Every career comes with a variety of different challenges. Some people have to worry about car crashes because driving is one of their primary job responsibilities. Others may handle power tools or caustic chemicals at work. Those are risk factors for injuries or illness.
For some people, workplace violence is a leading source of injury risk. Some professions have a known association with exposure to violence. For example, security professionals and police officers usually readily acknowledge that there is the potential for violence when they are at work.
Many others in seemingly safe professions may also be at risk of dangerous and violent encounters with other people. The following are some of the supposedly safe professions that expose professionals to a greater-than-average risk of violence while on the job.
Education
Classrooms have become more volatile in recent years. Large-scale violent events at school have become a common safety concern across the United States, but they are still relatively rare overall. Violent encounters with students have become far more common in recent years. The unfortunate reality is that students of all ages, including elementary school students, could potentially assault an educational professional. Such incidents could cause life-altering injuries and trauma for the affected teacher or support professional.
Hospital employees
The healthcare sector has numerous obvious risks. Working in a hospital exposes someone to pathogens and potentially dangerous equipment, like external artificial defibrillation devices. People often fail to consider the possibility of patient violence as a serious safety concern in hospital settings. Some patients have bad reactions to medications and become volatile. Others might be in state custody and want to escape. Older adults may become disoriented and combative. Violence accounts for a small but significant number of injuries in hospitals and other medical environments.
Retail work
Violence in the retail sector often comes from customers and criminals. People sometimes become angry and aggressive when they can’t obtain the merchandise they want or complete a return. Others may injure employees in an attempt to rob the store or shoplift merchandise. People can end up punched or even injured by weapons in a retail environment. Workplace violence may lead to criminal charges against the person who assaulted others. The injured parties can sometimes seek compensation by initiating a lawsuit. However, they may also be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.
Filing a workers’ compensation claim can help a professional affected by workplace violence cover medical bills and lost wages. Workers’ compensation benefits may be available to many injured employees as long as their condition is a result of their employment.