The Violence-Free Workplace: A Blueprint for Utilizing Professional Security Officers to Prevent and Respond to Workplace Violence

Organizations are ethically, morally, and legally required to maintain safe workplaces that protects employees, visitors and anyone who frequents their establishments. But why do organizations that employee uniformed security personnel as part of their overall workplace violence prevention program still struggle to create and maintain the safest possible workplaces? To meet these obligations organizations often employ uniformed security officers to deter, observe, and report criminal behavior, and in some contexts, they physically interact with dangerous individuals to protect employees, consumers and visitors from violent behaviors.

Unfortunately, many organizations don’t utilize their security personnel to their fullest potential and organizational and community members continue to be victims of workplace violence. This book identifies the flawed principles, policies and personnel decisions that organizations use, and it provides practical solutions to address them. The book covers two major themes: the misapplication of law enforcement community safety principles to private, free-market businesses and the use of risk aversive philosophies to their security officer’s activities.

This book covers the principles, policies and personnel necessary for maximizing the effectiveness of uniformed security personnel to successfully mitigate potential workplace violence and create and maintain safe organizations.

There is a strong need for this book since workplace violence prevention has taken on a new focus due to increases in workplace violence incidents and new laws requiring organizations to take a more serious approach to workplace violence prevention. The healthcare and campus markets are most affected by these laws and are under public scrutiny because of their vulnerable populations. These two markets combined employ the most non-contract, propriety private security personnel in the country. Both markets rely on uniform security officers to create and maintain safe communities and play an important role in their respective workplace violence prevention plans.

Andrew Tufano is the owner/operator of Goldstar Training, Goldstar Security and Roleplay Live. He’s worked in the security industry for over 30 years starting out as a uniformed security officer and working his way up to owning his own contact security company and consulting agency. He has major clients in the healthcare and campus safety sectors. Andy is a recognized communication and conflict management subject matter expert. Over the past 12 years, he has instructed thousands of students on how to improve their workplace communication. He has written widely on topics ranging from security, communication and conflict management. His book, Conflict Management for Security Professionals” (2013, Butterworth-Heinemann) has been well received in the public safety industry. He holds a Masters’ degree in Communication from California State University at Fullerton and has been an adjunct communications professor since 2002. He is also a member of the International Law Endowment Educators and Trainers Association and the International Association of Health and Safety.