According to a recent Workplace Health and Safety Blog from the AFL-CIO, a new Bill is being proposed to protect Health Care and Social Service Workers from workplace violence.
Nurses, emergency room doctors, social workers, psychiatric facility aides, and other health care and social service workers face workplace violence on a daily basis. This often results in an employee experiencing serious injuries, job loss, and even death.
Some key facts about workplace violence:
- It is the cause of approximately 850 worker deaths and 28K serious injuries each year and is on the rise.
- 1 of every 6 workplace deaths each year are from workplace violence.
- Health care and social service workers are nearly 5X more likely than other workers to suffer a workplace violence injury.
- In 2017, workplace homicides doubled for health care and social service workers.
In 2016, working people petitioned the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for a workplace standard, and, in 2017, OSHA granted that petition. Yet, there has been no action by the Presidential Administration to develop a national standard to protect healthcare and social service workers and maximize their workplace safety.
Please watch the following video to learn more about the workplace violence that health care and social service workers face and this proposed reform:
If you should become injured from an episode of workplace violence or develop a work related illness, please reach out to FOA. FOA prides itself on standing by injured workers and protecting their rights.
