Originally Posted in Daily Local News

Written by Michael P. Rellahan

Legislation that would provide oversight of workplace violence in the health care and social services sectors and that was passed last week puts a spotlight on an issue that affects hundreds of thousands of American workers, a co-sponsor of the bill said after it cleared the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Health care and social service workers are on the front lines of caring for those in our community and across our country” said U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-6th of Easttown, whose district includes hospitals in Chester and Berks counties.

 “Over the last decade, workplace violence in both the health care and social service sectors have increased by 80 percent,” the congresswoman said in a press release after the bill passed the House by a 209-205 vote. It now moves to the U.S. Senate. “These hardworking Americans deserve to have our full support in protecting themselves from workplace violence. I am proud to have cosponsored and passed this legislation, which will provide these long overdue protections to those in our community working in the health care and social service sectors."

The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, would require the U.S. Department of Labor to address workplace violence in those sectors by establishing an occupational safety and health standard that requires certain employers in the health care and social service sectors, as well as employers in sectors that conduct activities similar to the activities in the health care and social service sectors, to develop and implement a comprehensive plan for protecting health care workers, social service workers, and other personnel from workplace violence.

According to a spokesman for Houlahan, she became aware of the issue after being contacted by the members of the labor community in southeastern Pennsylvania including Tom Tosti from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees  (AFSCME) Council 88, which represents workers in the five county area, The office also received outreach from organizations in Washington D.C. representing EMTs, emergency room nurses, and social workers in Pennsylvania and across the country.

 “Whether it is the nurse in a hospital emergency room, nursing home or home healthcare provider these workers are enormously important to our communities and deserve respect in the form of a safe and violence-free workplace,” said Tosti in th press release.“They also deserve a voice in the process of developing workplace violence prevention plans. The bill ensures that front line workers will have a seat at the table as employers identify and implement controls such as training; improved staffing; personal alarm device, surveillance and monitoring systems; or other evidence-based practices to keep workers safe. I thank Rep. Houlahan for her support on this bill.”

 This bill, if signed into law, would:

· Provide health and social service workers protection by compelling the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration to require employers within the health care and social service sectors to develop and implement comprehensive violence prevention programs to prevent or mitigate violent incidents in the workplace using proven prevention techniques tailored to the risks in a given workplace.

· Require employers, in developing their workplace violence prevention programs, to identify risks, specify solutions, and require training, reporting, and incident investigation.

· Provide protections to workers from retaliation for reporting violent incidents in the workplace.

· And protect health care and social service workers in the public sector in the 24 states not covered by OSHA.