By Brent I. ClarkJoshua M. Henderson, and Craig B. Simonsen

shutterstock_65596348Seyfarth Synopsis: The California Division of Occupational Safety & Health Standards Board approved last week its regulations on Workplace Violence Prevention in Health Care.

The California Division of Occupational Safety & Health (Cal/OSHA) Standards Board approved last week its regulations on Workplace Violence Prevention in Health
Continue Reading CA Nears Adoption of New Workplace Violence Regulations for Health Care Employers, Home Health Providers, and Emergency Responders

By Adam R. Young, Kylie Byron, and Craig B. Simonsen

shutterstock_178475264Seyfarth Synopsis: NIOSH releases a comprehensive training curriculum that home healthcare employers can use to minimize safety risks and prevent OSHA citations.

We had blogged previously about OSHA’s “Strategies and Tools” to “Help Prevent” Workplace Violence in the Healthcare Setting. Now the National Institute for Occupational
Continue Reading NIOSH Offers Free Training Program to Help Employers Address Safety Risks Faced by Home Healthcare Workers

By James L. Curtis and Craig B. Simonsen

iStock_000041284206_MediumSeyfarth Synopsis: DHS’s recommendations for active shooter prevention and preparedness is only one piece of an effective workplace violence prevention program. Employers should assess their workplaces and develop comprehensive workplace violence prevention programs and training.

With the wave of violence that has gripped the nation this summer, many clients are again asking
Continue Reading Wave of Shootings Puts Workplace Violence Back in the Spotlight

By Adam R. Young and Craig B. Simonsen

Violence, often involving firearms, is an increasingly common occurrence in the 21st century workplace.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation notes that even though homicide is “the most publicized form of violence in the workplace, it is not the most common.”

The FBI defines workplace violence as “any physical assault, threatening behavior or
Continue Reading Workplace Violence Prevention: DHS Promotes “Active Shooter Preparedness” Programs – Is Your Company Ready?

By Brent I. Clark and Craig B. Simonsen

shutterstock_65596348OSHA announced on December 1, 2015, that it had issued a number of “strategies and tools” for preventing workplace violence in the healthcare setting.

The strategies and tools were contained in a new webpage, “Preventing Workplace Violence in Healthcare.” The Agency indicates that the new webpage is part of OSHA’s
Continue Reading OSHA Issues “Strategies and Tools” to “Help Prevent” Workplace Violence in the Healthcare Setting

By Mark A. Lies, II and Craig B. Simonsen

shutterstock_171692768Employers today can find themselves in a seemingly untenable dilemma when they have violence threaten to invade their workplaces. Two recent cases illustrate the competing liabilities that employers face in their decision-making as to how to respond to workplace violence.

In one case, decided by the United States Court of Appeals
Continue Reading Workplace Violence – Putting Employers on the Horns of a Dilemma

By Mark A. Lies, II and Craig B. Simonsen

shutterstock_171692768An Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission Administrative Law Judge has determined that a healthcare provider company did not protect a social service coordinator, who was fatally stabbed outside her client’s home in December 2012.

According to the OSHA news release, the healthcare client had severe mental illness and a
Continue Reading Judge Affirms OSHA Citation in Death of Healthcare Worker Killed by Mentally Ill Client

By James L. Curtis and Craig B. Simonsen

shutterstock_58920859OSHA has released an “Inspection Guidance for Inpatient Healthcare Settings,” that will focus its inspectors attention to musculoskeletal disorders, workplace violence, bloodborne pathogens, tuberculosis, and slips, trips, and falls.

The Guidance focuses on hazards that were included in OSHA’s recently-concluded National Emphasis Program on Nursing and Residential Care Facilities, CPL
Continue Reading Healthcare Employers to Get Even More Attention from OSHA

By Brent I. Clark, James L. Curtis, Mark A. Lies, Meagan Newman, and Craig B. Simonsen

shutterstock_65596348In its announcement last week, OSHA noted that the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported for 2013 that over 23,000 significant injuries were due to violent assault at work, with more than seventy percent (70%) of these assaults being in the healthcare
Continue Reading OSHA Updates Workplace Violence Guidance for Protecting Healthcare and Social Service Workers

By Brent I. ClarkMark A. Lies, II, and Meagan Newman

shutterstock_171692768A draft proposed regulation from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) would require health-care employers, home health and hospice providers and emergency responders to develop workplace violence-prevention plans, train their employees and keep records related to workplace violence incidents.

The draft also calls on
Continue Reading CA Proposes New Workplace Violence Regulations for Health Care Employers, Home Health Providers and Emergency Responders