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 an update in April 2015 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.
For press release, click here.
For full Guidelines, click here.