A new analysis of federal statistics shows workplace homicides and assaults declining, the National Council on Compensation Insurance announced.
Boca Raton, Fla.-based NCCI said its findings used information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on workplace homicides and assaults by persons, and data from NCCI on the characteristics of claims associated with workplace violence.
Figures in the NCCI report said:
o Workplace homicide rates were down 25 percent between 2000 and 2006 and down 61 percent since 1992. Homicides accounted for 8.7 percent of private sector workplace fatalities in 2006. The largest cause of workplace fatalities, more than 40 percent, was transportation incidents–most of which were motor vehicle-related.
o Yearly workplace assault rates have been volatile, declining 20 percent in 2005 (the largest drop since 1998) and up 6 percent in 2006. National assault rates (in term of aggravated assaults per 100,000 inhabitants) have shown a more consistent downward pattern, it was noted.
o Robberies continued to be the major cause of workplace homicides, accounting for roughly 70 percent of such deaths. As with prior studies, the primary victims of workplace homicides were found in occupations with direct customer contact and where cash or other valuables are accessible, such as sales (e.g., cash register operators), security guards and taxi drivers.
o Workplace assaults continued to be concentrated in health services, social assistance and personal care occupations. Workers in nursing homes are major victims, with roughly 50 percent of assaults in the health care industry occurring in such facilities.
o NCCI claims data provides separate breakouts for claims involving "an act of crime." Such claims are nine times more likely to involve a fatality than non-crime-related claims (2.7 percent of crime-related claims involve a fatality versus 0.3 percent for all other claims).
o NCCI data also indicates that nonfatal crime-related claims, on average, involve more serious injuries–particularly to the head and central nervous system–than do non-crime claims (where back strains and sprains are more prevalent).
o In part because of the more serious nature of their injuries, crime-related claims have higher indemnity and medical severity (i.e., cost per claim) than other claims when claims are classified by cause of injury.
Persons 25 to 44 made up the largest group of assault victims. Assaults generally involved beatings, not knives or guns.
NCCI's study said women accounted for 82 percent of workplace assaults in four occupations that, collectively, account for 56 percent of overall workplace assaults. Those occupations include health care practitioners, health care support, personal care, and community and social services.
Women comprised a small share of workplace assaults in transportation and protective service occupations, where their employment shares were relatively low.
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