Punching, Kicking, Spitting Among Most Common Attacks

California emergency room workers suffered thousands of instances of grabbing, pushing, punching, spitting, and other aggressive acts from 2018 through 2023. Only a small number of attacks included weapons.

Note: Some attacks featured more than one mode of assault. For instance, an attacker may have kicked, bit, and spit. Those attacks appear more than once in this chart.
Source: California Division of Occupational Safety and Health
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