(1) (a) Health facilities shall develop and execute a workplace safety assessment to identify the risk of workplace violence against health care workers.
(b) Health facilities shall create a workplace safety plan to address the risks identified in the workplace safety assessment. Each health facility shall develop the workplace safety plan in a way that affords appropriate representation from all the different types of health care workers operating on the premises.

Terms Used In Kentucky Statutes 216.705

  • Workplace: means any property that is owned or leased by the health facility at which the official business of the health care worker is conducted. See Kentucky Statutes 216.701
  • Workplace safety: means the process of protecting health care workers' physical well-being from workplace violence. See Kentucky Statutes 216.701
  • Workplace violence: means any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the workplace. See Kentucky Statutes 216.701
  • Year: means calendar year. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010

(2) The workplace safety assessment described in subsection (1)(a) of this section shall outline strategies aimed at addressing security considerations and factors that may contribute to or present the risk of workplace violence, including but not limited to the following:
(a) The physical attributes of the health facility setting, including security systems, alarms, emergency response, and security personnel available;
(b) Staffing, including staffing patterns, patient classifications, and procedures to mitigate violence against health care workers;
(c) Job design, equipment, and facilities; (d) First aid and emergency procedures; (e) The reporting of violent acts;
(f) Health care worker education and training requirements and implementation strategy;
(g) Security risks associated with specific units, areas of the health facility with uncontrolled access, late night or early morning shifts, and health care worker security in areas surrounding the health facility such as the parking areas; and
(h) Intervention procedures for providing assistance to a health care worker directly affected by an incident of workplace violence.
(3) Health facilities shall annually:
(a) Conduct a workplace safety assessment;
(b) Review the workplace violence incidents from the previous year for patterns that indicate risk; and
(c) Review the workplace safety plan and make any necessary adjustments.
(4) In developing the workplace safety assessment and safety plan required by subsections (1) to (3) of this section, the health facility shall consider any guidelines on workplace safety standards issued by the cabinet pursuant to KRS § 216.703.
Effective: June 29, 2023
History: Created 2023 Ky. Acts ch. 100, sec. 3, effective June 29, 2023.