Workplace violence in healthcare: what OSHA’s guidelines say
OSHA’s Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers list “therapists” among the workers they cover, and name home health and long-term care among the settings. OSHA says the guidelines are advisory, not a standard. They describe five building blocks for a prevention program: management commitment and employee participation, worksite analysis, hazard prevention and control, safety and health training, and recordkeeping and program evaluation. This page quotes OSHA. It does not cover state workplace violence laws.
Quoted from official pages checked November 11, 2026. Confirm current requirements, fees, and dates on those sites. This page is not legal advice and does not guarantee eligibility, certification, or licensure.
Sources read on November 11, 2026: OSHA’s Workplace Violence page, its Healthcare - Workplace Violence page, and Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers (PDF, OSHA 3148-06R 2016).
What OSHA means by workplace violence
OSHA’s healthcare page states: “Workplace violence (WPV) is a recognized hazard in the healthcare industry. WPV is any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site.” Its main workplace violence page lists “healthcare professionals” among workers with higher risk.
Who the guidelines cover
The guidelines state: “Healthcare and social service workers covered by these guidelines include: registered nurses, nurses’ aides, therapists, technicians, home healthcare workers, social workers, emergency medical care personnel, physicians, pharmacists, physicians’ assistants, nurse practitioners, and other support staff who come in contact with clients with known histories of violence.” The guidelines say “therapists” without naming occupational, physical, or speech therapy, and the two OSHA web pages read do not name those professions either.
The settings they name include “psychiatric facilities, hospital emergency departments, community mental health clinics, drug abuse treatment centers, pharmacies, community-care centers, and long-term care facilities.” They add: “Field work settings include home healthcare workers or social workers who make home visits.”
Among risk factors, the guidelines list “Working alone in a facility or in patients’ homes;”. They also note that “services performed in the field (e.g., home health or social services) often occur in private residences where some engineering controls may not be possible or appropriate.” The guidelines’ sample worksite-analysis charts list “Therapist” among job titles and “Therapy room” among locations.
Advisory, not a standard
The guidelines state: “This guidance document is advisory in nature and informational in content. It is not a standard or regulation, and it neither creates new legal obligations nor alters existing obligations created by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards or the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act or Act).” They add that the Act’s General Duty Clause “requires employers to provide their workers with a workplace free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm.”
The five building blocks
The guidelines state: “A written program for workplace violence prevention, incorporated into an organization’s overall safety and health program, offers an effective approach to reduce or eliminate the risk of violence in the workplace.” The building blocks they list are “(1) Management commitment and employee participation, (2) Worksite analysis, (3) Hazard prevention and control, (4) Safety and health training, and (5) Recordkeeping and program evaluation.”
Among administrative controls, they list: “Require workers to report all assaults or threats to a supervisor or manager (for example, through a confidential interview).” On training: “The training program should involve all workers, including contract workers, supervisors, and managers.”
OSHA’s healthcare page adds: “One of the best protections healthcare employers can offer their workers is to establish a zero-tolerance policy toward workplace violence.”
What this page does not do
It does not describe state laws, does not say what any employer must do, and does not replace OSHA’s full guidelines. It is not legal, medical, or compliance advice. Confirm current rules with the agency or organization that publishes them, your employer, and your state board.