776 Preventing Workplace Violence in Healthcare

What is Workplace Violence?

Healthcare workers account for approximately two-thirds of the non-fatal workplace violence injuries involving days away from work. This places healthcare workers at a risk of assault requiring time off from work that is almost 5 times greater than the overall workforce.

Examples of violence include the following:

• Threats: Expressions of intent to cause harm, including verbal threats, threatening body language, and written threats.
• Physical assaults: Attacks ranging from slapping and beating to rape, homicide, and the use of weapons such as firearms, bombs, or knives.
• Muggings: Aggravated assaults, usually conducted by surprise and with intent to rob.

The impact of workplace violence can range from psychological issues to physical injury, or even death. Violence can occur in any workplace and among any type of worker, but the risk for fatal violence is greater for workers in sales, protective services, and transportation, while the risk for nonfatal violence resulting in days away from work is greatest for healthcare and social assistance workers.

Is harassment considered workplace violence?

Generally no. Harassment may be an unwanted, offensive, or intimidating action, but if it does not include actual physical harm or a threat of physical harm, it is generally not considered to be an incident of workplace violence. Some important points to remember about harassment include:

• harassment in the workplace is usually not tolerated as a policy because it can create a hostile workplace environment;
• sexual harassment is one of the most common types of harassment to occur in the workplace; and
• harassment may be illegal if it is related to a person's status as a member of a protected class.

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