OSHA Releases Resource: Workplace Violence Prevention in Healthcare

Workplace violence seems to be inevitable, considering the varying factors that employers and workers share. Workplace violence refers to all violent acts that inflict either physical pain or emotional turmoil to other persons at work.

Violence in the workplace can take many forms such as physical assaults, threats, verbal abuses, harassment and even hostility. It also can result in low productivity, physiological trauma and even stress. Many instances of workplace violence often go unreported causing them to constantly prevail, however, workplace violence can be prevented.

According to a recent research by the Bureau of Labor Statistics data, workplace violence was four times more prevalent in healthcare as opposed to private industry in the years 2002 to 2013. In fact, healthcare settings registered the highest number of workplace related violence compared to all other industries combined.

Some of the factors that make workplace violence in healthcare settings more prevalent compared to other sectors include;

  • Working with people who have a history of violence, who are delirious or who are under the influence of drugs
  • Moving and lifting patients
  • Working alone
  • Poor lighting in hallways or excluded places
  • Inadequate means of emergency communication
  • Presence of firearms

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has recently released workplace violence prevention tools specific to the health care industry. The tools are available on OSHA’S website and are meant to help employers and workers with strategies for preventing workplace violence in healthcare settings.

These tools have been devised to counter workplace violence by providing hospital administrators with information on risk factors, associated costs and actions that can be undertaken to counter this problem.

What are the workplace violence prevention tools all about?

The prevention tools come as part of OSHA’s Worker Safety in Hospitals resource and complements the recently updated Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers. They are inclusive of real life examples from healthcare organizations that have successfully incorporated such prevention programs. These examples come as reinforcement to the fact that workplace violence prevention strategies enhance an organizations culture of compliance, safety, and peaceful co-existence. 

 The new strategies and tools on workplace violence prevention programs are inclusive of elements such as:

  • Management commitment and worker participation
  • Worksite analysis and hazard identification
  • Hazard prevention and control
  • Safety and health training
  • Recordkeeping and program evaluation
  • The new resources are meant to assist healthcare employers in achieving positive results in workplace violence prevention.