AFMA Offers Workplace Security Tips Workplace Security and Violence Concerns Spur Specialized AFMA Seminar

Furniture World Magazine

Home furnishings manufacturers need a heightened awareness of workplace security issues, according to the American Furniture Manufacturers Association (AFMA). The Association’s Human Resources/Safety Division held seminars this week to address concerns raised by the events of September 11, as well as by the rising incidence of violent assaults in the American workplace. "Last year there were 9 million assaults at work, 1 million of which were violent," reported Charles R. Simmons, vice president of field operations for Norred & Associates, a corporate security firm based in Atlanta. "Murder is now the second leading cause of death at work, second only to motor vehicle accidents." Simmons said the increase in workplace violence can be attributed to a variety of factors, including drug and alcohol abuse, glamorization of violence in the media, the availability of guns, a high divorce rate, the breakdown in family and community ties, and company downsizing and layoffs. James W. Wimberly Jr., a principal in the national management labor law firm of Wimberly, Lawson, Steckel, Nelson & Schneider, P.C., headquartered in Atlanta, pointed out that the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) requires employers to provide protection from "recognized hazards" in the workplace – which recently has been interpreted by the courts to include potentially violent employees or former employees. For example, Wimberly cited a 1999 case in which a North Carolina jury awarded nearly $8 million to the families of two men killed at a plant when a fired employee went on a shooting rampage. "The key issue was whether the company officials properly protected employees from a former employee, who was fired two days earlier because of a string of violent incidents," said Wimberly. To help prevent workplace violence and limit employer liability, Wimberly recommended developing a workplace violence prevention and security program. Elements of such a program depend upon the size and nature of business, he said, but could include: • A written company policy prohibiting acts of violence and banning weapons on company property. • Thorough background checks, including criminal records, for prospective employees. • Training managers and supervisors to recognize signs of trouble. • Establishing procedures for reporting and investigating complaints. • Providing counseling when necessary. Security systems also help reduce the risk of workplace violence, Simmons reported. He suggested using video surveillance, security guards, sign-in desks for screening visitors, identification cards for employees, alarm systems and security lights as measures to help prevent violence in the workplace, both by employees and by outside visitors. AFMA’s Human Resources/Safety Division focuses on employment practices and issues within home furnishings manufacturing facilities. The division provides seminars, training workshops and conferences, as well as OSHA alerts, safety videos and a safety awards program. Workplace security and violence prevention issues will be addressed again at the Human Resources/Safety Conference-Expo Sept. 11-14 in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The American Furniture Manufacturers Association is headquartered in High Point, N.C. – the furniture capital of the world – and represents more than 200 leading U.S. furniture manufacturers plus 250 suppliers to the industry.