Violence Is Workplace Hazard

Work is a dangerous place.

Monday’s horrific shooting at a New Mexico business reminds us of the worst thing that can happen on the job. And while it seems remote that someone is going to walk into the office and start shooting, violence is actually the third most-common cause of at-work deaths, according to government figures.

In 2008, the most recent year measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, assaults and violent acts accounted for 816 deaths, down about 5 percent from a year earlier. The only events that caused more fatalities: transportation accidents (2,130) and contact with objects or equipment (937). Falls, exposure to harmful substances and fires or explosions round out the top categories counted by the government.

Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. ranks assaults and violent acts as the 10th most-common cause of disabling injuries in the workplace, costing employers $600 million in 2007. That cost was 50 percent higher than the prior year as violence increased to just more than 1 percent of all disabling injuries.

The No. 1 cause of serious injury is heavy lifting or some other form of over extension, which accounts for almost a quarter of all injuries and costs companies $12.7 billion, according to the insurer. Other workplace hazards include: falls, tripping or slipping, injuries from being struck by an object, highway accidents and repetitive motion.