Figure 6: Number of Workplace Deaths from Assaults and Violent Acts By a Person,2003 – 2009


Year


2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011


Assaults &


Violent Acts by Persons 854 769 750 752 828 791 837 832 743


Suicides/Self Inflicted Injuries 218 206 180 208 196 263 263 270 242


Homicides


632 559 567 540 628 526 542 518 458


487 421 441 436 503 421 434 405 358


Homicides


Shootings Stabbing Other Weapons 87 70 66 71 80 72 59 76 58


58 68 60 39 45 33 49 37 42


Please note: The numbers stated previously reported in the 2011 Fact Sheet have been revised based on the final statistics that were issued by BLS. Also ‘Suicides/Self Inflicted Injuries’ and ‘Homicides’ may not add up exactly to ‘Assaults & Violent Acts By Persons’ due to some items being coded as unspecified or unknown. For a full explanation go to http://www.bls.gov/iif/#data.


Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 2010, April 25, 2012. Final 2010 data: http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfoi1.htm#2010. Per Table A-9, fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure for all fatal injuries and major private industry sector.


Workplace Shootings


As stated earlier mass shootings receive a great deal of coverage in the media. Shootings accounted for 78 percent of all homicides in 2010 and 2011.Out of the 405 workplace shootings recorded in 2010 (24 percent) occurred in retail trade. Workplace shootings in manufacturing were less common, with 17 shootings reported in 2010.


Most shootings occurred in the private sector (86 percent) whereas 14 percent of shootings occurred in government. Of the shootings within the private sector, 88 percent occurred within service-


providing industries, mostly in trade, transportation, and utilities.(Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 2009; http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/cfoi/cfoi_revised08.pdf) Workplace Suicides


Workplace suicides rose to 270 in 2010 reaching the highest level since the numbers have been reported by the fatality census. In 2011, the suicide rate went down to 242 which is still above the average of 227 so far in the 21st century.


Non Fatal Incidents


While workplace shootings such as the incidents at Columbine, Virginia Tech, Fort Hood, NASA, Aurora Theater, Sikh Temple, Empire State Building, Accent Signage (MN), etc. get considerable media coverage, the data is overwhelmingly clear that the larger problem from a numerical perspective is non-fatal workplace violence incidents.


Non-fatal incidents include: simple assaults, aggravated assaults, robberies, thefts, hostage taking and hijackings. Rapes/sexual assaults accounted for 572,000 incidents against persons age 16 or older while they were at work or on duty in 2009 according to the Justice Department Bureau of Justice Statistics’ (BJS).


©National Institute for Prevention of Workplace Violence, Inc. Page 8


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