Workplace homicides of Texas males

Abstract

A review of Texas death certificates for 1975-84 identified 779 civilian males whose deaths were homicides that occurred in the workplace. Injuries from firearms caused 81 per cent of the deaths. The overall rate of workplace homicide was 2.1/100,000 male workers/year. Males employed in taxicab service had the highest rate of workplace homicide. 78.2/100,000 male workers/year. Males employed in certain retail trade industries, law enforcement, and the private-security industry also had high rates of workplace homicide. Male workers greater than or equal to 65 years old were at especially high risk, with a workplace-homicide rate 3.5 times that of younger workers. A review of medical examiners' records in five urban counties indicated that 32 per cent of victims who had worked in eating-and-drinking places and 5 per cent of other workers had blood or cerebrospinal-fluid alcohol levels greater than or equal to 0.10 g/dl. These results provide a base for designing effective strategies to prevent workplace homicides.