More Firms Act to Boost Security for Employees : Violence: As homicides on the job grow, companies rely on array of measures to screen workers and protect workplace.

Almost eight months have passed since a man walked into a Camarillo software firm called Postal Innovations and shot the owner nine times.

But the details of that day--the crackling bursts of gunfire, the screams, the blood--will forever haunt Rick Woodman. A programmer, it was Woodman who held company President Sheldon Snyder in his arms as Snyder’s life drained away.

“I kept telling him to hold on, but it was already too late,” Woodman said.

Events like these have become frighteningly common. Snyder was the 12th person in Ventura County to be murdered on the job since 1993 and, on average, a worker is slain in California every three days. Homicide is now the second-leading cause of death on the job and the primary cause of death for women in the workplace.

According to statistics compiled by the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, of the 636 Californians who died at work in 1997, more than 20% were the result of homicide.

The killing of Snyder, and other shootings like it around the country, has not only altered Woodman’s life, but has changed the way many Ventura County companies do business. Company owners are coming to realize that protecting their employees is as fundamental a business practice as meeting deadlines and keeping track of inventory.

“It’s an issue that is getting a lot more attention from companies,” said John Hole, director of business development for Aegir Systems, an Oxnard engineering and security firm that has seen its business jump in recent months as more firms install security devices.

“They recognize this is a problem and are starting to look for ways to meet the threat before anything happens.”

Some county firms are resorting to extensive background checks to weed out applicants who have criminal histories or may be prone to violent and unlawful behavior.

Increasingly, companies are requiring prospective employees to submit to drug screening, aptitude exams, emotional and mental profiles, and so-called integrity tests.

Applicants may even have to hand over bank account numbers and agree to credit reviews. An employer may ask them to give blood to screen for disease and hair samples to check for drug abuse that may have occurred more than a year prior.

Gunshots Shatter Quiet Office

Other local companies are beefing up their human resources staffs to better deal with issues relating to hiring and some are locking doors and installing cameras and other devices to better protect their workers. Postal Innovations has installed new locking doors and a set of parabolic mirrors to keep a close eye on visitors.

“But how much is enough?” asked John Scanlon, a consultant at the New York-based security firm DSFX International. “What does a company have to do to show that its workplace is safe?”

Prior to Snyder’s slaying, employees at Postal Innovations thought their office was not only safe, but a haven from acts of violence.

Theirs was a quiet office, where friendship often grew out of professional relationships.

Mikhail Khaimchayev had been hired last year on a 90-day contract to assist with software development. But he was finally let go because he didn’t measure up. He knew very little about computers and could not speak English very well.

Snyder broke the news to Khaimchayev, but said if he improved his language and computer skills the company might hire him back.

Months went by. Khaimchayev regularly called to ask if any positions had opened up. On Jan. 13, after being told there was nothing available, he allegedly snapped.

Shortly after 2 p.m., Khaimchayev walked into the company’s office and politely said hello to several of his former co-workers, according to accounts. Some were surprised to see him, but no one was alarmed.

Khaimchayev then entered Snyder’s office, leveled a 9-millimeter handgun and emptied the clip, according to the Sheriff’s Department. He then reloaded and turned the gun on himself, firing once into his abdomen, deputies said. Although seriously injured, Khaimchayev survived.

Snyder suffered massive internal hemorrhaging and died almost instantly.

Like any small business owner, Larry Chason has on occasion imagined the worst. Yet finding a way to safeguard his 42 employees, he said, borders on the impossible.

In terms of preventive measures, Chason, who owns Mail Manager Inc. in Ventura, said he does not use background checks to verify employment, educational and personal histories. He does not require applicants to take psychological or integrity tests.

Instead, Chason said he relies on his gut feelings on whether they are right for the company. The first three months are a trial period for employees, after which they can be let go if their work does not meet company standards.

“You do a lot of tiptoeing as an employer,” he said. “There’s definitely a question of what I should do and what I can do and that isn’t an easy thing to balance, but I’m pretty sure that the way we hire is pretty good.”

But is that enough to protect employees from violent acts? And to protect employers from liability if such an act were committed at his business?

No, according to a slew of court cases, some dating back to the turn of the century. Negligent hiring is well-recognized as a foundation for company liability.

The theory behind such rulings is that the employer knew or should have known that an employee presented a threat to the work environment.

According to a 1993 study by the Palm Springs-based Workplace Violence Institute, settlements in workplace violence lawsuits averaged between $500,000 and $3 million.

In a 1987 case, an Amtrak employee won a $3.5-million settlement from the company after being shot and seriously wounded by a co-worker.

The jury determined that Amtrak was negligent because it failed to discipline the worker after repeated attacks and threats against other employees.

More recently, the widow of a man killed during Mark Barton’s shooting spree in Atlanta in July filed suit against her late husband’s employer, a day-trading firm called All-Tech Investment Group, the building’s owner and the company which provides security for the office complex.

In the suit, Gulshan Harjee contends that All-Tech was negligent because it didn’t adequately supervise Barton and failed to conduct a background check that her attorneys say would have identified Barton as a “volatile” and potentially dangerous individual.

“Liability is a real issue for companies, especially here in California because the state is so litigious,” said Steve Kaufer, co-founder of the Workplace Violence Institute, which consults with companies on how to cope with potential problem employees.

“It’s one of the reasons more [businesses] are taking harder looks at how and who they hire,” he said.

But it also makes good business sense to match the right employee to the right job. That is why a number of firms are turning to executive search firms and companies like Profiles International Inc., based in Waco, Texas.

Established in 1991, Profiles International assists companies through a complex battery of evaluations that help weed out applicants who do not fit the positions they are seeking.

They also administer tests that gauge an applicant’s honesty and integrity to help reduce workplace violence, theft and fraud.

“It gives them an insight into a potential employee that they wouldn’t be able to get just through an interview,” said Mike Sherrow, who along with his wife Sue, head the company’s Ventura County branch.

“These days, companies need to know more about their employees if they are going to compete, but they don’t always have the tools to do that, which is why they’re turning to us,” added Sherrow.

Applicants Face Battery of Questions

Although prospective employees could try to lie, Sherrow said questions are worded in such a way that they give a fairly accurate picture of the person anyway.

Typical questions include asking applicants how much they agree with the following statements:

*Some of my past supervisors had it in for me.

*Companies expect too much work for the money they pay.

*Supervisors enjoy hassling their workers.

*Most of my problems are caused by other people’s bad attitudes.

A number of county firms, such as Haas Automation in Oxnard, are using Profiles International as part of their hiring process.

While workplace violence is not a leading concern to company officials at Procter & Gamble’s wood processing plant in Oxnard, they do feel their stringent hiring practices, profit-sharing policies and inclusive management style have helped create a safer work environment.

According to company Vice President Stacy Roscoe, landing a job at the plant is difficult and can often take weeks.

Not only do applicants sit through a number of personal interviews, but their backgrounds are checked and they take a number of tests, including mechanical aptitude exams and integrity tests.

“I believe that security is a byproduct of the hiring process,” Roscoe said. “When we bring someone on board we have a pretty good understanding of who that person is. . . .That kind of understanding, I think, has kept us from having any security issues.”

In addition, Roscoe said the company’s policy of profit-sharing--20% of the company is owned by workers--gives employees a vested interest in their work and the success of the company.

This kind of inclusive management style, said workplace violence researcher Marilyn Knight, can go a long way toward defusing the kind of employee frustration that is often a precursor to violence.

“We live in a drastically different world,” she said. “It’s a world where people feel marginalized and unimportant. . . .There isn’t this feeling of connectedness to their communities or their work, which is one of the reasons why we’re seeing these kinds of incidents happen.

“Restoring that sense of inclusion, in many cases, is helpful and creates an attitude in the workplace that reduces the threat of violence.”

Firms Taking Extra Precautions

Although less common, some companies are taking more drastic steps to curb the likelihood of violence in the workplace. In addition to shoring up their hiring practices, some firms are also installing security devices such as controlled-access doors, mirrors and video cameras.

St. John’s Regional Medical Center recently installed a security system designed by Aegir Systems, and is consulting with other specialists on ways to beef up security.

“There is a lot a company can do, even a small company, to make their businesses safer,” said Aegir’s John Hole. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be that expensive. . . .Often it can just be a few hundred dollars, depending on what they want to do.”

Khaimchayev’s murder trial has been postponed because of his mental state, which prosecutors have labeled “overtly psychotic.” He is being housed at a state psychiatric institution for examination and treatment, after which he may stand trial.

At Postal Innovations, there are few reminders of what took place that January day.

The bullet holes in the walls have been plastered over and the blood-stained carpet has been cleaned.

A framed portrait of Snyder now hangs in the conference room.

Yet the memories are never far away for employees. And today, all visitors must pass through a new set of security doors. Once inside, they are never out of sight of the new parabolic mirrors.