Part 2
Encountering aggressive clients, people, animals
Public-facing and field roles expose workers to aggression, whether from customers/clients, members of the public, co-workers, and animals. In 2023, workplace violence was the 3rd-leading cause of U.S. occupational fatalities (740 of 5,283; 458 homicides).
Non-fatal incidents are also widespread and often traumatic. Healthcare and social assistance account for 76% of violence injuries requiring time off. Lone workers face heightened risk due to delayed assistance and limited ability to summon help.
Example cases:
Postal service stabbing
Letter carrier Jay Larson was stabbed and killed while delivering mail during a spree of violence in the area. The killing highlights the vulnerability of solo postal routes where workers have little immediate backup or protection.
Mental health worker
An overnight mental-health care worker was fatally stabbed by a resident while working a solo shift. The case shows the particular danger of overnight lone working in residential mental-health settings and has fuelled calls for staffing and safety changes.
Utility lineman mauled
A lone worker was seriously injured when a pack of pit bulls attacked him on a rural property; the owner faced multiple charges.
Mitigation strategies:
Establish a zero-tolerance, clear policy: Written, enforced rules covering employees, clients, visitors; explicit consequences for threats, harassment, or violence.
Run a violence prevention program: Management commitment; risk assessment by task/site/time; controls; incident reporting; record-keeping. Tailor for robbery procedures, patient/visitor management, and public-facing conflict.
Harden the environment (engineering controls): Secure entry, lighting, CCTV, monitored alarms/panic buttons/duress codes; cash-handling minimisation and time-locks; protective barriers where warranted; safe rooms/escape routes. For animals: fenced delivery zones, warning signage, PPE (e.g., bite-resistant gloves, gaiters).
Set administrative controls and staffing: Avoid single-staffing at high-risk times/locations; itinerary sharing; check-in schedules; escalation pathways; no-cash signage; refuse-service protocols. Encourage early reporting without retaliation.
Train & practice: De-escalation, situational awareness, recognising red flags, safe disengagement/escape, robbery survival basics (“comply, observe, preserve evidence”), post-incident actions. Include harassment/bullying prevention and bystander intervention.
Implement lone-worker protections: GPS/SOS devices or apps with man-down/impact detection, timed check-ins, and two-way comms (cell/satellite); code words; rapid dispatch procedures; pre-visit risk screens for home calls (people and pets).
Provide post-incident support & learning: Immediate medical/psychological care (EAP/trauma counselling), debriefs, law-enforcement liaison, and corrective actions from root-cause reviews to prevent recurrence.
