Recorded presentation

Brian McCall, PhD, Industrial Relations Center, University of Minnesota, 3-251 Carlson School of Management, 321-19th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55455, 612-624-9521, bmccall@csom.umn.edu and Irwin Horwitz, PhD, School of Public Health, University of Texas, 1200 Herman Pressler, Suite W310, Houston, TX 77089.

Workplace violence has been determined by public health researchers to be one of the most dangerous and problematic factors threatening the safety of employees. While numerous studies have reported high rates of violence, less has been determined with respect to identifying risk factors that lead to increased vulnerability of employees to violence. This study uses workers’ compensation data from Rhode Island from 1998-2002 to assess variables associated with incidences of violence in the state. Specifically, claimant age, gender, fatalities, injurious events, costs, and duration of indemnity periods are reported. Because Rhode Island is one of the few states to require employer reporting of incidences that do not result in indemnity (medical-only claims), it has the unique advantage of being particularly sensitive in measuring violence incidents relative to states that restrict their recording criterion to only cases in which indemnity is claimed. Census data from the U.S. Department of Labor is utilized to establish baselines from which rates are derived, and a risk analysis is conducted. The risk analysis provides both a comparison of the relative rates for occupations and assesses demographic factors such as gender and age as a means of highlighting the populations of employees most at risk from occupational violence. In addition, a logistical analysis is conducted to assess the factors which are most influential in determining whether a workers’ compensation claim of violence is accepted under the adjudication process. Recommendations for interventions and directions for future research are then presented.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to

• Identify the employee populations most vulnerable to experiencing violence in their workplaces.
• Describe the average costs and indemnity durations resulting from workplcae violence.
• Articulate which occupations have the highest relative risk of violence.
• Recognize factors that contribute to the risk of violence in the workplace.
• Evaluate and prioritize meaningful interventions for decreasing violence in the workplace.

Keywords: Violence, Violence Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation