"Stabs Co-Worker With Scissors During Argument...."

The proliferation of workplace violence incidents is troubling to the Aluminium Plant Safety Blog. Here is an incident last year that we failed to post. Though unique in what occurred the reason behind the incident is not.

A woman has been charged with attacking a co-worker with a pair of scissors during an argument at their place of employment. A deputy with the local County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to local Medical Center around 6:55 p.m. one evening in July 2018 and met with the victim, who was being admitted to the facility due to her injuries.

The woman said she was stabbed at work by a co-worker at an aluminium company, according to an incident report released by the sheriff's office. The victim said she was stabbed with scissors, prompting the deputy to make note of injuries to her right shoulder, behind her right ear and chest area. The woman's face, neck and chest area and her shirt were all "covered in blood," the report goes on to state.

To get to the bottom of the incident, the deputy went to the aluminium company and met with two witnesses who say they saw (the defendant) allegedly attack the victim during an argument. The victim and the accused were separated after the altercation and (the defendant) went back inside the business.

The defendant was interviewed by deputies, and said there had been issues between her and the alleged victim. Tensions rose when the defendant asked another co-worker where the victim lived.

"(The defendant) stated she was curious because there were two deaths near that area and wanted to know what happened," according to the report. "(The defendant) stated an argument began at the pavilion. The argument led to a physical altercation, but she did not strike [the victim] with a pair of scissors."

However, the deputy noted (the defendant) had blood on her clothing and her left hand, and scissors found at the table where the altercation took place also had blood on them, the report notes. A review of surveillance footage taken at aluminium company allegedly showed (the defendant) striking the victim "in a stabbing motion to the back of the head, neck and shoulder area," the report adds.

(The defendant) was charged with aggravated battery and booked into the local County Jail Sunday evening on a $5,000 bond. She was released the following morning those records show.

We pray that the injured worker recovered fully from her physical wounds. We hope that mental health counseling have been provided to her to cope with the horrendous act.

In many incidents of workplace violence the seed was planted in the past and through misunderstanding or disagreement that seed grows leading to a moment where one individual believes violence is the only action that can be put forth. It is imperative that supervisors and managers are trained on how to manage people. Recently a former manager told us that “good managers realize that they have to manage each worker uniquely”. Many times a problem at home is magnified in the workplace. A good manager should know what the “feel”, “attitude” of their workers is at any moment. Failure to address any issue between workers can lead to a similar incident.

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