Sacramento – The California State Assembly passed AB 2975, the "Secure Hospitals for All" bill yesterday. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Mike Gipson, is designed to bolster security in California’s hospitals by requiring the installation of metal detectors at key points where weapons are known to enter facilities,, including the main public entrance, as well as entrances to the Labor and Delivery and Emergency Departments. Additionally, the bill requires that hospitals utilize trained security officers–rather than healthcare workers–to conduct searches of patients’ belongings for contraband. Supporters of the bill say that these measures will be effective in reducing the potential for life-threatening workplace violence in hospitals, which has steadily increased in recent years.
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) California released the following statement from Leovardo Perez, Registered Nurse and President of SEIU 121RN after yesterday’s vote on the bill:
“This morning, thousands of California healthcare workers began their shifts with a terrifying question: ‘Will I be safe at work today?’ The Assembly’s vote to pass the Secure Hospitals for All bill (AB 2975) is an important step toward allaying those fears. Far too many healthcare workers face the threat of workplace violence involving weapons daily, which makes it hard to focus on providing compassionate care. This legislation will change that, by reducing the number of weapons that enter our facilities and by limiting potential encounters healthcare workers have with weapons.”
Background:
Workplace violence is a regular occurrence in hospitals, up 5% in 2023, and is currently at an all-time high. In the second quarter of 2022, more than two nursing personnel were assaulted every hour, equating to 57 assaults per day, 1,739 assaults per month and 5,217 assaults per quarter, according to a recent report by healthcare research organization PressGaney. Department of Labor data shows that, from 2011 to 2018, violent attacks against medical professionals surged 63%. Healthcare workers are five times more likely to experience workplace violence than those in other professions, where 75% of annual workplace assaults occur in healthcare settings.
Far too often, healthcare workers are forced to encounter weapons as they carry out their life-saving work, creating deadly hazards for workers and other patients. Healthcare workers, who are not trained in security, are often tasked with carrying out searches of patients’ belongings , which may escalate tension in the carefully maintained patient/care provider dynamic
AB 2975 improves safety in hospitals by including a requirement to have metal detectors, along with appropriate security staffing, at the hospital main entrance, as well as entrances to the Emergency Department and Labor and Delivery Department, if separate from the main hospital. Metal detectors are a proven tool to protect public places from the worst consequences of workplace violence.