Victory: Workplace Violence Regulations

December 2015

Cal/OSHA held its final hearing on regulations for workplace violence prevention in hospitals and health care settings on December 17, 2015.

UNAC/UHCP submitted final comments under the public comment period. UNAC/UHCP members testified at all the hearings held by the Cal/OSHA standards board during the process of drafting regulations.

The final regulations will be released in 2016 after Cal/OSHA has considered all public comments.

Health care workers are subject to violence in the workplace more than any other profession except law enforcement. UNAC/UHCP members fought to make these regulations a reality by raising awareness and sharing their stories. Members:

• Shared with CBS news personal stories of being attacked in the workplace to highlight the problem (Watch the full
  story on the
  UNAC/UHCP Facebook page.)
• Signed a petition to Cal/OSHA calling for protections
• Rallied and testified at Cal/OSHA hearings

These workplace violence regulations are a huge victory for health care workers, but the war has not been won. We will need to ensure that the regulations are followed. That means vigilance in reporting, well-developed prevention plans, training, and several other areas where our attention will be crucial. Also, we must fight to correct or improve any parts of the regulations that leave health care workers vulnerable to violence on the job.

Winning regulations to protect health care workers will be a huge victory! Thank you to every person who shared a personal story of workplace violence, testified at a Cal/OSHA hearing and signed on to the petition calling on Cal/OSHA to act.