70 Percent of Nonfatal Workplace Assault Injuries Happen to Women: NSC
According to the National Safety Council, 70 percent of all assault-related injuries involving days away from work happen to women.
Analysis by the National Safety Council indicates women are disproportionately affected by certain safety issues, nonfatal workplace violence in particular. According to the NSC, 70 percent of all assault-related injuries involving days away from work happen to women.
In 2017, 12,820 women incurred injuries related to assault at work—a 60 percent increase since 2011. In contrast, 5,530 men experienced assault-related injuries at work in the same year.
Other than assault, other work-related injuries and illnesses that affect women at a disproportionate rate include accidental injury by another person (59 percent), falls on the same level (57 percent), and ergonomic issues, such as complications from repetitive motion (61 percent).
Women who work in certain sectors also experience a disproportionate number of a variety of nonfatal injuries and illnesses. For example, the percentages of nonfatal injuries and illnesses involving women in the following sectors are: health care (80 percent), education (61 percent), and management, business and financial (60 percent). Data on workplace injury and illnesses, including assaults, are available on Injury Facts, the council's compilation of preventable death and injury statistics for almost 100 years.
"Our workplaces should be safe havens for everyone, and these data show us we can do more to protect women in the workplace," said Nick Smith, interim president and CEO of NSC. "As employers examine the biggest risks facing their workforce, we urge them to consider these trends and make sure safety is extending to all employees."
During Women's History Month, NSC encourages workplaces to review their employee assistance programs and ensure that they include appropriate resources. The council suggests that employers also examine historical safety trends involving women in the workplace and take adequate safety measures for those who are most vulnerable.