Workplace homicides in California have risen 47% in the last three years, and the number of assaults leading to non-fatal medically attended injury has increased even more. Certain occupations are consistently found to be at elevated risk of workplace homicide, and factors which increase the risk of assault have been identified. The dramatically increasing rates of workplace homicide and assault-related non-fatal injury necessitate the introduction of preventive countermeasures. The major objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a community based, business-site educational intervention to reduce work-related assault injury in high risk business populations. This project will: (1) identify specific risk factors for work-related assault in high risk businesses, (2) establish an ongoing surveillance system to measure work-related assault incidence, (3) based on previous knowledge of risk factors, design and implement a business-specific educational intervention program, and, (4) measure process and outcome effectiveness of the intervention in reducing workplace assault injuries. The proposed research is a community-based intervention trial. Using two CalOSHA Regions, high risk business will be randomly allocated into intervention and comparison groups. Intervention businesses will receive an individualized and intensive program designed to help store owners/managers identify risks in their workplace and alter their work environment to reduce these risks. A comprehensive evaluation including rigorous surveillance of workplace assault incidents will be conducted to determine if the program was successful, and to identify particular components of the program which were most effective. The project is a collaborative effort between the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (CalOSHA) and the Southern California Injury Prevention Research Center (SCIPRC). Both agencies have extensive experience in work-related violence research. A recognized expert who works with both industry and government in workplace violence will assist in the design and implementation of a state-of-the-art intervention strategy. Researchers from the Southern California Injury Research Prevention Center will design the study and will be responsible for a comprehensive evaluation of the intervention.
| Casteel, Carri; Peek-Asa, Corinne; Greenland, Sander et al. (2008) A study of the effectiveness of a workplace violence intervention for small retail and service establishments. J Occup Environ Med 50:1365-70 |
