45% of all workplace violence occurs in the healthcare industry. How can medical facilities mitigate these risks?
January 29, 2019
What should you consider when designing workplace prevention programs?
Workplace violence is a threat to every organization, but it is particularly prevalent in medical facilities. Up to 75% of healthcare workers have received physical or verbal abuse from patients or someone connected to the patient. With the recent shootings at Chicago’s Mercy Hospital, what should be considered when designing a workplace violence prevention program for healthcare facilities?
David Davari, Managing Director for Pinkerton, penned an article for Medical Economics in which he discusses how decision-makers at these facilities can identify and mitigate workplace violence in the healthcare industry. David mentions that one of the keys to a successful program is being compliant with OSHA’s guidelines. A workplace violence prevention program should include these five elements:
Management commitment and employee participation and engagement
Work site analysis and hazard identification—including an evaluation of current security posture
Hazard prevention and control
Safety and health training encompassing hazard recognition and response procedures and protocols
Record keeping and program evaluation, including incident tracking, training, assessments, etc.
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