Workplace Violence Security Assessment for Medical Offices
This paper presents a security assessment conducted at one location of a multi-site orthopedic medical group employing over 200 staff members. The assessment identified four critical vulnerabilities: the absence of a formal security policy, a lack of security management standards, building infrastructure weaknesses (including missing alarms and panic buttons), and no entryway access control system. Drawing on OSHA guidelines and peer-reviewed research, the paper examines workplace violence trends in healthcare settings, the role of leadership in policy development, the importance of security management awareness, and the value of physical access controls. The paper concludes with actionable recommendations and a brief discussion of emerging cyber violence threats facing healthcare organizations.
- Introduction and Background: Overview of orthopedic group and workplace violence context
- Problem Statement and Security Vulnerabilities: Four key security gaps identified in assessment
- Leadership Engagement and Security Policy: Leadership's role in creating actionable security policy
- Security Management and Awareness: Zero-tolerance policy and staff awareness training
- Building Vulnerabilities and Infrastructure: Alarms, cameras, and door security weaknesses
- Access Control and Domestic Violence Considerations: Preventing unauthorized entry and domestic violence incidents
- Alternatives, Recommendations, and Conclusion: Policy recommendations and emerging cyber violence threats
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper grounds its recommendations in a real organizational context — a specific orthopedic group with documented vulnerabilities — making abstract security concepts concrete and actionable.
- Each vulnerability identified in the problem statement maps directly to a dedicated analytical section, giving the report a clean, professional structure that mirrors real-world security documentation.
- The paper integrates both quantitative data (e.g., 2 million U.S. workers affected annually, 82–96% nurse verbal abuse rates) and qualitative frameworks (OSHA classifications, zero-tolerance policy rationale) to support its claims.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied research synthesis: the author draws on OSHA guidelines, peer-reviewed journal articles, and organizational data simultaneously, then translates those sources into practical policy recommendations. This technique — moving from literature to evidence to actionable recommendation — is characteristic of professional assessment reports in health administration and public safety contexts.
Structure breakdown
The paper follows a report-style structure: background and context, a numbered problem statement, thematic analytical sections (leadership, security management, building infrastructure, access control), a bulleted recommendations section, and a synthesizing conclusion. The numbered vulnerability list in the problem statement anchors each subsequent section, making the argument easy to follow and trace back to its source observations.
Introduction and Background
Orthopedic Group (OG) is a medical office facility that treats patients in need of surgery, rehabilitation, and musculoskeletal care. The organization employs over 200 staff members across 8 separate office locations. One office alone employs approximately 45 staff members within a 17,000 sq. ft. office space. OG operates six days a week, twelve hours a day. OG has recently implemented an active shooter training course and is in the process of evaluating its physical office security measures due to an uptick in workplace violence incidents.
"Workplace violence is becoming disturbingly commonplace" (Manager Skills, 2016). According to the U.S. Department of Labor (2002), "Some 2 million American workers are victims of workplace violence each year." With the rise in workplace violence incidents nationwide, coupled with increases in patient threat incidents, physical security is of paramount concern to the practice. The safety of OG's patients and staff is a key concern for the organization. Acts of aggression or violence could significantly impact the lives of the team and patient community. According to Neilson (2019), "Formal evaluation of a workplace violence program is necessary."
Problem Statement and Security Vulnerabilities
A walk-through security assessment was completed at one of OG's office locations. The assessment found that Orthopedic Group does not have the appropriate security measures to ensure the safety of its staff and patients. For example, the office does not have a security policy, training guidelines or expectations, building alarms or panic buttons, or an entryway access control system — all of which leave staff and patients vulnerable to potential life-threatening harm. Listed below are the four primary vulnerabilities identified, along with proposed objectives, considerations, and decision alternatives required to enhance office security measures.
"In addition to protecting employees, establishing workplace violence prevention programs could protect organizations from lawsuits by staff in case of an incident" (Agovino, 2019). A thorough safety assessment report was completed and presented to the Board of Directors (BOD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The report contained four major evaluations noting security vulnerabilities, along with suggested alternatives and recommendations needed to provide a safe environment for patients and staff. A number of decision alternatives were subsequently analyzed during group meetings with the organization's senior management team.
Leadership Engagement and Security Policy
As noted above, there are many elements within the overall security infrastructure that must be addressed. The organization must create a security policy, incorporate a high standard of security management, install a flexible alarm system, and establish controlled entryways and access points. Many of these measures require extensive financial and human capital investment. As a result, leadership will play a critical role in implementing the proposed solutions.
As it relates to the overall security policy, management must frame workplace violence in a cogent and understandable way based on data and analytics. Violence in the workplace is an ongoing concern given the diverse array of individuals interacting with each other on a daily basis. The current political environment, contentious public debates, racial inequality, and the COVID-19 pandemic have only exacerbated these pressures. When these factors converge, the potential for workplace violence can emerge quickly and without regard to rational behavior.
The most common areas of violence that OSHA has identified — particularly in healthcare and social services — include psychiatric facilities, emergency departments, pharmacies, community care facilities, and drug abuse treatment departments. The stress of daily work combined with external pressures can create a personal atmosphere conducive to workplace violence. Stress has also impacted employees' cognitive functioning as it relates to job performance and personal lives. Nurses, for example, have faced verbal abuse from 82% to 96% of their patients within a given day (DelBel, 2003). Survey results showed that nurses believe this has contributed to low job performance, high absenteeism, and high turnover.
To mitigate these influences, leaders must first create actionable policies that discourage individuals from engaging in workplace violence. The security policy's primary purpose is to deter — and to impose serious consequences upon — those who commit acts of workplace violence. A study identified workplace hostility as having four common features: the capacity to inflict harm on others, the target's need to evade the situation, the intent of the offender, and the tenacious nature of the harm caused (Selden & Downey, 2012). A security policy must therefore look to reduce or mitigate these influences. Management should define what types of behaviors and employee conduct are considered a concern, specify the offenses that constitute workplace violence, and outline strategies for addressing employee misconduct. Employee assistance programs could prove effective in this regard, along with protocols for the safe termination of employees found to have committed violent acts.
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