Perpetrator profiles may include persons with a history of violent behavior, gang members, relatives of injured persons, and drug users. People working late, unsocial hours such as health care workers, custodians and workers in homeless shelters. Because violence can be predicted, it can also be prevented, even in workplaces that serve groups of the public who tend to be aggressive and violent. In almost every situation, there are solutions. Some are easy, painless and cheap, others are more difficult and more expensive.
Solutions differ greatly from occupation to occupation, and from workplace to workplace.
Nevertheless, there are clearly measures that can be taken to make the work environment less dangerous, even in the most inherently dangerous workplaces. After identifying the risk factors that increase the likelihood of workplace violence, the first thing the union should do is come up with possible solutions. Finally, change administrative procedures. Not all of these are practical in every workplace, but effective measures can be found for any workplace. Training as the sole safety program element will create an impossible responsibility on the employee for safety and security for him or herself, coworkers or other clients.