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Remember the parable of the blind men and the elephant? Each man forms an incorrect conclusion about what the elephant is like, based on limited information. The man touching the elephant’s tail concludes that an elephant is like a rope. The man touching its tusk believed that the elephant was more like a spear. The […]
One of the most important tools for preventing workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities is a hazard assessment. Situations are analyzed to determine the risks they pose, and then employers decide how best to control those risks. Unfortunately, one increasingly common hazard has thus far defied our ability to predict and prevent it—mass shootings.
Hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities are places of mental and physical healing and pain relief. Yet, they are often sites of danger to staff, most often to frontline staff, such as nurses, aides, and receptionists.
Rave Mobile Safety (Rave) recently released findings from a new survey of 530 respondents that examined employee perceptions of workplace safety. The survey revealed that “workplaces miss the mark in critical communication and planning, and could be unprepared to meet the future needs of employees,” according to a Rave press release.
Moving out ahead of federal OSHA, California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) is developing a general industry workplace violence prevention standard. In 2017, California became the first state to require all healthcare facilities to implement protective measures for workers who may be exposed to violence.
Workplace violence is unpredictable … or is it? Wearables and predictive analytics are more than just trendy tech tools—they have the potential to give safety managers an edge in foreseeing and preventing workplace violence.
Healthcare facilities are particularly vulnerable to incidents of workplace violence, and keeping hospitals safe for patients, staff, and visitors can be a monumental task. It’s a daily challenge for Jim Sawyer, CHS-IV, CPP, CHPA, Director of Security Services for Seattle Children’s Hospital.
While coworkers can often be the perpetrators of workplace violence, employers also must be aware of external threats from domestic abusers. If an employee reports that he or she is experiencing abuse at home, awareness and sensitivity on the part of the employer goes a long way. It’s a situation all too familiar to Lynn […]
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has no standard or regulation specifically addressing workplace violence, but employers’ responsibility to address violence is covered under the General Duty Clause of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. And that means employers need to be ready for the agency’s inspection and enforcement efforts.