Job Hazard Evaluations

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The page below is a sample from the LabCE course Preventing and Addressing Workplace Violence for Healthcare Employees. Access the complete course and earn ASCLS P.A.C.E.-approved continuing education credits by subscribing online.

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Job Hazard Evaluations

Recurring evaluations of job hazards should be put in place to enhance prevention of violence in the workplace. Questionnaires or surveys regarding potential for violent incidents in the workplace should be filled out by employees. The data should be analyzed by the employer in order to identify jobs, locations, or work situations where the risk of violence appears highest.
 OSHA recommends that priority for hazard evaluation should be given to specific types of jobs:
  • Jobs with high assault rates due to workplace violence
  • Jobs that are new to an operation or have undergone procedural changes that may increase the potential for workplace violence
  • Jobs that require written instructions, such as procedures for administering medicine, and steps required for transferring patients
After an incident or near miss, the analysis should focus on:
  • Analyzing those positions that were affected.
  • Identifying if existing procedures and operations were followed and if not, why not (in some instances, not following procedures could result in more effective protections).
  • Identifying if staff were adequately qualified and/or trained for the tasks required.
  • Developing, if necessary, new procedures and operations to improve staff safety and security.
According to the FBI, the floor plan and physical layout of the workplace should also be evaluated on a recurring basis and modified if needed to improve employees' safety. This evaluation should cover:
  • Visibility
  • Alarm signals or emergency phones
  • Control of access
  • Arrangement of work space so employees cannot be trapped in a small enclosure
  • Adequate and clearly marked escape routes
Finally, an emergency evacuation plan should be implemented and practiced regularly.