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Violence in the Workplace
The
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
has found that an average of 20 workers are murdered each
week in the United States. In addition, an estimated 1 million
workers -18,000 per week - are victims of nonfatal workplace
assaults each year.
Homicide
is the second leading cause of death on the job, second
only to motor vehicle crashes. Homicide is the leading cause
of workplace death among females. However, men are at three
times higher risk of becoming victims of workplace homicides
than women. Homicide is also the leading cause of death
for workers under 18 years of age. The majority of workplace
homicides are robberyrelated crimes (71%) with only 9% committed
by coworkers or former coworkers. Additionally, 76% of all
workplace homicides are committed with a firearm.
Most
nonfatal workplace assaults occur in service settings such
as hospitals, nursing homes, and social service agencies.
Forty eight percent of nonfatal assaults in the workplace
are committed by a health care patient. Nonfatal workplace
assaults result in more than 876,000 lost workdays and $16
million in lost wages. Nonfatal assaults occur among men
and women at an almost equal rates.
The
circumstances of workplace violence differ significantly
from those of other types of homicides. While most workplace
homicides are robbery-related, less than 10% of homicides
in the general population occur during a robbery. Additionally,
in the general population about 50% of all murder victims
were related to their assailants whereas the majority of
workplace homicides are believed to occur among people who
do not know each other. These differences call for unique
prevention measures targeted specifically to the workplace.
Risk
Factors
Factors
that place workers at risk for violence in the workplace
include interacting with the public, exchanging money, delivering
services or goods, working late at night or during early
morning hours, working alone, guarding valuable goods or
property, and dealing with violent people or volatile situations.
Anyone
can become the victim of a workplace assault, but the risks
are much greater in certain industries and occupations.
For workplace homicides, the taxicab industry has the highest
risk at 41.4/100,000, nearly 60 times the national average
rate (0.70/100,000). The taxicab industry is followed by
liquor stores (7.5) detective/protective services (7.0),
gas service stations (4.8) and jewelry stores (4.7). The
occupations with the highest homicide rates are taxicab
drivers/chauffeurs (22.7), sheriffs/bailiffs (10.7), police
and detectivespublic service (6.1), gas station/garage workers
(5.9), and security guards (5.5). The majority of nonfatal
assaults occurred in the service (64%) and retail trade
(21%) industries. Specifically, 27% occurred in nursing
homes, 13% in social services, 11% in hospitals, 6% in grocery
stores, and another 5% occurred in eating and drinking places.
Prevention
A
number of environmental, administrative, and behavioral
strategies have the potential for reducing the risk of workplace
violence. Examples of prevention strategies include (but
are not limited to) good visibility within and outside the
workplace, cashhandling policies, physical separation of
workers from customers or clients, good lighting, security
devices, escort services, and employee training. No single
strategy is appropriate for all workplaces, but all workers
and employers should assess the risk of violence in their
workplaces and take appropriate action to reduce those risks.
A workplace violence prevention program should include a
system for documenting incidents, procedures to be taken
in the event of incidents, and open communication between
employers and workers.
To read the rest
of this excellent article on violence in the workplace from
the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH), please click here: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/violfs.html
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