When most people think about going into work every day, they probably assume a few things. One of those things is that they won’t be physically assaulted while doing their job. That they will go home at the end of the day without being injured or killed. For many workers, however − especially those in healthcare and social services − that is not their daily reality.
In 2013, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that more than 23,000 workers suffered significant injuries from being assaulted at work. More than 70 percent of these assaults were in the healthcare and social service settings. Healthcare and social service workers are almost four times more likely to be injured as a result of violence in the workplace than the average private sector employee. These injuries are predictable and preventable.