Safety Spotlight
This month's safety spotlight is Workplace Violence Prevention. Note: This information was collected and distributed via our monthly Safety Spotlight newsletter. To sign-up for this free service (delivered monthly via e-mail), click here.
Violence in the workplace is a serious safety and health issue. Its most extreme form, homicide, is the third-leading cause of fatal occupational injury in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), there were 639 workplace homicides in 2001 in the United States, out of a total of 8,786 fatal work injuries (Source: OSHA.org).
Workplace Violence is defined as violent acts including assaults and threats which occur in or are related to the workplace and entail a substantial risk of physical or emotional harm to individuals, or damage to an organizations resources or capabilities.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics has estimated that 1.7 million non-fatal workplace victimizations occurred each year from 1993 to 1999, accounting for 18% of all violent crime during that 7-year period. Further, Workplace Homicide remains a leading cause of fatal occupational injury to both men and women in workplaces throughout the United States. Victims are not just employees of banks, pawnshops, and convenience stores. Workers in almost every type of business have been affected by a traumatic episode.
A question that comes up is “Were these crimes all committed by crazy people who would have murdered someone no matter what happened?” The answer is not that simple. Although some perpetrators of workplace crime show symptoms of anger and suspicion that border on clinical paranoia, many have been pushed to the breaking point simply by overwhelming feelings of futility and desperation.
In nearly eight of 10 cases, killers left behind clear warning signs — sometimes showing guns to co-workers, threatening their bosses or talking about attacking.
For Workplace Violence Prevention resources and training, click here.