Add your name: Pass Workplace Violence Prevention Legislation

Health care is one of the most dangerous fields of work, largely due to pervasive workplace violence. In nationwide surveys conducted by National Nurses United (NNU), the nation’s largest union of registered nurses, the majority of nurses (81.6 percent) reported having experienced at least one workplace violence incident in the past year.

Right now we have a critical opportunity to make significant progress toward preventing workplace violence and making our health care facilities safer for everyone. The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R.2663/ S.1176) would mandate that OSHA create a federal standard requiring health care and social service employers to develop and implement comprehensive workplace violence prevention plans. This legislation is especially important given that health care and social service workers face extremely high rates of workplace violence.