The Epidemiology of Violence in the Workplace

Violence has penetrated workplaces for decades. In the United States, 1.7 million injuries occur per year as a result of workplace violence; almost 50% of these occur in health care settings, and they account for approximately 20% of all violent crime in the United States. In 1990, homicide became the second-leading cause of death at the workplace, after traffic accidents (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 1998). When work environments become unsafe and individuals think they must protect and defend themselves, the entire organization suffers.

The Employee Assistance Trade Association has seen a growing need to develop solutions for employers with regard to appropriate response to the problem of workplace violence—and with good reason. Although there has been a noticeable 50% decrease in workplace violence, attributed primarily to staff training and policy development, corporate America spends about $4.2 billion to $6.4 billion a year in the aftermath of workplace violence situations by responding to the approximately two million violent incidents in the workplace annually. Canada, on the other hand, has 66% of its organizations reporting violence and spends $7.6 billion per year (Employee Assistance Trade Association, 2013).
Furthermore, two million physical attacks occur in the U.S. workplace per year and around six million are threatened, with approximately 1,000 murders occurring as a result of workplace violence per year at an average of three per day, leaving murder to be the third-leading cause of occupational death after motor vehicle accidents and machinery accidents (Bowman, 2012; Duhart, 2001). In Australia, Canada, and the United States, health care is noted to be one of the most violent industries (WorkSafeBC, 2009; Canadian Centre for Occupational Health Safety [CCOHS], 2012).