Protecting Health Care Workers from Workplace Violence at California Mental Health Facilities

California has had an enforcement policy to protect workers against workplace violence since the early 1990s. There is no stand-alone regulation on workplace violence; rather Cal/OSHA inspectors evaluate whether employers have effectively implemented the required “Injury and Illness Prevention Program” in recognizing and evaluating workplace violence hazards, effectively controlling these identified hazards, and training employees and supervisors. Cal/OSHA has investigated the daily assaults in psychiatric hospitals and jail-related health facilities, which have resulted in health care worker deaths, and has issued citations against both public and private facilities. This presentation will describe several of these inspections, identify the measures that health care facility administrators must take to protect employees and comply with the law. The presentation will also briefly describe how Cal/OSHA's approach to workplace violence prevention is applied in workplaces other than health care, such as social service agencies, retail stores and correctional facilities.