For years, OSHA has stressed that it considers workplace violence to be a generally recognized hazard under the Occupational Safety and Health Act’s General Duty Clause. Bureau of Labor Statistics data indicates that homicide continues to be a significant risk in the workplace, particularly for women. Nearly 2 million workers in this country are victims of workplace violence each year. Sadly, many cases go unreported. OSHA has now released an update to its Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers. In light of the significance of this issue, and with the release of these new guidelines, employers should take a fresh look at their workplace violence policies and training materials.

For more information on this topic, see OSHA’s Workplace Violence web page.