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Economic Burden of Workplace Assaults in Washington State. Barbara Silverstein & Mike Foley Darrin Adams, Randy Clark, Sarah Davison Safety & Health Assessment & Research for Prevention (SHARP) Program WA State Dept of Labor & Industries. National Statistics.
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Economic Burden of Workplace Assaults in Washington State Barbara Silverstein & Mike Foley Darrin Adams, Randy Clark, Sarah Davison Safety & Health Assessment & Research for Prevention (SHARP) Program WA State Dept of Labor & Industries
National Statistics • CFOI 1995-2000: average 6004 reported work related fatal injuries in US • `13.5% homicides (n=809) • WA (7.0%) • BLS: 19,582 nonfatal assaults • Rate of 2.3 per 10,000 • National Crime Victimization Survey (DOJ): 1.7 million assaults at work • Rate of 126 per 10,000
Washington State Workers Compensation Assault Type 1998-2003a Average # Struck/beaten by fellow worker/patient 1,155 Struck/beaten during crime 344 Bitten 200 Kicked 112 Struck nec 143 Shot by another person 6 Stabbed 0 State Fund data
Washington State Workers Compensation Assault Claims & Costs 1995-2000 SF SI Average # claims 2,080 Average # compensable claims 452 188 Rate per 10,000 15.1 Compensable rate/10, 000 3.3 2.9 Average cost medical only $4,906 Average cost compensable $20,469 % Female 58.2% 55.4% Average age 35.4 38.3 BLS Rates: Private sector US 2.3, WA 2.2 State Govt:30.4
WA State Fund Assaults per 10,000 FTEs Top 7 NAICS 1998-2003. (> 50% of all assaults in SIC 80, 83)
Washington State Fund Accepted Assault Claims: WC Direct Cost by Industry Sector,2002 Industry N Total Average Median Agriculture 31 $170,186 $5,490 $325 Construction 25 $426,721 $17,069 $797 Light Manufacture 13 $16,103 $1,239 $245 Heavy Manufacture 6 $2,652 $442 $217 Transport/Comm 20 $305,095 $15,255 $352 Wholesale/Retail 179 $604,563 $3,377 $435 FIRE 32 $35,415 $1,107 $497 Business Services 194 $410,405 $2,115 $295 Professional Srvs 998 $4,773,659 $4,783 $317 Public Admin 263 $1,878,795 $7,143 $423
Washington State Fund Assault Claims by Type(%), 2003 (excludes health care & social services) TYPE I II III IV All 24.3 55.0 20.4 0.3 Agriculture(5) - 66.7 33.3 - Construction(10) 10.0 20.0 70.0 - Light Mfg (7) - - 100.0 - Heavy Mfg (11) 27.3 9.1 63.6 - Transport (17) - 82.4 17.7 - Retail/Whole (114) 37.7 42.1 20.2 - FIRE (28) 25.0 67.9 7.1 - Srvc s prof/gov(139) 18.7 68.4 12.2 0.7 Avg TL:24 days Avg $6,277 Med age 35
Washington State Fund Assault Claims by Type(%)b, 2003 (excludes health care & social services) TYPE I II III IV Female% 23.4 65.6 10.2 0.8 Male% 24.9 48.3 26.9 0.0 Mean Incurred $ $6,968 $5,278 $10,216 *$53474 Mean Lost days 25.7 16.1 48.5 *294 ** (*=1 case) No sig diff between types on lost days No sig diff between types on cost Construction:$14,171 and 47.6 lost days on average
A better estimate of burden • Compare WA BLS estimate of rates and counts of assaults resulting in at least one lost workday to WC • Case cost data from WA State Fund (excludes cost data for 400 largest employers) • Quarterly earnings profiles from Employment Security Dept data linked to WC cases, excluding those with other injuries 1994-2001. N=2434 in study
Advise/Require: Type 1 • Training workers (de-escalation techniques) • Post signs re minimal cash in register • Clear unobstructed view of cash register • Drop safe, limited access • Outside lighting • Address employee isolation factors • Provide security personnel • Communication method to alert police/security • Increase police patrol • Post laws re assault, stalking or other violent acts 5 or more admin controls associated with significant lower risk of fatal assaults, Loomis et al, 2002
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)a,Crowe • Direct relationship between design, use & management of environment to human behavior • Environment: people and their physical and social surroundings • Design: of physical space for bona fide users of space (physical, social, psych needs), expected use and predicted behaviors of bona fide users & offenders • Uses natural access controls (spatial definition), natural surveillance, territorial reinforcement
CPTED Strategy Examples b,Crowe • Clear border definition of controlled space • Clearly marked transition zones public-semi-private • Locate gathering areas to locations with natural surveillance & access control • Place safe activities in unsafe locations to bring along natural surveillance & increase perception of safety • Place unsafe activities in safe spots • Overcome distance & isolation via improved communication & design efficiencies • Lighting & windows • Two-way vs. one-way streets • Fortress effects destroy surrounding land use->no man’s land”
What works? • What do we actually know or need to know? • What role do companies have to play in and outside the regulatory framework? • How effective are OSHA guidelines? How likely are they to be followed? • What are the barriers to implementing violence prevention programs? • What role does legislative action play in protecting workers from workplace violence? • Why don’t other states follow Washington, California and Florida?
Washington State Assault Related Fatalities by Type, 1998-2004 Washington FACE