COMMANDANT 5370.1A
6.
DEFINITION.
a.
Workplace violence is any act or attempted act of physical aggression or harm by an
individual that occurs at the workplace. Examples include:
(1)
Causing or attempting to cause bodily harm or death to another person without
legal justification;
(2)
Acting or attempting to sabotage, destroy, violently damage, or deface real or
personal property at the workplace without legal justification;
(3)
Possessing weapons in the workplace not specifically authorized by competent
authority for performing one's duties (see paragraph 7.i.).
b.
Threatening behavior is an individual's threat, either overt or implied, to commit an
act of physical aggression or harm at the workplace. Examples include:
(1)
Threats to cause bodily harm or death to another person (including stalking,
bullying, or other abusive or aggressive behavior);
(2)
Threats to commit sabotage, destroy, damage, or deface real or personal property
located at the workplace;
(3)
Unusual, bizarre, or menacing behavior or statements that a reasonable person
would interpret as carrying the potential for violent acts.
The examples above are not exhaustive; they only illustrate various kinds of
workplace violence and threatening behavior, whether by members or employees of
the Coast Guard, contract personnel or persons not affiliated with the Coast Guard.
7.
POLICY.
a.
Provision of a safe work environment is a command responsibility that cannot be
delegated. Behaviors and actions as defined in paragraph 6 above will not be
tolerated. Commands shall address every instance of workplace violence or
threatening behavior immediately and in strict accordance with this Instruction. Such
action shall include initiating disciplinary action unless the facts clearly indicate
disciplinary action is not warranted.
b.
The CIT seeks to forestall workplace violence or further occurrences of violence by
using the immediately available information to place the appropriate resources at the
disposal of the commander and to initiate existing processes such as administrative or
criminal investigation, personnel actions or Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
counseling. The CIT is not an investigative body and shall not act in that capacity. It
will not question or interview alleged offenders, but will advise commanders as to
whether administrative or criminal investigation under existing procedures is
warranted.
c.
Only the commanding officer or civilian director of the organization in which the
situation occurred may convene the CIT. The convening authority or deputy chairs
the CIT. These command responsibilities are not delegable below that level of
authority. For purposes of this Instruction, the Commanding Officer of Coast Guard
Headquarters is the
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