Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Workplace Violence Prevention, 2005 

Survey of

Workplace Violence Prevention

2005

A special survey

conducted by the

Bureau of Labor Statistics,

Department of Labor

for the

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

Department of Health and Human Services

BLS Press Release

October 27th, 2006 – 10:00 AM EDT
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Workplace Violence Prevention, 2005

Establishments with workplace violence incidents in the previous 12 months an

on programs and employees, United States private industry, 2005

10.8 8.8 79.9

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 

Was there a program or policy

change after the incident?

Did the workplace violence

incident have a negative

impact on your employees?

Establishments with a

workplace violence incident

in the previous 12 months

Percent

100.0

346,420 establishments (4.8% of private industry establishments)

34.4

Yes

65.2

No

Nearly five percent of private industry establishments experienced an incident of 

violence in the last year. While one-third reported a negative impact on employ

11 percent changed their policy after the incident; 9 percent had no program o
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Workplace Violence Prevention, 2005

10.2

35.5

100.0

8.5

64.2

80.8

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 

Percent

389,380 establishments (5.3% of all establishments)

Yes No

Establishments with workplace violence incidents in the previous 12 months an

on programs and employees, United States, 2005

Was there a program or policy

change after the incident?

Did the workplace violence

incident have a negative

impact on your employees?

Establishments with a

workplace violence incident

in the previous 12 months

Over 5 percent of all establishments experienced an incident of workpla

violence in the last year. While one-third reported a negative impact on employ

10 percent changed their policy after the incident; almost 9 percent had no progra
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Workplace Violence Prevention, 2005

Percent of establishments experiencing an incident of workplace violen

by type of incident and ownership, United States, 2005

05

101520253035

All incidents of

workplace violence

Criminal

incidents

Customer or client

incidents

Co-worker

incidents

Dom

Percent

All establishPrivate InduState goverLocal gover

State governments experienced higher percentages of all types of workplace 

than did local governments or private industry. Thirty-two percent of State go

establishments experienced some form of workplace violence in the previous 1
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Workplace Violence Prevention, 2005

Half of the largest establishments (employing 1,000 or more workers) reported an 

workplace violence in the previous 12 months. In these largest establishments, 

of State government workplaces reported an incident of co-worker violen

Percent of establishments employing 1,000 or more workers experiencing an 

of workplace violence by type of incident and ownership, United States, 

0

10203040506070

Percent

All incidents of

workplace violence

Criminal

incidents

Customer or client

incidents

Co-worker

incidents

Dom

All estabPrivate InState govLocal go
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Workplace Violence Prevention, 2005

Employees can be affected by workplace violence in a number of ways including i

lower morale, and higher absenteeism. Employees in 36 percent of the establishm

an incident of workplace violence in the previous 12 months were negatively 

Percent of establishments with an incident of workplace violence in the pre

by effect on employees, United States, 2005

05

10152025303540

Total affected Absenteeism Turnover Fear levels Productivity 

Percent
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Workplace Violence Prevention, 2005

The higher reported incidence of workplace violence in State and local governme

may be attributed to their work environments. State and local governments repor

percentages of working in direct contact with the public, working in small num

community-based settings, and other potentially hazardous conditions than did p

Percent of establishments by potentially hazardous work environment ch

by ownership, United States, 2005

Working in communitybased settings

Working in small numbers

(fewer than 5 workers)

Working in high crime areas 

Working with unstable or

volatile persons 

Having mobile workplace or

delivering good or services

Exchanging money with

customers 

Working in direct contact

with the public 

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 

Percent

All estaPrivate State gLocal g
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Workplace Violence Prevention, 2005

Seventy-two percent of establishments, employing 91 percent of worke

had at least one form of security.

Percent of establishments and employees by type of security, 

United States, 2005

8.8

69.8

10.2

0.7

8.7

26.6

38.4

17.2

0.9

14.5

72.1

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 

No security

Physical security and either

electronic surveillance or

security staff

Physical security only

Security Staff only

Electronic surveillance only

At least one form of security

Percent

Percent of establishPercent of employm
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Workplace Violence Prevention, 2005

The availability of some form of security generally

increased as the size of the establishment increased.

Percent of establishments with some form of security,

by size of establishment, United States, 2005

0

102030405060708090

100

All size classes 1-10 workers 11- 49 workers 50-249

workers

259-999

workers

Percent
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Workplace Violence Prevention, 2005 

The prevalence of most types of security features increased with establishme

Percent of establishments providing selected types of security,

by size of establishment, United States, 2005

0

102030405060708090

100

Surveillance

cameras 

Electronic badge

or ID scanners

Security guards Limited access

(locked doors)

Physic

Percent

All si

1-10 

11 - 450 - 2250 - 1,000
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Workplace Violence Prevention, 2005 

State governments tended to have more security precautions

than either private industry or local governments.

Percent of establishments by selected types of security and owners

United States, 2005 

0

102030405060708090

100

At least one

form of security 

Electronic badge

or ID scanners

Personal alarm Securi

Percent

All establishmePrivate industryState governmeLocal governm
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Workplace Violence Prevention, 2005 

Employers used varying methods to monitor entry to workplaces,

the prevalence increasing as the size of the establishment increased

Percent of establishments by selected methods of monitoring entr

by size of establishment, United States, 2005

Register or

check in visitors

Check employee

badges or IDs

Use photos

of persons to

screen entry

Authority to

arrest or detain

for police

A

sei

0

102030405060708090

100

Percent

All size clas

1-10 emplo

11 - 49 emp50 - 249 em250 - 999 em1,000+ emp
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Workplace Violence Prevention, 2005 

Employers were more likely to have procedures to identify

potentially violent employees than customers or clients.

Percent of establishments having a process to identify customers or em

with a history of violence, by ownership, United States, 2005

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 

Customers, clients,

visitors, patients

Potential or current

employees

Local

government

State

government

Private

industry

Percent

Method

Method

Method

Method

Method

Method

No Method

No Method

No Method

Customers, clients,

visitors, patients

Potential or current

employees

Customers, clients,

visitors, patients

Potential or current

employees
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Workplace Violence Prevention, 2005 

State governments were much more likely to have a formal workplace vi

program or policy than private industry or local governments. Over 70 p

of all establishments did not have a formal policy to address workplace v

Percent of establishments having a workplace violence prevention progra

by ownership, United States, 2005

0

1020304050607080

Private industry State government Local gover

Percent

Workplace violence progWritten program or policVerbal program or polic
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Workplace Violence Prevention, 2005 

The existence of formal workplace violence prevention policies or progra

increased as the size of the establishment increased.

Percent of establishments having a workplace violence prevention program 

by size of establishment, United States, 2005

0

102030405060708090

100

Percent

Workplace violence program or policyWritten program or policyVerbal program or policy

All size classes 1-10 workers 11- 49 workers 50-249

workers

259-999

workers
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Workplace Violence Prevention, 2005 

In establishments with a formal workplace violence prevention program or policy, 

emphasis was placed on customer and co-worker violence. State governments p

more emphasis on domestic violence than did private industry or local governm

Percent of establishments addressing different types of workplace vio

by ownership, United States, 2005

0

102030405060708090

Private industry State government Local govern

Percent

Have woprogram Policy adcriminal 

Policy ador client 

Policy adco-workePolicy addomestic 
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Workplace Violence Prevention, 2005 

Twenty-one percent of all establishments provided training on workplace

violence prevention, while 58 percent of State governments provided this trai

Only four percent of all establishments provided training on domestic violen

Percent of establishments providing training on workplace violence pre

by topic and ownership, United States, 2005

0 10 20 30 40 50 

How to report incidents

Prevention strategies

Risk factors for

workplace violence

How to address

domestic violence

Provide training on

workplace violence

prevention

Percent

All estaPrivate State goLocal g
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Workplace Violence Prevention, 2005 

Forty-three percent of private industry establishments reported tracking costs for 

injuries and illnesses while 20 percent reported tracking costs of workplace v

incidents. This same pattern of tracking costs occurred in State and local gove

Percent of establishments tracking costs of occupational injuries and illne

and incidents of workplace violence, by ownership, United States, 200

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 8

Localgovernment

Stategovernment

Privateindustry

Percent

track costs

track costs

track costs

track costs

track costs

track costs

do not track costs

do not track costs

do not track costs

do not tra

do not track costs

do not track 

Injuries

and

illnesses

Workplace

violence

incidents

Injuries

and

illnesses

Workplace

violence

incidents

Injuries

and

illnesses

Workplace

violence

incidents
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Workplace Violence Prevention, 2005 

Where costs of workplace violence incidents were tracked, workers’ compensa

were most frequently tracked. Among other costs tracked, absenteeism and 

damage costs were tracked more often than other items.

Percent of establishments by types of costs tracked for

incidents of workplace violence, United States, 2005

0

102030405060708090

100

Workers’

compensation 

Third party

insurance 

Absenteeism Replacement

workers 

Property

damage 

T

prev

Percent