Sexual assault of women at work.

Review of twenty-one workers' compensation claims for sexual assault filed in Ohio for the period 1983-1985 revealed that five (62%) of the rapes by unknown assailants after dark occurred in convenience food stores. The rape rate was 7.0 per 100,000 females employed in convenience food stores per year compared with a rate of 0.3 per 100,000 females employed in Ohio (IRR = 25.6, CI 8.1-132.3). In addition, three rapes occurred among motel maids and housekeepers, and three among residential property managers. Police reports for sexual assault in Memphis, Tennessee for 1985 corroborated the observation of a potential increased risk of rape in female employees of convenience food stores. Strategies for the provision of personal security against assault in the workplace have not previously been addressed in the public health literature. A review of workers' compensation claims has identified an area for which strategies to prevent workplace injuries should be developed.