$12,000 in Penalties for Facility Exposing Workers to Workplace Violence
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued one serious and one other than serious violations to a residential health care facility for exposing employees to hazards related to workplace violence.
As a result, OSHA has proposed $12,000 in penalties for the facility (Integrated Life Choices Inc. Lincoln, Nebraska).
According to the announcement the citations follow an October 2015 OSHA investigation by the agency’s Omaha Area Office that found agitated clients have bitten, scratched, kicked and thrown objects at staff members. The client’s aggression exceeded the threshold of training workers had received to deal with potential violent clients and compromised their personal safety and ability to control the situation.
Workplace violence is any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site. It ranges from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and even homicide. OSHA has guidelines for preventing workplace violence for health care and social workers.
