How Construction Firms Can Guard Against Violence on Worksites

Reports detailing escalating violence in society have become an everyday occurrence and appear even more pervasive since the pandemic. Workplaces have also been plagued by this increasing violence, and the fluctuating conditions on construction worksites make developing a mitigation plan especially challenging.

The U.S. reported more than 37,000 injuries from workplace violence in 2020.¹ Today, workplace violence accounts for about 9% of all fatal occupational injuries in the country.² In Canada, many provinces have reported upticks in workplace violence, including British Columbia which has seen workplace violence increase 25% in the past five years.³

Workplace violence victims and their families often feel the impact of an incident physically, psychologically and even financially. Employers pay a big price too, including lowered productivity and morale, increased turnover, rising workers’ compensation costs and potential payouts for medical expenses and legal costs.

Many employers have detailed plans to mitigate the risks of workplace violence and respond in the event of an incident. But in the construction industry, the picture of risk changes for each new project, with worksites in a constant state of flux as the work progresses. With subcontractors coming and going over the course of a project, interpersonal conflicts can arise. And since construction sites are often attractive targets for thieves, early morning crews could be at risk if they surprise criminals looting materials.

To effectively counter the risks, construction firms should maintain violence prevention programs that focus on threat assessment and management while considering changing environments and conditions.

Prevention, intervention and response

Similar to site-specific safety and emergency response plans for fire and weather-related disasters, construction firms should have risk mitigation strategies for acts of violence at the worksite. Creating an effective violence prevention plan starts at the top, with leadership recognizing the risks and supporting the implementation of protocols that go deeper than a zero-tolerance statement.

To create an effective worksite violence prevention program, construction firms should:

• Conduct a thorough needs and risk assessment. A multidisciplinary team of senior leaders, managers, human resources and legal counsel should conduct these assessments and take into account the organization’s unique risk factors at each office, job site and the community in which you operate. Don’t forget to consider factors such as location and local crime rates.
• Establish a tailored formal workplace violence prevention and intervention program. Leverage the structure of your existing safety management program to create an aligned program with policies, procedures, employee/subcontractor training elements, threat/hazard mitigation processes and emergency response plans.
• Provide regular workplace violence training at all levels. Construction companies need to ensure that everyone on a worksite understands the types of risks and behaviors that can lead to violence. Training may include coaching on professionalism, education on adjacent issues such as bullying, self-harm and suicidal ideation — which may be precursors to violence against others — and identifying potential threats. Training should also address policies for safely reporting hazards, threats and concerning behaviors.
• Maintain policies to protect workers from criminal threats. Construction sites are often targets for theft and vandalism. Ensure employees understand your company’s rules if they witness theft or vandalism. This may include a ban on approaching any bad actors, requiring workers to distance themselves from an illegal act and protocols for contacting security or law enforcement.
• Recognize the importance of threat assessment and management. Many businesses don’t have a formal process for assessing the seriousness of a threat of violence or managing a threat after it’s been reported. Create a formal process for assessing things like whether the threat is imminent, whether the person has a significant grievance or history of violence and/or the means to commit the act. Make sure site managers, supervisors and construction workers understand that everyone has a role to play in looking out for one another and keeping a job site safe.

Contact HUB International’s construction insurance experts to learn more about reducing the risk of workplace violence on construction sites.

¹ U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Workplace violence: Homicides and nonfatal intentional injuries by another person in 2020,” November 21, 2022.

² Industrial Safety & Hygiene News, “11 trends about violence in the workplace safety professionals need to know,” February 8, 2023.

³ Vancouver Sun, “Workplace violence up 25 per cent over five years in B.C.,” March 31, 2023.