Police and security officer experiences of occupational violence and injury in Australia

Abstract

This study employed national workers’ compensation data to examine and compare the nature and prevalence of work-related injuries and occupational violence experienced by Australian security officers and police between 2000 and 2008. The study found that while security officers’ work-related injuries overall occurred at half the rate of police officers’, the rates of occupational violence were about equal and followed the same trend over time — rising during the mid 2000s and then declining steadily. However, injuries to security officers appeared more serious than those experienced by police. Security officers were twice as likely to sustain a head injury and, on average, lost about six weeks more work than police. Compared with all other Australian occupations, security and police were in the top three highest claiming occupations for work-related injuries and deaths from occupational violence, with security officers at number one in both instances. The findings add to the very limited literature on injuries and violence experienced by police and security officers. However, the findings also show the need for more research on the specific situational factors involved in injuries and on what works in prevention.