Workplace violence is a growing concern in healthcare and social service settings, with employees at an increased risk of experiencing violence on the job. It is not only essential, but as an employer, you have a duty to take steps to prevent workplace violence and provide support for employees who may become victims. This includes implementing a workplace violence prevention program that addresses potential risks and provides training for employees. Healthcare and social service workers are at high risk of workplace violence because they often work with people who are in pain, distress, or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Workplace violence can result in physical and psychological injuries, reduced job satisfaction, increased turnover, and compromised quality of care.
HEALTHCARE AND HOSPITAL SECURITY CONSULTANT
Workplace violence can be prevented by implementing a comprehensive workplace violence prevention program that includes the following five components:
1) Management commitment and worker participation
Management should demonstrate strong leadership and commitment to preventing workplace violence by establishing a clear policy statement, allocating sufficient resources, assigning roles and responsibilities, and ensuring accountability. Workers should be involved in all aspects of the program development and implementation through joint labor-management committees, surveys, training sessions, reporting systems, and feedback mechanisms.
2) Worksite analysis and hazard identification
The workplace should be regularly assessed for potential hazards and sources of violence by conducting inspections, surveys, incident reports, and records reviews. The results should be used to identify trends, patterns, and risk factors, and to prioritize corrective actions.
Accreditation agencies and State surveyors will look to see if hospitals are performing a worksite analysis on an annual basis.
Perform Two Separate Assessments: SSMC recommends assessing the Hospital Security Department separately from the Hospital’s Workplace Violence Prevention Program.
Although some hospitals combine an assessment of their security department with an evaluation of the workplace violence prevention program, we would note these are two different types of programs and should be assessed separately. Accreditation agencies see the workplace violence prevention program as “Multidisciplinary.” As such, the Security Department is just one potential means of support for the hospital’s workplace violence prevention program, which requires input and support from the Administration, Risk Management, Human Resources, Education, and Legal teams, among other areas in the hospital.
Better Practice: A better practice is to evaluate the Security Department’s current capabilities first, then follow up with an assessment of the workplace violence program’s needs for support. If the security department’s existing capabilities do not support the organization’s prevention needs, this should be a finding noted in both assessments. These assessments should be performed annually.
Best Practice: Self-Evaluations are important, but over time internal reviews become myopic and there is a tendency to exclude potential opportunities for improvement. During hospital accreditation surveys, agencies like the Joint Commission and DNV sometimes advise and often look favorably at hospitals that have hired independent Hospital Security Consultants and Healthcare Workplace Violence Experts to perform security assessments and evaluate the hospital’s workplace violence prevention program. It is now considered a healthcare industry best practice to hire an independent Hospital Security Consultant and/or Healthcare Workplace Violence Expert to perform an assessment of the hospital’s security and workplace violence programs every 5 years.
3) Hazard prevention and control
The identified hazards should be eliminated or minimized by implementing engineering controls, administrative controls, and work practices that reduce exposure to violence. Engineering controls include physical barriers, locks, alarms, cameras, lighting, and signage that deter or prevent access to potential perpetrators. Administrative controls include policies, procedures, schedules, staffing levels, and training that reduce conflict, stress, and frustration among workers and clients. Work practices include communication skills, de-escalation techniques, conflict resolution skills, and teamwork that promote a respectful and safe work environment.
4) Safety and health training
All workers should receive regular training on how to recognize, avoid, and respond to workplace violence. Training topics should include the definition and types of workplace violence, the risk factors and warning signs of workplace violence, the workplace violence prevention policy and procedures, the roles and responsibilities of workers and management, the reporting and recordkeeping systems, the available resources and support services, the communication and de-escalation skills, the self-defense and escape techniques, and the post-incident debriefing and counseling.
5) Recordkeeping and program evaluation.
All incidents and near misses of workplace violence should be reported, recorded, and investigated promptly and thoroughly. The records should be analyzed regularly to identify trends, patterns, and areas for improvement. The workplace violence prevention program should also be evaluated periodically to assess its implementation, effectiveness, and impact. The evaluation results should be used to make necessary adjustments and improvements to the program.
What is the Occupational Safety and Health Act?
OSHA is the federal agency that enforces the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, which requires employers to provide a safe and healthy work environment for their workers. One of the main resources that OSHA provides for healthcare and social service employers and workers is the Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers.
These guidelines describe the components of an effective workplace violence prevention program, with extensive examples. Although the guidelines are voluntary and do not create statutory legal obligations, they reflect OSHA’s recommendations based on the best available evidence.
However, there are certain risks and exposure to not following the OSHA Guidelines. Hospitals that fail to follow these guidelines run the risk of being cited during an accreditation survey for significant deviations such as underfunding security and failure to provide training on workplace violence prevention and de-escalation to hospital staff. See SSMC’s White Paper explaining how to comply with the new 2022 Joint Commission requirements for Hospital Workplace Violence Prevention.
HEALTHCARE AND HOSPITAL SECURITY EXPERT
At Strategic Security Management Consulting, we are Hospital Security Consultants and Healthcare Workplace Violence Experts specializing in workplace violence prevention for healthcare and social service workers. With our extensive experience and expertise, we can help you create a safer and more secure work environment for your employees. Please contact us today to learn more about how we can assist you. You can reach us online or by phone at 407-385-9167.
