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Emergency department security programs, community crime, and employee assaults
James D Blando1, Katharine McGreevy, Emily O'Hagan
1Occupational Health Services, New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0360, USA.
The Journal of Emergency Medicine
|January 6, 2009
Summary
Violence against healthcare workers in emergency departments (EDs) is a universal risk. Even small hospitals in low-crime areas lack security, leading to high assault rates for ED employees.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Healthcare Security
- Emergency Medicine
Background:
- Violence against healthcare workers is a significant occupational hazard, particularly in emergency departments (EDs).
- Variability in ED security programs exists due to a lack of federal mandates, with only voluntary guidelines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) available.
- This study addresses the need for better understanding of security measures and assault risks in EDs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine emergency department (ED) security programs.
- To analyze employee assault rates in EDs based on financial resources, hospital size, and community crime rates.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey was conducted across large and small hospitals in low and high community crime areas.
- Hospital financial data were obtained from state health departments.
- Employee assault data were collected from hospital Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) logs.
Main Results:
- Small hospitals in low-crime communities had the fewest security features.
- These same hospitals reported the second-highest rate of assault-related OSHA-recordable injuries among ED employees (0.66 per 100,000 staff hours).
Conclusions:
- The risk of employee assault in emergency departments (EDs) is universal, irrespective of hospital size or community crime rates.
- The high-stress nature of ED work contributes to this pervasive risk.
- Further research and standardized security measures are needed to protect healthcare workers.
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