How prevalent is workplace violence?
As a California worker, you expect to work in a safe and violence-free environment. As reasonable as those expectations are, however, you may be shocked to learn that over two million Americans report each year that they were victims of workplace violence. You may be even more shocked to learn that 403 American workers died in 2014 as the result of a workplace homicide, the fourth leading cause of workplace fatalities.
So says the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA also points out that workplace violence runs a gamut of activities including the following:
- Threats of physical violence
- Intimidation
- Harassment
- Verbal abuse
- Assaults and batteries
- Homicide
Who is most at risk?
While workplace violence can affect workers, customers, clients and visitors, you are most at risk if your job requires you to do one of the following:- Exchange money with members of the public
- Work with volatile and/or unstable people
- Work in an establishment that serves and/or sells alcohol
- Work alone or in isolation
- Work at night
- Work in a high crime area
