Although workplace violence is now recognized as a specific category of violent crime that calls for distinct responses from employers, law enforcement, and the community, most incidents that employees/ managers must deal with daily are not even reported to company officials, let alone to police.
Workers in hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare settings face significant risks of workplace violence. Many factors contribute to this risk, including working directly with people who have a history of violence or who may be delirious or under the influence of drugs.
Data have shown the rate of serious workplace violence incidents (those requiring days off for an injured worker to recuperate) to be more than four times greater in healthcare than in private industry, on average. In fact, healthcare accounts for nearly as many serious violent injuries as all other industries combined. Many more assaults or threats go unreported.
Scope
California’s Workplace Violence Prevention in Health Care standard went into effect on April 1, 2017. This standard applies to work in specific health care facilities, service categories, and operations. There is currently no Federal OSHA standard for Workplace Violence in Healthcare. When necessary, Federal OSHA will rely on the General Duty Clause for enforcement of any place of employment with recognized hazards that can cause or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to their employees. Click the links below to view the applicable requirements.
General Duty Clause: Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act
Citations
California: Title 8, Division 1, Chapter 4, Subchapter 7, Group 2, Article 7, 3342. Violence Prevention in Health Care
A summary of the recommendations includes the following: