Reducing Calif. Health Workplace Violence Costly, Beneficial

Nurses hope proposed California violence workplace prevention regulations will reduce on-the-job injuries but the California Hospital Association is questioning the costs and benefits of the proposal, representatives told Bloomberg BNA.

The regulations are designed to annually prevent 391 injuries, the California Division of Occupational Safety & Health Standards Board, known as Cal/OSHA, estimates. The cost: $36,733,000 in initial compliance and then $25,291,000 annually thereafter. That covers private and public sector organizations, including 123 jails and five University of California campuses.

“I do think we’ve all recognized that, unfortunately, workplace violence is an issue in hospitals,” Gail Blanchard-Saiger, California Hospital ...