Nov 26, 2013

Injured TSA Worker Talks about Recent LAX Shooting

TSA worker Tony Grigsby spoke to reporters on November 4th and described
how it felt to be shot at the Los Angeles airport, as reported in the
Los Angeles Times article,
Injured TSA worker: ‘All I could think about was helping’ people.

Grigsby was trying to help an elderly man when he was shot twice.

Most of us who travel view TSA [Transportation Safety Administration] workers
as an annoyance. They search passengers before boarding. They are the
folks who try to make sure terrorists don’t get on airplanes. Their
job is stressful, however, and as the death of Grigsby’s colleague
Gerardo Hernandez was killed in the shooting rampage on November 1 at
LAX, it can sometimes be fatal.

Grigsby and Hernandez were friends.

Grigsby said his slain colleague was “very, very dear to me.”
The two last spoke about vacationing in Mexico, he said. “Only now
has it hit me that I will never see him again,” Grigsby said. He
paused. “He was a wonderful person and a friend and I will miss
him.”

The gunman, Paul Anthony Ciancia, wanted to shoot TSA agents and cause
havoc. He is still listed in critical condition at a Los Angeles hospital.

According to
the OSHA website, nearly 2 million Americans are victims of workplace violence every year.
Employers should have a definite policy in place to deal with violence.

OSHA believes that a well written and implemented Workplace Violence Prevention
Program, combined with engineering controls, administrative controls and
training can reduce the incidence of workplace violence in both the private
sector and Federal workplaces.

If you or someone you know thinks they have suffered an injury while on
the job, whether from workplace violence or any other cause, Nate Hansford
can help. Contact Nate by phone at 770-922-3660.