New Violence in the Workplace Fact Sheet Emphasizes that Prevention Outweighs Reaction in the Struggle to Eliminate Workplace Violence

LAKE FOREST, Ca. — November 14, 2012 — The National Institute for the Prevention of Workplace Violence, Inc. has released its 2013 Workplace Violence Fact Sheet. The fact sheet is a repository of information, statistics and charts on workplace violence presented to give human resources, threat management, security, risk management and operational managers the most current information on workplace violence. The National Institute for the Prevention of Workplace Violence, Inc. has been at the forefront of reporting information about workplace violence prevention for more than ten years, and businesses rely on it to provide thorough, timely and accurate information on workplace violence. This is their third fact sheet.

W. Barry Nixon, founder and executive director of the National Institute for the Prevention of Workplace Violence, Inc., stated, “We thought the time was right to release our new fact sheet on workplace violence to ensure that those on the frontline of addressing this serious issue had current information to assist them in their planning efforts. We believe that knowledge and information are the fuel that drive effective decision making and it is our intent to provide organizations of all types with a reliable source for valuable information on violence prevention.”

Preventing workplace violence is a multi-disciplinary issue that most Human Resource professionals share with Security. Security Magazine reported that workplace violence was one of the key topics of interest to their Security 500, which includes many of the top security directors in the country.

With data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Justice, National Institute of Safety and Health (NIOSH), NCCI Research and more, the 2013 Workplace Violence Fact Sheet provides a detailed look at violence in the American workplace through statistics, charts and legal issues associated with workplace violence. This year’s edition also includes an expanded section on domestic violence and the financial aspects of workplace violence.

KEY FINDINGS:
– Workplace homicides and other violent acts are the second leading cause of death for women at work
– For the first 10 years of the 21st century, an average of 558 work-related homicides occurred annually in the U.S.
– Workplace suicides rose to an all-time high of 270 incidents in 2010

NON-FATAL ASSAULTS:
– Estimated more than a half million incidents reported each year
– Most often occur in nursing homes, social services, hospitals and late night convenient stores

THE FINANCIAL IMPACT:
– Workplace violence costs an estimated $121 billion a year nationwide
– Non-fatal assaults alone result in more than 876,000 lost workdays and $16 million in lost wages
– Subsequent costs could include lost productivity, counseling, contract/sales losses, cleaning and refurbishing, increased insurance costs, lawsuits/settlements, and more

PREVENTION, OUTWEIGHS REACTION(™)
Reacting to a serious incident of workplace violence is actually 100 times more expensive than taking pro-active measures to prevent the incident from occurring. Employers may be liable for negligent hiring or retention if an incident occurs and the employer failed to take reasonable steps to prevent harm to individuals. The average settlement cost for negligence lawsuits are $1 million (and some with verdicts as high as $40 million).

To download a complimentary copy of the 2013 Workplace Violence Fact Sheet, those interested can go to www.workplaceviolence911.com.

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About the National Institute for the Prevention of Workplace Violence, Inc.

The National Institute for the Prevention of Workplace Violence, Inc. is a professional consulting firm providing training, consulting, publications and services to assist public and private organizations to create violence-free workplaces, establish programs that prevent workplace violence and train how to address incidents should one occur. Our services include the award-winning Web site [http://www.Workplaceviolence911.com] www.Workplaceviolence911.com that is widely recognized as the most comprehensive source of information on workplace violence on the Internet. We also offer numerous publications on workplace violence-related issues, including the industry-leading magazine, The Workplace Violence Prevention eReport and the Ultimate Workplace Violence Prevention Policy Maker Software, which allows a firm to create a comprehensive workplace violence prevention policy in about an hour. For more information, contact W. Barry Nixon at Barry [at] wvp911 [dot] com or 1-949-770-5264.