[MCOH-EH] Groundbreaking California OSHA Workplace Violence Prevention in Health Care Standard Adopted

[Mark Catlin]

After a three-year statewide campaign, Healthcare Unions in California, won
the most protective standard in the United States to protect healthcare
workers from workplace violence.



The campaign, led by 121RN, the SEIU Nurse Alliance of California and the
SEIU California State Council, included many rank and file members from all
SEIU Locals in California and other California unions.



At its October 20, 2016 meeting, the California Occupational Health and
Safety Standards Board voted unanimously to adopt a proposal for a
groundbreaking CalOSHA Workplace Violence Prevention in Health Care
Standard.  A short video of the vote to adopt the CalOSHA Workplace
Violence Prevention in Health Care Standard is available for viewing:



*Vote to Adopt the CalOSHA Workplace Violence Prevention in Health Care
Standard*, *Oct 20 2016*  (7:33 mins)  https://youtu.be/nvGCuMY_P40



The video includes comments by the Standards Board members on the need for
this standard and praising the many nurses and healthcare workers who
testified during the almost three year development of the proposal.  The
proposal adopted can be found at
http://www.dir.ca.gov/oshsb/documents/Workplace-Violence-Prevention-in-Health-Care-txtbdconsider.pdf
<http://www.dir.ca.gov/oshsb/documents/Workplace-Violence-Prevention-in-Health-Care-txtbdconsider.pdf%20>
.



In February 2014, SEIU Local 121RN and the SEIU Nurse Alliance of
California filed a petition requesting the CalOSHA Standards Board to adopt
a new standard to provide health care workers with specific protections
against workplace violence.



Workplace violence is a major hazard faced by many healthcare workers.  A
recent report from the General Accounting Office (GAO) found that health
care workers face rates of workplace violence 5 to 12 times higher than the
estimated rates for workers overall.



This standard establishes mandatory minimum requirements for public and
private healthcare employers to reduce the risk of workplace violence to
employees.  Healthcare employers are required to conduct a workplace
violence risk assessment and develop a site-specific workplace violence
program. Workers and their unions should be involved in the risk assessment
and site-specific program development, including the training and annual
program review.

 This standard covers many private and public health care facilities in
California, including general acute care hospitals, acute psychiatric
hospitals, special hospitals, hospital based outpatient clinics (HBOCs) and
other operations located at a health facility, and all off-site operations
included within the license of the health facility, home health care and
home-based hospice, emergency medical services and medical transport.
Unfortunately, ancillary health care operations, included in the original
proposal were removed from the final standard.  SEIU is committed to
efforts to include workers at these operations in future rulemaking.  The
standard is expected to go into effect in 2017.

Federal OSHA is currently considering moving forward on a similar national
standard.
Mark

Health and Safety Director
SEIU
1800 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 730 - 7290
(202) 436 - 0856 cell
mark.catlin at seiu.org
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