Three ways to improve workplace violence response time

The healthcare industry knows it has a workplace violence problem, but it’s had a hard time shifting the cultural perception that this violence is unavoidable. As one paper describing the prevalence, forms, and consequences of healthcare workplace violence proclaimed in its title, “Workplace Violence in Health Care—It’s Not ‘Part of the Job.’ ”

This acceptance may be one reason the U.S. House passed the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, HR 1195, in April 2021. The bill, now with the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, would require the Occupational Safety & Health Administration to develop an enforceable healthcare-specific standard around workplace violence prevention. Hospitals, home health agencies, long-term care facilities, and others would be required to develop and implement a comprehensive workplace violence protection plan in compliance with the standard’s requirements.

Glenn Farrant, CEO of the security management solution provider CriticalArc, adds that the acceptance of healthcare’s comparatively higher workplace violence rates may stem from the long-standing difficulty in rapidly responding to incidents. But with today’s technology becoming more advanced, this attitude is no longer appropriate, Farrant says.

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