Frederica Wilson: “I am pleased to speak in support of this important and necessary piece of legislation. Through my work as chairwoman of…”

“I am pleased to speak in support of this important and necessary piece of legislation. Through my work as chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, and as former ranking member of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, I have worked extensively on protecting America's workers from unsafe conditions in the workplace. This legislation is an important step toward protecting our healthcare and social service workers from workplace violence. Unfortunately, it also is a very necessary step. We know that healthcare and social service workers experience the highest rate of serious injury due to workplace violence. They, literally, are jumped on and beaten up by their patients at work, thrown against walls and floors, suffering bone fractures and brain injuries. These workers have a lost time injury rate of 14.8 per 10,000 workers, compared to 3.1 for all other workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Currently, Federal efforts to protect workers from workplace violence depends solely on the use of OSHA's general duty clause. That part of the Occupational Safety and Health Act requires employers to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards. However, it is legally cumbersome to apply and is mostly applied after an injury occurs. What is needed are standards to prevent injuries in advance, not after-the- fact enforcement.…”