personal safety of the employee at work;
4.8 warn an employee of a credible threat made by another to do harm to that employee;
4.9 support the application of sanctions and/or prosecution of offenders, as appropriate
4.10 accommodate, after appropriate evaluation, employees who require special assistance following incident(s) of workplace violence;
4.11 cooperate with law enforcement agencies;
4.12 establish a uniform violence reporting system with regular review of submitted reports;
4.13 initiate procedures to protect from retaliation employees who report credible threats; and
4.14 keep up-to-date records to evaluate the effectiveness of administrative and work practice changes initiated to prevent workplace violence.
5.0

Management Commitment
 
5.1 At LSU Health Sciences Center, management commitment, including the endorsement and visible involvement of top levels of supervision, provides the motivation and resources to deal effectively with workplace violence, and includes:
 
5.1.1 organizational concern for employee emotional and physical safety and health;
5.1.2 commitment to the safety and security of all persons at the workplace;
5.1.3 assigned responsibility for the various aspects of the workplace violence prevention program to ensure that all supervisors and employees understand their roles and responsibilities;
5.1.4 allocation of authority and resources to all responsible parties;
5.1.5 accountability for involved supervisors and employees;
5.1.6 debriefing/counseling for employees experiencing or witnessing debriefing/counseling for employees experiencing or witnessing
5.1.7 support and implementation of appropriate recommendations from violence prevention committees; and
5.1.8 treatment of workplace violence, incidents, complaints and concerns with seriousness, keeping confidential all reports and the identification of parties, except to those who have a legitimate need to know and to the extent required by law.
6.0

Employee Responsibilities
  At LSU Health Sciences Center:
6.1 Employees are required to report to the appropriate supervisor, Department Head, or University Police all threats or incidents of violent behavior in the workplace which they observe or of which they are informed. Examples of inappropriate behavior which shall be reported include:
 
6.1.1 unwelcome name-calling, obscene language, and other abusive behavior,
6.1.2 intimidation through direct or veiled verbal threats;
6.1.3 physically touching another employee in an intimidating, malicious, or sexually harassing manner, including such acts as hitting, slapping, poking, kicking, pinching, grabbing, and pushing; and
6.1.4 physically intimidating others including such acts as obscene gestures, "getting in your face," fist-shaking, throwing any object.
6.2 Employee involvement and feedback enables workers to develop and express their own commitment to safety and security and provide useful information to design, implement, and evaluate the program. At LSU Health Sciences Center, employee involvement includes, but is not limited to:
6.2.1 understanding and complying with the workplace violence prevention program and other safety and security measures;
6.2.2 participating in employee complaint or suggestion procedures covering safety and security concerns;
6.2.3 providing prompt and accurate reporting of violent incidents;
6.2.4 cooperating with the safety and security committee that reviews violent incidents and security problems and makes security inspections; and
6.2.5 participating in continuing education covering techniques to recognize and abate escalating agitation, assaultive behavior or criminal intent.
7.0

Workplace Analysis
 
7.1 The process of workplace analysis involves a step-by-step, commonsense look at the workplace to find existing or potential hazards for the occurrence of workplace violence. The workplace analysis entails reviewing specific procedures or operations that contribute to hazards and specific locales where hazards may develop. The workplace analysis program includes, but is not limited to:
 
7.1.1 analyzing and tracking records;
7.1.2 monitoring trends;
7.1.3 analyzing incidents; and
7.1.4 analyzing workplace security.
7.2 At LSU Health Sciences Center the responsibility for conducting and maintaining workplace analyses is assigned to the Critical Incident Threat Assessment Team.
7.3 The initial workplace analysis for LSU Health Sciences Center shall be performed by the Critical Incident Threat Assessment Team within ninety days of the publication of this policy.
7.4 Additional information concerning the performance of a workplace analysis can be found in Attachment 1, "Workplace Analysis."
8.0

Hazard Prevention and Control
 
8.1 After the completed workplace analysis is reviewed and approved, workplace adaptations, engineering controls, administrative controls, and work practice controls shall be implemented by LSU Health Sciences Center, to prevent or control, to the extent possible, any discovered hazards. If workplace violence does occur, the post-incident response and evaluation section of this policy (Section 9.0) shall be implemented.
8.2 Engineering controls and workplace adaptations remove the hazard from the workplace or create a barrier between the worker and the hazard. Examples of engineering controls and workplace adaptations can be found in Attachment 2, "Hazard Prevention and Control."
8.3 Administrative and work practice controls affect the way jobs or tasks are performed and, therefore, affect the security of the workplace. Examples of administrative and work practice controls can also be found in Attachment 2.
8.4 At LSU Health Sciences Center, the initial responsibility for hazard prevention and controls is assigned to the Critical Incident Threat Assessment Team.
9.0

Incident Response and Evaluation
 
9.1 Assistance for victimized employees and employees who may be affected by witnessing a workplace violence incident will be provided. Whenever an incident takes place, injured employees will receive access to appropriate medical treatment and psychological evaluation as necessary, in accordance with existing statutes. At LSU Health Sciences Center, this assistance is provided through the Critical Incident Threat Assessment Team.
9.2 An employee who has been threatened or assaulted by another at the workplace will immediately report the situation to his/her supervisor. The supervisor to whom the incident is reported will immediately notify the Critical Incident Threat Assessment Team and the University Police Department.
9.3 Written statements shall be obtained from all involved, including those who witnessed the incident. A statement form which may be used is found in Attachment 3, "Violence Incident Statement." The form is designed to answer the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, HOW, and WHY of the incident while the event is still fresh. Concurrent with obtaining the written statements or as soon as possible thereafter, the Critical Incident Threat Assessment Team shall interview all parties to the incident, including victims, subjects and witnesses, and prepare written summaries of the interviews. The summaries shall be the bases on which to determine the facts of the event.
9.4 The following actions should be taken in accordance with the severity of the incident:
 
9.4.1

The situation is not dangerous:
separate employees involved and isolate until they are interviewed and their statements are taken; separate witnesses until they are interviewed and their statements are taken; and document all actions and statements.
9.4.2 The situation is dangerous:
contact University Police at 568-8999; or local police at 821-2222 or 911.
order all those presenting the danger to leave the facility immediately (unless this action must be taken by police); do not attempt to physically remove an individual (leave it to the police); and
document all actions and statements
9.5 Additional information concerning post incident response and evaluation can be found in Attachment 4, "Incident Response."
10.0

Bomb Threats
 
10.1 When a bomb threat is received, notify the University Police Department immediately. If the bomb threat is received through a telephone call, the following should take place:
 
10.1.1 the person who receives the call should complete the "Bomb Threat" form after notifying University Police (See Attachment 8);
10.1.2 the office supervisor shall designate employees to conduct a search of the area and report any suspicious items to University Police immediately; i.e. unattended packages, book bags, shoe boxes, briefcases, suitcases.
10.1.3 under no circumstances shall anyone other than trained bomb technicians handle a suspicious package...do not touch, handle, or disturb it in any manner.
10.1.4 designated employees will report back to the supervisor about the areas searched and their findings.
11.0

Records
 
11.1 Records associated with violence in the workplace need to be kept in a permanent, secure, and confidential manner. It shall be the responsibility of the Critical Incident Threat Assessment Team to help evaluate security, methods of hazard control, and identify training needs. The following records are important and shall be maintained in accordance with pertinent statutes as part of the violence prevention program:
 
11.1.1 reports of work injury, including workers' compensation injuries, if necessary;
11.1.2 report for each reported assault, incidents of abuse, verbal attack, or aggressive behavior occurring between persons in the workplace;
11.1.3 police reports of incidents occurring in the workplace;
11.1.4 minutes of safety meetings, records of hazards' analysis, and corrective actions recommended;
11.1.5 violence in the workplace training, including subjects covered, attendees, and qualifications of trainers; and
11.1.6 other appropriate reports.
12.0

 Evaluation
 
12.1 Regular evaluation of safety and security measures affecting the violence prevention program shall be conducted at least annually. At LSU Health Sciences Center, this evaluation shall be the responsibility of the Critical Incident Threat Assessment Team.
12..2 The evaluation program consists of
 
12.2.1 reviewing reports and minutes from staff meetings on safety and security issues;
12.2.2 analyzing trends in illness/injury or fatalities caused by violence;
12.2.3 measuring improvement based on lowering the frequency and severity of workplace violence;
12.2.4 surveying employees before and after making job or workplace changes or installing security measures
12.2.5 or new systems to determine their effectiveness; requesting periodic outside review of the workplace for recommendations on improving employee safety; and
12.2.6 interviewing employees who experience hostile situations about the medical treatment received (initially, several weeks later, and several months later).
13.0

Communication
 
13.1 At LSU Health Sciences Center, we recognize that to maintain a safe, healthy and secure workplace, we must have open communication among employees, including all levels of supervision, on these issues. The open communication process includes, but is not limited to:
 
13.1.1 periodic review of this policy with all employees;
13.1.2 discussions of violence in the workplace during scheduled safety meetings;
13.1.3 posting or distributing information on violence in the workplace; and
13.1.4 procedures to inform supervisors about violence in the workplace, hazards, or threats of violence.
13.2 The Critical Incident Threat Assessment Team shall provide an appropriate place for employees to discuss security concerns with assurance that necessary confidences will be maintained.
14.0

Training and Education
 
14.1 At LSU Health Sciences Center,
 
14.1.1 all employees, including all levels of supervision; shall have training and instruction on general, job-specific, and work site-specific safety and security practices;
14.1.2 training and instruction shall be provided within one year of policy implementation and regularly thereafter; and
14.1.3 training shall begin with orientation of new employees within three months of employment and regularly thereafter.
14.2 At LSU Health Sciences Center, workplace violence training shall be the responsibility of the Critical Incident Threat Assessment Team.
14.3 General violence in the workplace training and instruction address, but are not limited to, the following areas:
 
14.3.1 explanation of the violence in the workplace policy as established by LSU Health Sciences Center;
14.3.2 measures for reporting any violent acts or threats of violence;
14.3.3 recognition of hazards including associated risk factors;
14.3.4 measures to prevent workplace violence, including procedures for reporting workplace hazards or threats to appropriate supervision;
14.3.5 ways to defuse hostile or threatening situations;
14.3.6 measures to summon others for assistance;
14.3.7 routes of escapes available to employees;
14.3.8 procedures for notification of law enforcement authorities when a criminal act may have occurred;
14.3.9 procedures for obtaining emergency medical care in the event of a violent act upon an employee; and
14.3.10 information on securing post-event trauma counseling for those employees desiring or needing such assistance.
15.0

Firearms and Weapons Policy
 
15.1 Under the provisions of the Louisiana Criminal Code R.S. 14:95.2 it is illegal and expressly prohibited to engage in the unauthorized carrying of a firearm, or dangerous weapon, by a student or non-student on University property at anytime. This includes but is not necessarily limited to school sponsored functions or in a firearm-free zone. Violators will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
16.0

 Additional Information Concerning Workplace Violence
 
16.1 Attachment 5, "Workplace Violence Checklist," may be used in identifying present or potential workplace violence problems.
16.2 Attachment 6, "Potential Warning Signs," may be helpful in identifying the types of behavior this policy forbids.
16.3 Attachment 7, "Personal Conduct To Minimize Violence," may be helpful to an individual in understanding what he/she might do to prevent violence.
 
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