The healthcare security practitioner is confronted by an alarming level of violence from a wide range of threats. Many people do not understand that healthcare and social service workers are victims of violent attacks at many times the rate of other private sector workers. OSHA bulletin 3148-06R reports some Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on the issue:
- Between 2011 and 2013, workplace assaults ranged from 23,540 to 25,630 annually.
- 70% to 74% of these assaults occurred in healthcare and social service settings.
- For healthcare workers, assaults were 10-11% of injuries causing days off work, compared with just 3% of injuries to all private sector employees.
These BLS statistics consolidate attacks from a variety of threats into summary numbers. Going forward, the healthcare security practitioner will have to prepare for and prevent attacks from a variety of potent threats, including:
- Severe weather
- Workplace violence
- Active assailants
- Terrorist attacks
- Uncertainties imposed by on-going healthcare reform
Note that some of these threats, notably, active assailants and terrorist threats, have been more frequent in recent years. We must assume that these trends will continue and devote sufficient resources to combat them.
Healthcare settings can be highly vulnerable simply because their mission compels them to be open to unplanned interactions with unknown individuals. Security planning must anticipate the types of violence that could occur within given physical spaces and manage limited resources to stop or channel risks to limit violence. A careful risk management plan should consider technology, employee characteristics, data-based assessment, and on-going training.
Our SlideShare for the healthcare security practitioner summarizes the threat and response possibilities for healthcare security. Flip through and consider your own security planning: