Men are three times more likely than women to die of workplace homicides, according to findings recently published by National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) researchers. The institute highlighted its findings in the October edition of its eNews newsletter.

NIOSH researchers analyzed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Using advanced statistical methods, they identified the rates and patterns of workplace and non-workplace homicides.

The rate of workplace homicides was highest among black workers, followed by Hispanic and white workers, according to NIOSH.

From 2014 to 2021, 16,497 workers in the United States died as a result of workplace homicides, while 456,494 homicides occurred outside of work. Shooting-related workplace homicides began to increase in 2014, and workplace homicides during a robbery began to increase in 2015.

The occupation with the highest rate of workplace homicides was protective services, with 2.74 homicides per 100,000 employees in 2021. Taxi drivers and chauffeurs were second highest, followed by retail sales. The industry with the highest rate was gasoline stations, with 5.55 homicides per 100,000 employees.

The institute also recently released a pair of fact sheets for employees and employers on reducing workplace violence at gas stations and convenience stores. NIOSH recommended training, remaining alert to potentially violent situations, and being familiar with exits, alarms, and emergency numbers. Workers at gasoline stations and convenience stores are at a higher risk for violence compared with other retail workers and the overall workforce, according to the institute.

One in four utility workers has hearing loss

Researchers at NIOSH also examined hearing loss among utility workers, finding that one out of four utility workers with noise exposure had hearing loss, while the rate in all other industries combined was one out of five.

Researchers looked at the results of more than 1 million hearing tests from U.S. companies participating in the NIOSH Occupational Hearing Loss Surveillance Program from 2010 through 2019. They compared test results for nearly 14,000 utility workers (aged 18 to 75 years) with those employed in other industries.

According to NIOSH researchers, hearing loss was most common among utility workers in hydroelectric power generation at 37%, followed by steam and air-conditioning supply at 29%. Twenty-four percent of workers in other electric power generation and natural gas distribution each experienced hearing loss.

Other NIOSH publications, reports

NIOSH’s recent reports and publications also included a:

• Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) Report on ergonomic and musculoskeletal evaluation of warehousing tasks at a logistics agency in Georgia;
• Report from the institute’s Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP) on a career-acting fire officer’s death from floor collapse during an interior fire attack; and
• Workplace solutions fact sheet on preventing struck-by injuries and deaths when working with refuse trucks.

Those who work around refuse trucks are at risk for injury and death from being struck by the truck, truck components, and vehicles traveling in the work area, according to NIOSH.