What is externally originated violence?
External violence encompasses actions by third parties that threaten or harm the safety, health, or well-being of employees in connection with their work. This may include insults, threats, physical assaults, or intimidation. The external origin refers to the relationship with the organization, not the physical location where the incident occurs.
It can occur within the workplace, during work-related travel, or through digital channels. Violence stemming from a personal relationship outside of work can also affect employment. Prevention should address the specific circumstances and the appropriate protective resources, without requiring a physical injury to occur first.
Differences between exposure situations
An assault during a robbery and a threat from a customer regarding a service decision may require different measures. In the first case, there may not be a service relationship; in the second, professional interaction is part of the scenario. Classifying the situation helps to understand how the exposure occurs.
The general form for workplace violence and harassment allows these behaviors to be categorized alongside those originating internally. It is not advisable to automatically attribute risk to a specific category of users or to treat everyone as a threat. The assessment should be based on individual situations, background, and working conditions, avoiding stigmatization.
What the evaluation should analyze
It’s advisable to review activities involving customer service, working alone, handling valuables, movement, and high-stress situations. Accessibility, visibility, space layout, the ability to request assistance, and response times are also important. Previous incidents provide information, but their absence doesn’t mean the risk is nonexistent.
Psychosocial assessment can help determine exposure levels, but it must be complemented by an analysis of physical and operational conditions. A general questionnaire is no substitute for reviewing a room with an inaccessible exit or an emergency call that no one can answer during a given shift.
Measures regarding the service and the environment
The measures can improve information about waiting times, organize patient flow, facilitate referrals, and revise the design of spaces. There must be ways to request support and procedures for withdrawing from a dangerous situation. Staff must know who is involved and what the limits of their own actions are.
Communication training can be helpful, but it doesn’t make an employee responsible for preventing all aggression. Nor does it replace adequate equipment, protective gear, or proper organization. Alarm, security, and video surveillance systems must be assessed according to the risk and applicable requirements, ensuring they actually allow for a response.
Incident preparedness and response
The response must prioritize the protection of people and the activation of appropriate support. The emergency plan and specific procedures must address relevant scenarios. Untrained personnel should not be asked to physically intervene to control an attack or to continue an interaction when they cannot do so safely.
Following the incident, assistance, internal communication, and registration must be provided in accordance with applicable procedures. Communications to external authorities or services depend on the situation and the relevant framework. Addressing potential health consequences requires competent professionals and respect for privacy, without minimizing the incident simply because there are no visible injuries.
Practical example
At a service point, an unfavorable administrative decision must be explained at a private counter. When the user raises their voice and makes threats, the employee has no discreet way to ask for help. The history shows several similar episodes, although none were recorded as incidents for preventive management.
The organization reviews the space, establishes a support system, and clarifies when to refer or discontinue care. It also improves pre-assessment information and explains how to record threats. Then it checks support response times across all shifts. The measure is not simply about asking staff to remain calm.
Follow-up and subsequent support
Command and team support must be available after an incident. It is advisable to assess whether the individual needs assistance or adjustments, without forcing public accounts or assigning blame. The emotional demands associated with the activity should be considered alongside the risk of violence.
The monitoring analyzes patterns, times, locations, and response failures to improve the measures. An increase in reports may reflect that previously hidden situations are now being reported. Interpretation should avoid penalizing the center that records best and instead encourage useful information to reduce exposure.
Common mistakes
Common mistakes include accepting threats as part of the job, waiting for a serious injury, or limiting the entire response to individual training. Other errors include installing an alarm without verifying who receives it, designing barriers that hinder evacuation, or disclosing incident data beyond those who need to know.
The preventive approach involves combining organization, environment, resources, and support with a proportionate response. No single measure guarantees the elimination of all violence, but this uncertainty does not justify inaction. The company must review foreseeable scenarios and maintain operational measures that protect its personnel.
