Risk Factors

Violence in the Workplace

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 detectives public 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.