Growing up, city kids are warned not to enter bad neighborhoods or wear the wrong colors for fear they could get shot. Nowadays, being gunned down is becoming more of a possibility while attending work.

On a single day in April, two people were killed and one was injured at Phelps Temporary Staffing Service in Louisburg, N.C.; one man shot another at an industrial plant parking lot in Chester, Va.; and one man shot another man before committing suicide at Alloy Fabricators of New England in Boston. According to the latest statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor, 516 people were victims of workplace homicides in 2006.

All of these incidents stemmed from very different situations, but the end-result is the same: loss of innocent life. After such a tragedy, employees often feel fear, helplessness, high anxiety, stress, anger, depression – or even post-traumatic stress disorder.

These feelings are natural, says W. Barry Nixon, executive director of the National Institute for Prevention of Workplace Violence Inc. However, it is important for employers to provide resources to minimize long-term impact, he stresses.

“It is very important that employees have an opportunity to talk to a highly skilled, professional counselor trained in critical incident stress debriefing to help the venting, coping process along,” he notes.

“It should also be recognized that each individual deals with and is impacted by stressful situations differently. Some will be able to deal with it in a relatively short time period and others may have lingering effects for months or years.”

Some of these incidents can be prevented if employees, family or friends recognize early warning signs of potential violence, according to the organization. Those include if the person:

•  Makes direct threats;
•  Is unhappy, consistently unreasonable or overreacts to feedback or criticism;
•  Uses intimidation tactics or feels the need to be in control;
•  Feels that someone is out to get them;
•  Feels anger or hate and is frequently involved in altercations;
•  Shows great interest in violent acts;
•  Makes vindictive statements;
•  Exhibits bizarre behavior;
•  Feels desperate;
•  Seems obsessed with the job or is romantically interested in a co-worker;
•  Is a substance abuser; or
•  Exhibits chronic signs of depression.

A situation where several of these signs are displayed should be taken seriously. The first step should be to talk to the person and express concern or offer help. If you don’t feel comfortable, express your concerns to HR.

If the person is stressed from work or an external situation, employers should offer alternatives to help relieve that stress.

“The key point being, you need to do something and not just wish and pray that it will go away,” Nixon says.