Scott, Murray, Franken, Wilson, and Courtney Commend OSHA for Efforts to Address Workplace Violence against Healthcare Workers

WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), U.S. Senator Al Franken (D-MN), U.S. Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-24), and U.S. Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) issued the following statement after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced new actions to prevent violence against healthcare workers. These actions follow the findings of an April 2016 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report examining the prevalence of workplace violence in healthcare facilities. After review of this report, Representatives Scott, Wilson, Courtney, and Senators Murray and Franken, recommended that OSHA adopt an enforceable workplace violence prevention standard, and fully supported the petition for rulemaking that was submitted to the Department by numerous unions representing healthcare workers.

“Last April, the Government Accountability Office outlined the growing problem of violent assaults against workers employed in healthcare facilities. While the GAO had identified a number of states that are tackling this problem through an enforceable rule, OSHA had only issued voluntary guidance. Today OSHA has announced that it will move forward with the development of an enforceable violence prevention standard to help protect our nation’s healthcare workers. We are pleased that OSHA is taking action to reduce and mitigate workplace violence against our nation’s healthcare professionals, and we commend them for listening to the workers and their unions who have rallied for safer workplaces. We urge the incoming Trump Administration to continue the work necessary to establish a comprehensive standard, so that workers in healthcare facilities receive the protections they need and deserve.”

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