Workplace violence by the numbers

Workplace violence is a problem that cannot be ignored. No employer is immune from the problem and there is no way to completely prevent workplace violence from occurring.  A large part of workplace violence is understanding the problem. In a recent webinar with Everbridge, “An Executive Seminar on Workplace Violence Prevention,” Steven Crimando, MA, CTS, CHS-V, presented some harrowing statistics:

• 11 people are murdered at work each day – two each workday in the United States
• More than half a million people are assaulted or threatened at work annually in North America
• Workplace violence is the third leading cause of death at work
• $70 billion is lost each year in the US due to workplace violence, according to the University of Georgia

Workplace violence prevention for the mobile workforce

The above statistics shed some light on the workplace violence problem. Organizations must also begin to address the changing landscape of workplace violence in relation to where employees actually work. Each year more and more employees are becoming mobile, which can create additional challenges. According to Crimando, employees must consider opening the umbrella of their workplace violence prevention programs wide enough to cover mobile workers wherever they are on the job. Employers have the same duty of care for providing a safe work environment for mobile workers as for employees who work on company property. To learn more about workplace violence prevention and the need to expand programs to mobile and remote workers, read Crimando’s white paper, “A Guide to Employee Safety in Today’s Mobile World.”