Health-Care Field Most Dangerous, State Survey Says Results Based On Workers’ Injury Claims At 10,000 Workplaces
Strange but true: It can be more dangerous to be a health-care worker, grocery clerk or bartender than to be a cop.
A new state report on violence in the workplace, reflecting what officials termed the most extensive research in the nation, says health-care workers, social workers and people in related fields are by far the most likely employees to be assaulted on the job.
“More nursing aides, health aides, health technicians, social workers and nurses were assaulted on the job in 1992 than police officers or jailers,” the Department of Labor and Industries report said.
One out of every 84 workers in the social and health services field filed a violence-related injury claim with the state that year. The assault rate for social-service workers was 148 per 10,000 workers.
Workers who deal with physically or mentally impaired students, clients or patients were most likely to be injured, either intentionally or unintentionally, the report said.
By contrast, one out of 112 police officers and prison guards reported an assault serious enough to file a claim with the state.
The statewide average for all workers was one assault out of 526 employees.
The study was based on workers’ injury claims and on a survey of 10,000 workplaces. The results showed a 35 percent increase in assault and violence during the previous four years, but the report said some of that might be due to better awareness and increased reporting.
Thirteen deaths were attributed to workplace violence in 1992, mostly in jobs that are identified as dangerous: grocery stores, liquor stores, restaurants and fast-food establishments, lounges and buses.
That amounted to 13 percent of the state’s work-related deaths, compared with a national average of 20 percent.
The report said some of the jobs are inherently dangerous, such as law enforcement, and that other jobs are in places prone to robbery, such as restaurants, motels and convenience stores. Other jobs deal with angry and occasionally abusive clients.
The department received 2,395 claims related to assault or violencerelated injuries on the job. About one-fourth of the workers were off work for at least four days.
The report found a silver lining: Many of the assaults and deaths are preventable through better training and safeguards.
“While workplace violence is a serious problem, this study indicates most events are not random and many may be preventable,” said L&I Director Mark Brown. “Employers in the high-risk industries need to get focused around this issue and take appropriate steps to protect their workers.”
xxxx HIGH-RISK WORKPLACES Here is a list of the 14 high-risk workplaces, based on violence-related injury claims filed with the state for 1992: 1. Health service, 767 claims, a rate of 106 per 10,000 health-service employees. 2. Social services. Claims made by 522 workers, including caregivers who work with clients in group homes or private residences. Rate, 148 per 10,000. 3. Restaurants and bars, 154 claims. Rate, 18 per 10,000. 4. Government workers, 88 claims. Rate, 47 per 10,000. 5. Law enforcement and prison guards, 75 claims. Rate, 66 per 10,000. 6. Teaching, 67 claims. Rate, 13 per 10,000. 7. Business services, 66 claims. Rate, 13 per 10,000. 8. Hotels and motels, 56 claims. Rate, 29 per 10,000. 9. Grocery and convenience stores, 47 claims. Rate, 15 per 10,000. 10. Civic, social and religionssponsored organizations, 46 claims. Rate, 17 per 10,000. 11. Amusement and recreation, 41 claims. Rate, 32 per 10,000. 12. Welfare office workers, 30 claims. Rate, 48 per 10,000. 13. Transit workers, 11 claims. Rate 30 per 10,000. 14. Theater workers, 7 claims. Rate 25 per 10,000. -Associated Press