AOHP 2015 National Conference

Topic Overview: Violence in the Workplace. We hear about it every once in a while, yet it seems like it's happening more often. And, for every incident that we hear or read about in the news, many other smaller incidents occur across the country each day that we don't hear about. Employers have both legal and ethical responsibilities to maintain a safe work environment – for the patients, but also for the staff. Well over half of the employers in this country have no program or policy addressing workplace violence, and among those who have a policy, less than half address domestic violence. Workplace violence probably wouldn't or couldn't happen at your healthcare facility - right? Or could it? Workplace violence has remained among the top four causes of death at work for over 15 years, and it impacts thousands of workers and their families annually. Employers can be held liable for workplace violence when it can be shown that there was negligent hiring, negligent retention, negligent security and/or inadequate safeguards to provide a “safe and healthful workplace.” As an occupational health professional, how can you help to minimize the potential for violence in employees?

Hospitals may face liability for workplace violence events. You want to be prepared! OSHA has issued the Compliance Directive “Enforcement Procedures for Investigating or Inspecting Incidents of Workplace Violence.” This comprehensive seminar will explore the statistics, the legal issues surrounding employment practices and what OSHA is doing to try to make your workplace safer for employees.

Objectives:

1. Review the comprehensive list of best practices outlined in OSHA’s Compliance Directive C PL 02-01-052 for Investigating Reports of Violence in the Workplace.
2. Explain the importance of quality screening of potential employees by Human Resources to minimize future violent incidents.
3. Demonstrate the importance of supervisory training for a frontline awareness of personality changes in employees which may predict violent behaviors.
4. Discuss how to initiate legal strategies to address issues of disruptive behavior at any level, including a workable process to address disruptive behavior among staff members.