The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Tuesday that an investigation found a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Arizona failed to protect health care workers against patient violence.
OSHA said the Northern Arizona VA Healthcare System’s Bob Stump VA Medical Center in Prescott exposed nurses, nursing assistants and housekeeping staff to patient violence, which included incidents of employees being bitten, struck, kicked, slapped, punched and sexually harassed.
The incidents were investigated in December 2023 and could have led to $161,323 in penalties if the medical center was a private-sector employee, OSHA said. Federal agencies are typically exempt from OSHA citations and penalties.
Instead of a citation and penalties, the center was issued a “notice of unsafe and unhealthful working conditions” and is required to demonstrate that it has abated the hazards, the agency said. While exempt from citations, federal agencies still must comply with the same safety and health standards as private employers, OSHA said.
OSHA said health care sector employees face workplace violence at a rate of up to four times that of employees working in other industries.