WASHINGTON - Workplace violence has emerged as one of the most important safety and health issues in today's workplace. In its most extreme form, homicide is the second leading cause of fatal occupational injury in the U.S., according to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) of the U.S. Department of Labor. Nearly 1,000 workers are murdered, and 1.5 million are assaulted in the workplace every year, reports the Department of Justice's National Crime Victimization Survey. According to the BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, there were 709 workplace homicides in 1998, accounting for 12% of the total 6,026 fatal work injuries in the U.S. Workplace homicides fell to their lowest level in the past six years in 1997, said OSHA, but continued as the second leading cause of job-related deaths. Robbery continued to be the primary motive of job-related homicide, accounting for 85% of the deaths. Disputes among co-workers and with clients accounted for about one-tenth of the total. -
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