Today, Rep. Scott Peters (CA-52) voted to pass the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, which will protect the 12 million American health care and social service workers from workplace violence. The bill directs the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to create a national standard that requires health care and social service employers to develop and implement a violence prevention plan specific to their care facility

“Doctors, nurses, social workers, and other caregivers help keep our community healthy and safe. We know they are more likely to face job-related violence, but for too long, workplace safety standards have failed to protect these frontline workers. This bill builds on protections we already have in California to ensure health care workers across the country are protected from violence,” said Rep. Pete

Nearly three-quarters of reported incidents of workplace violence in the United States are directed at health care and social service workers, including psychiatric technicians, social workers, medical assistants, and emergency responders. These workers are employed in locations like hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, correctional or detention facilities, federal health care facilities like the VA and the Indian Health Service, home care and home-based hospice, and emergency services.

This bill is supported by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).