Violence in the workplace in British Columbia: A preliminary investigation

Abstract

This article examines the problem of violence in the workplace within British Columbia between 1982 and 1992. using provincial Workers' Compensation Board claims during this period as a primary data base. The study examines employee claims for lime loss as a consequence of on-the-job violence. and identifies those occupations which appear to be at greatest risk. Perhaps surprisingly. health care workers appear to have a risk of violence at work that is similar to the risks faced by police officers. More specifically. it appears that during the past decade significant increases in workplace violence have occurred within the health care sector. and most specifically. within long term care institutions. More research is needed in order to understand more fully the nature of these changes within the health care sector. Five possibilities for responding to the problems of workplace violence are outlined and discussed: 1) changing the rules of the workplace so as to reduce the risk of injury, 2) changing the environmental design of the workplace so as to reduce the risk of injury. 3) rethinking the nature of specific institutions so as to improve the quality of life within those institutions, 4) improving education and training for workers who face the risk of on-the job violence. and 5) increasing the number of staff or re-assigning staff so as to diminish the possibility of violent interactions.