Quote of the day
“What we heard was disturbing, shocking and unacceptable. It’s everything from verbal abuse, to being spat on, kicked, shoved, slapped and punched. Assaults are underreported and they’re commonplace in emergency rooms, hospital rooms and the back of ambulances. It can lead to serious injuries and burn-out.”
Oklahoma state Sen. Darrell Weaver
Oklahoma lawmaker files bill to address violence against healthcare professionals
Eighty percent of serious violent incidents reported in a healthcare setting are caused by patients, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Oklahoma state Sen. Darrell Weaver has authored legislation that includes a four-prong approach intended to address medical workplace violence. One would increase the penalty for aggravated assault and battery on a medical care provider from the current range of up to one year to a minimum of two years and a maximum of five. Fox 25 (Oklahoma City)
Maximum fine for safety violations rises
Maximum federal worker-safety fines are going up 1.76 percent, the annual inflation adjustment based on the fiscal 2019 inflation rate, as of January 16. Bloomberg Environment [may require registration]
Colorado appeal of excessive business fine case fails
The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an attempt by Colorado to close a so-called loophole that allows businesses to avoid some regulatory sanctions by, in part, claiming they lack the funds to pay penalties. The case stems from a Colorado Department of Labor dispute with the owner of a Denver motel that was fined $425,000 for letting its workers’ compensation insurance coverage lapse for nearly 1,700 days. KOAA
Alaska: NASHRM event in Fairbanks this week
The January NASHRM luncheon is scheduled for Thursday at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. Attorney Nora Barlow will provide an overview of workers’ compensation investigations best practices, including why it is tough to win before the Alaska Workers’ Compensation Board. Dial-in access is available. News Miner