Last month, the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a new directive, “Enforcement Procedures for Investigating or Inspecting Workplace Violence Incidents.”

The purpose of this directive is to establish uniform procedures for OSHA staff to respond to and investigate incidents of workplace violence, primarily in industries that are considered more susceptible, such as the health care industry, the social services industry, and late-night retail establishments.

The directive presents some startling facts. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, there was an average of 590 workplace homicides per year from 2000–2009. In fact, homicide is one of the top four work-related fatal injuries. Workplace homicides were actually the number-one cause of death for women in the workplace in 2009. These statistics are shocking and demonstrate the importance of establishing guidelines that are more stringent for all, as well as proper training to support those guidelines.

In addition to the new directive, OSHA launched a new web page about workplace violence prevention. This website provides more information about workplace violence, how it can be reduced, as well as best-practice workplace violence guidance documents for US employers.

You can read the directive in its entirety here [PDF].

Even though OSHA is an agency that’s dedicated to promoting safety in the workplace, all organizations can benefit from establishing similar guidelines. What kinds of procedures does your organization have in place for investigating workplace violence? Please share them in the comments section below.