Workplace violence: theories of causation and prevention strategies

1. Occupational violence is a multi-causal phenomenon that continues to escalate and significantly impact worker health and safety as well as productivity and morale. 2. The available data sources provide only a "tip of the iceberg" glimpse of the problem. The occupational health nurse can contribute to a greater understanding of workplace violence by collecting and disseminating statistics on non-fatal injuries accompanied by accurate occupational titles. 3. The occupational health nurse is the critical link between management and workers. Using the public health model of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention, the occupational health nurse can create and implement a company wide policy aimed at preventing occupational violence from all causes.