OSHA Reaches Settlement with Florida Behavior Residential Health and Treatment Facility – Occupational Health and Safety

OSHA Reaches Settlement with Florida Behavior Residential Healthcare and Treatment Facility

Fort Myers Institution agrees to revamp its violence prevention program after an investigation found five incidents had occurred.

• By Shereen Hachem
• 04 June 2021

OSHA has entered into an agreement with a behavioral health care and residential treatment facility in Fort Meyers. The regulation was created to prevent future employees from injuring themselves after a series of violent incidents in the spring and fall of 2020.

According to a Press release, OSHA found that SalusCare Inc. exposed behavioral health technicians to attacks five times in 2020 when “workers were spat on, kicked in the ribs and suffered sprains, cuts, fractures and concussion.” . OSHA issued the center with a citation for failing to protect its workers from patient-staff violence and a non-serious citation for failing to report a worker’s hospitalization within 24 hours. SalusCare will pay $ 6,747 for these quotes.

As part of the settlement, the company will hire a qualified consultant to improve its workplace violence prevention program, develop a way to alert workers to violent patients and triggers that can lead to violence, revise its safety protocols , increase its workforce, provide training to workers. and improve safety communication.

“SalusCare is committed to accepting the quote and implementing material changes that are integral to protecting its employees” mentionned OSHA Regional Director Danelle Jindra in Tampa, Florida. “This case should remind all employers to review their workplace violence prevention programs to keep their workers safe. ”

The company has seven locations in Southwest Florida and is a not-for-profit mental health and addiction service provider. SalusCare employs over 400 people who treat nearly 16,000 people.