50 / STAFF SAFETY
Keeping staff safe Workplace violence is on the increase. Yasmine Mustafa, CEO of ROAR for Good, highlights the challenge and how managers can act to keep employees safe at work
I
t's a strange and uneasy time. People are angry, and on edge. As a result, workplace violence has soared. This is particularly true in the US and in aviation. A survey by the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) in 2021, showed 85% of attendants had dealt with an unruly passenger, and 17% said a passenger had physically assaulted them. The poll surveyed nearly 5,000 attendants, so that's 850 physical assaults in 2021 alone. Unfortunately, this isn't a one-off; workplace violence has increased across the hospitality sector, and not just in the US. Employees of cruise ships, trains, bars, healthcare facilities and anywhere with public interaction are feeling the brunt of tensions. Employees have more to fear from workplace violence than a fat lip or a broken nose. According to a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) report, the US sees almost 2 million violent workplace incidents a year, causing 400 people to lose their lives annually. There's no simple solution, but there are things managers can do to lower the risks. Knowing the different types of workplace violence, how to spot potential threats and relevant actions can all help prevent a minor incident from escalating. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are four main types of workplace
onboardhospitality.com
keeping staff safe_v6.indd 50
12/14/22 07:56 AM