John Ho, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Labor & Employment department, wrote an article for Occupational Health & Safety Online on violence in the workplace. The shooting earlier in the year in Florida, where a lone gunman killed five people and then himself at an Orlando awning factory, and the recent tragedy in Maryland, where an employee of a granite company shot five people, three of them fatally, are sad reminders that workplace violence remains a serious issue for businesses. OSHA estimates that approximately 2 million American workers are victims of workplace violence each year and that it can strike anywhere, at any time. Although there are no specific OSHA standards for workplace violence, ignoring signs and failing to abate recognized hazards including workplace violence could lead to a violation of Section 5(a)(1), the general duty clause, of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
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