Studies show that health care workers are at a significantly higher risk of workplace violence than the average worker in other industries. The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), reports from 2002-2013, the rate of serious workplace violence incidents (who require days off for an injured worker to recuperate) was more than four times greater in the health care industry than in the private industry on average.
In October of 2016, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (Standards Board) unanimously accepted a new General Industry Order entitled “Workplace Prevention in Health Care”. The Office of Administrative Law approved the standard in December of 2016, and is codified at Section 3342 of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations. The rule is far more extensive than the Federal OSHA’s guidelines for the prevention of workplace violence in health care settings.
Beginning April 1, 2017 all employers in California operating in the following health care areas will be required to comply with Section 3342, the “Workplace Prevention in Health Care” rule:
- Health Care facilities
- Home Health Care Programs
- Drug Treatment Programs
- Emergency Medical Services
- Outpatient Medical Services to Correctional and Detention Settings