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U.S. Department of Labor | April 2, 2015
WASHINGTON – In 2013, the
Bureau of Labor Statistics reported more than 23,000 significant injuries due
to assault at work. More than 70 percent of these assaults were in
healthcare and social service settings. Health care and social service workers
are almost four times as likely to be injured as a result of violence than the
average private sector worker. To reduce the risk, the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration today released an update to its Guidelines for Preventing
Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers. The publication includes
industry best practices and highlights the most effective ways to reduce the
risk of violence in various healthcare and social service settings.
“It is unacceptable that the people who dedicate their lives
to caring for our loved ones often work in fear of injury or death,” said
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David
Michaels. “This updated booklet will help employers implement effective
measures to reduce or eliminate workplace violence hazards.”
The revised guidelines – which update OSHA’s 1996 and 2004
guidelines – incorporate research in the last decade into the causes of
workplace violence on healthcare and social service settings, risk factors that
accompany working with patients or clients who display violent behavior, and
the appropriate preventive measures that can be taken, amid the variety of
settings in which health care and social service employees work. The guidelines
also stress the importance of developing a written workplace violence
prevention program. The program should include management commitment and
employee participation, worksite analysis, hazard prevention and control,
safety and health training, and recordkeeping and program evaluation.
More information on violence prevention in all workplace settings
is available on OSHA’s Workplace Violence
Web page.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970,
employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their
employees. OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions for America’s working
men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training,
education and assistance. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.
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Media Contacts:
Lauren North, 202-693-4655, north.lauren.a@dol.gov
Ann Mangold, 202-693-4679, ann.mangold.r@dol.gov
Release Number: 15-554-NAT
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