New research has shown that as many as one in ten people have sustained an injury in the work place in the past five years.

AXA Insurance’s study reveals that while employee injuries are most likely to be caused by work-related accidents (81%), for example, using machinery and tripping over, a shocking 8% of work-related injuries sustained by employees resulted from a physical assault by either a customer or colleague.

Perhaps even more surprising is the fact that the professional services industry, which includes lawyers, consultants and accountants, experienced the highest level of physical assault with as many as 15% of employees working in the sector being assaulted by a customer.

The study also shows that employees who work for large companies (250 staff or more) are almost twice as likely to suffer an injury whilst working compared to those employed by small and medium-sized businesses.

Douglas Barnett, risk control strategy manager from AXA, comments: “These findings should make worrying reading for the business community. Accidents and injuries sustained in the workplace can be extremely costly for companies - through employees having to take time off work to recover or because of compensation pay outs.”