10. Pandemic fueled rise in attacks on health care staff
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Health care workers have long been susceptible to workplace violence, particularly in hospital emergency rooms, and COVID-19 has exacerbated existing sources of violence and led to attacks even in non-acute settings, such as physician offices.
A story in June on the rise in violence against health care staff during the pandemic was the 10th most read workers compensation-related story on Business Insurance’s website in 2021.
Violence against health care providers is the third-leading cause of serious workplace injuries in the industry, generating at least $540 million a year in workers compensation costs, according to Liberty Mutual Holding Co. Inc.’s 2020 Workplace Safety Index.
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report from 2018 found 73% of those injured in workplace violence were health care workers. In 2020, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration found one in five nurses reported being physically assaulted on the job. Health care workers are four times more likely to suffer from workplace violence than those in other industries, according to OSHA.
In February, federal lawmakers introduced H.B. 1195, which would require health care employers across the country to create a comprehensive program and processes to prevent violence against health care workers.
H.B. 1195 passed in the House on April 16 and has yet to be taken up in the Senate.
