In security we trust, insecurity we fear: Are you up for a challenge?

Last week we started noodling on where things might go from a regulatory/accreditation perspective as the dust “settles” relative to the management of behavioral health patients, ligature risks, etc., as well as the continuing march on infection control targets, items that are certainly on the radar. But there’s one other item that I keep coming back to (in my mind’s eye): Getting our arms around issues relating to workplace violence. While I have no data to support it beyond a general impression based on conversations with various folks, I would venture to say that, if you look at it purely in terms of “room for improvement,” concerns relating to the management of workplace violence has got to be sitting pretty near the top of the “to do” list (I suspect it’s at the top of that list, but if you should happen to either have this one completely under control or there’s something that concerns you more, I’d love to hear about it).

I don’t think (and I’m certainly not in a position to dispute) the numbers are indicative of anything but a pervasive, tough-to-solve issue, particularly in the current healthcare environment. I hear stories about difficulties getting funding for technology solutions, additional staffing to maximize those technology solutions, etc. sometimes forcing us to be reactive as opposed to being able to develop a proactive response. But in looking at the OSHA website as a warmup to penning this particular entry into the Safety Space canon, I noticed that some updated materials have been posted on the OSHA website, including an executive summary for hospital leaders, some examples of best practices, and some information on how you might integrate workplace violence prevention into your organization’s “regular” compliance activities. The addition of these materials, perhaps as a subset of being helpful, tells me that there’s still a fair amount of consideration being given to the subject and we, as an industry, might be well-served to give these materials a look-see. Share that executive summary with your organization’s leaders if you have not already done so; start talking with your organizational risk management and occupational health folks to start working towards elevating this to an organizational priority before the events of the day force you to do so (or to explain to your boss why you didn’t). I’ve worked in healthcare long enough to remember those halcyon days when hospitals were not the hotbed of safety and security risks they are today—until somebody invents a working time machine, we’re not going back there, so we have to focus on future improvement.

And, interestingly enough, I’m not the only one thinking about this stuff; I would encourage you to check out Tim Richards’ blog post. He provides some good food for discussion and perhaps even some early budget planning. There’s a lot of technology out there, some of it (I daresay) could be very useful in protecting folks in a more effective way. This one’s not going away any time soon, and to be honest, I can see this becoming something of a survey focus in the not-too-distant future.

About the Author: Steve MacArthur is a safety consultant with The Greeley Company in Danvers, Mass. He brings more than 30 years of healthcare management and consulting experience to his work with hospitals, physician offices, and ambulatory care facilities across the country. He is also a contributing editor for Healthcare Safety Leader. Contact Steve at stevemacsafetyspace@gmail.com.