Facility/Site Assessment:
The first step in a meaningful workplace violence prevention program is a thorough examination of the work site. All work sites are different. Merely copying the program of a similar business may not accurately address an employer's needs. In fact, a truly comprehensive program would take into account the unique qualities of an individual worksite first and develop a program from there and then incorporate any similarities it may have with another worksite. There are many diverse characteristics that make one business fundamentally different from another:

Type of Restaurant - A diner, a quick service restaurant that has various numbers of seats, and a dinner house that seats 300, have fundamentally different challenges facing them. The size of the property and the number of guests and employees significantly affect the type of program that would best reduce the risk factors.
Site Location - Every community is different. What works in one location is not necessarily the best program for another location. A site in a suburban mall parking lot faces different challenges than a restaurant inside the mall or a restaurant along a crowded city street may face. Accessibility and visibility can affect the likelihood of a worksite being targeted for random violence.
Physical Layout - The layout of a worksite impacts the risk factors as well. A quick service restaurant with an active pick-up window or cash register close to a door provides different challenges than a dinner house with monies in the back of the house or with predominately all credit card transactions.
Engineering Controls - New restaurants can be designed to reduce the potential exposure to crime. The physical design can include windows facing the street, allow for the reduction of barriers to sight and the placement of appropriate lighting in and around the building. This is known as environmental crime prevention.
Operational Characteristics - Business hours and money handling procedures vary greatly depending on the type of restaurant. An accurate assessment of these factors is a critical part of a comprehensive program.

Employee Education:
Employee training is a valuable component of a successful violence prevention program. A well-trained staff can do more to reduce the risk of violence in the workplace than any physical or operational considerations. Employees must understand the risks they are faced with in a place of business and be fluent with the relevant policies and procedures that the individual workplace has developed to address those risk factors. The violence prevention training should be integrated with the overall employee training program and should receive attention equal to that of any other operational concerns. An effective violence prevention training program should consider the following:

Cash Control Procedures - Proper procedures for the handling and depositing of cash and receipts;
Open/Close Procedures - Best practice methods for opening and closing the restaurant each day;
Code of Conduct - Standards for appropriate behavior in the workplace;
Robbery Prevention - Procedures to limit the risk factors for robbery;
Physical Security Features - Proper use of closed circuit television, locks, and barriers where appropriate;
Emergency Procedures - Proper policies for behavior in the event of fire, burglary, etc;
Concept-Specific Factors - Identify factors that make each individual restaurant and location vulnerable;
Unauthorized Access Control - Standards for admittance to restaurant during non-business hours.

Ongoing Security Management:
In addition to the initial training of employees, a constant program of security management should be initiated and maintained to ensure that prevention and controls are a part of the everyday operation of the restaurant. This type of management program must be flexible to accommodate the needs of each unique individual worksite. These components may include:

Cash Controls - A normal and routine method of handling all cash money;
Open/Close Procedures - A step by step method to ensure strict adherence to store opening and closing policies;
Lighting - Ensure that adequate lighting is maintained to increase visibility;
Security Devices - Ensure that all security devices are in working order and the staff is familiar with their operation;
Signage - There should be visible signage notifying potential intruders that staff has limited access to cash;
Staffing - The restaurant staff must be adequately trained to ensure that all safety procedures are carried out correctly;
Law Enforcement Liaison - All staff should be trained to get the appropriate law enforcement to the store as soon as possible during or following an incident.

Reporting & Evaluation:
An effective workplace violence prevention program includes procedures for the accurate and timely reporting of threats or incidents of workplace violence. Employees should be encouraged to report any and all criminal activity to both management and law enforcement authorities. An effective program should also include the capacity to continually monitor the success of the program and allow for the alteration or addition of any workplace violence prevention component.

Summary:
While crime in general is on the decline in the United States, responsible employers in every industry, in both the public and private sector, must remain vigilant in their efforts to keep employees and customers safe. The above suggestions represent the restaurant industry's ongoing commitment to a safe work environment.