Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Workplace Violence Prevention Act Will Save Lives, Shuler Says

Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.

On Friday, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler (IBEW) celebrated the House passing the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R. 1195), which directs the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue a federal workplace violence prevention standard to protect workers in health care and social services from injury and death:

“Working people’s lives are on the line. There is an epidemic of violence against health care and social service workers, and it must be stopped. Workplace violence is not ‘just part of the job.’ It is a worsening problem, but it is preventable.

“Of the workers providing critical care on the front lines, women are at the greatest risk, suffering two out of every three serious workplace violence injuries. Workplace violence is the third-leading cause of job death and causes more than 30,000 serious lost-time injuries each year. Nurses, medical assistants, emergency responders and social workers face some of the greatest threats, suffering more than 72% of all workplace assaults.

“Today’s House passage is a much-needed step to protect those who give so much to our communities. The Senate must step up and send this critical, lifesaving legislation to President Biden’s desk.”