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Earlier this week, Cal/OSHA released the 2017-18 Report on Workplace Violence Incidents, which addresses hospital incidents reported through the Cal/OSHA online reporting tool.
California Labor Code 6401.8(c) requires Cal/OSHA to post a report on its website each year containing information on violent incidents at hospitals, based on reports submitted by the hospitals. Cal/OSHA must include which hospitals submitted reports, the total number of incidents reported, the outcome of any related inspection or investigation, citations levied against a hospital based on a violent incident, and recommendations for preventing violent incidents.
This is the first report with a full year of data. Key findings include:
- Forty percent of workplace violence incidents occur in inpatient units, while 27 percent occur in the emergency department and 16 percent occur in behavioral health units.
- Patients make up the largest percentage of aggressor types (93 percent), followed by a person accompanying the patient (3 percent).
- Hospitals reported employee injuries in 43 percent of all incidents. The most common injury type was bruising or abrasion, which constituted 39 percent of injury incidents.
The report also includes data on the number of inspections conducted and outcomes. Cal/OSHA completed 11 inspections related to violent incidents at hospitals during the reporting period.
In one of the completed inspections, Cal/OSHA issued a notice in lieu of a citation under Section 3342, as authorized by Labor Code Section 6317. In two other inspections, Cal/OSHA issued a citation for a regulatory violation under Section 3342. The notice and two citations were abated and were not contested. In the other eight completed inspections, no violations of Section 3342 were found.
CHA continues to add valuable tools to its recently updated online Workplace Violence Prevention Resources page, developed to help hospitals and health systems reduce violent incidents through workplace violence prevention planning. The latest additions include materials developed by the South Carolina Hospital Association, including posters that hospitals may use.