Workplace violence includes more than physical fights. It can take the form of verbal abuse, intimidation, or threats—and it often begins with smaller issues like mood swings or personality clashes. In this Workplace Violence Prevention course, you’ll learn how to identify early warning signs of aggression, respond to threats and harassment, and apply company policies for preventing violence. You’ll also explore OSHA requirements and best practices to keep your workplace safe and respectful.
You’ll learn how to recognize red flags, such as frequent complaints, sudden emotional outbursts, or fixations on past violent events. The course explains what aggressive behavior looks like and how to report it safely and responsibly.
You’ll also learn how to respond to a violent situation and what actions to take if you see someone with a weapon or acting irrationally. This course covers how to handle outside threats, including commercial crimes and domestic disputes, and how internal conflicts can escalate. It introduces the five key elements of a workplace violence prevention program, such as hazard identification and employee training.
By the end, you’ll know how to support a safe work environment, act early, and help reduce risks for everyone.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify types and sources of workplace violence
- Recognize behavioral red flags that may lead to violence
- Apply steps to respond to and report threats or harassment
- Explain OSHA’s role in workplace violence prevention
- Describe the key elements of a workplace violence prevention program
Skills you’ll gain
Incident ReportingConflict ManagementThreat AssessmentWorkplace SafetyCrime PreventionWhat You'll Learn
- Identify the types and sources of workplace violence, including verbal abuse, intimidation, and threats
- Recognize behavioral red flags such as frequent complaints, sudden emotional outbursts, or fixations on past violent events
- Apply steps to respond to and report threats or harassment safely and responsibly
- Respond to violent situations, including encounters involving a weapon or irrational behavior
- Explain OSHA's role and requirements in workplace violence prevention
- Describe the five key elements of a workplace violence prevention program, such as hazard identification and employee training
Key Takeaways
- Workplace violence includes more than physical fights; it can take the form of verbal abuse, intimidation, or threats, and often begins with smaller issues like mood swings or personality clashes.
- Early warning signs of aggression include frequent complaints, sudden emotional outbursts, and fixations on past violent events.
- Threats and aggressive behavior should be reported safely and responsibly following company policies.
- Workplace violence can come from outside threats such as commercial crimes and domestic disputes, as well as from internal conflicts that escalate.
- A workplace violence prevention program is built on five key elements, including hazard identification and employee training.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this course cover?
The course covers how to identify early warning signs of aggression, respond to threats and harassment, apply company policies for preventing violence, and understand OSHA requirements and best practices. It also addresses outside threats such as commercial crimes and domestic disputes, internal conflicts, and the five key elements of a workplace violence prevention program.
What counts as workplace violence in this course?
Workplace violence includes more than physical fights. It can take the form of verbal abuse, intimidation, or threats, and it often begins with smaller issues like mood swings or personality clashes.
What skills will I gain from this course?
You will develop skills in incident reporting, conflict management, threat assessment, workplace safety, and crime prevention.
Will I learn how to respond if I see someone with a weapon?
Yes. The course teaches how to respond to a violent situation and what actions to take if you see someone with a weapon or acting irrationally.
Does this course address OSHA requirements?
Yes. You will explore OSHA requirements and explain OSHA's role in workplace violence prevention.
Transcript
Show transcript (free preview lesson)
Transcript of the free preview lesson. Remaining lessons unlock with the full course.
Workplace Violence Some people believe that a certain amount of conflict on the job is normal. But where do we draw the line? For example, most incidents begin as just a disagreement between co-workers, but too often the argument can escalate into insults, challenges, even threats. Bystanders often ignore these confrontations, dismissing them as personality conflicts. But eventually, push comes to shove, and the personality conflict becomes physical. And once they become violent, these incidents can result in serious injuries, even death. So how much conflict is too much? OSHA requires employers to provide a place of employment free from recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees. And any type of workplace violence should be considered one of those hazards. It is stressful, bad for morale, and downright dangerous. We have to take steps to prevent any violence in the workplace.
Learn on the Go
Take your learning anywhere — the KnowledgeCity mobile app lets you watch lessons on the go.