HCAOA Board Member Aaron Stapleton Appointed to OSHA Panel

Aaron Stapleton, HCAOA Board Member, Founder & CEO Trinity In Home Care

Last week, HCAOA Board member and Founder and CEO of Trinity In Home Care Aaron Stapleton, was appointed to the OSHA SBREFA Panel on Prevention of Workplace Violence in Healthcare and Social Assistance. This group is working to develop a proposed standard to address workplace violence in the health care and social assistance industry.

As a home care provider whose operations might be affected by this rule, Stapleton was chosen to serve on the workgroup to review information and participate in a small group teleconference to discuss concerns and input. The Small Business Advocacy Review panel teleconferences will be open for the public to listen, but not participate in. Stapleton will participate in one of the conferences. 

According to OSHA, “Nonfatal workplace violence is more widespread in the Healthcare and Social Assistance sectors than in any other industry. In 2019, the rate of nonfatal workplace violence incidents that required the worker to take time off was nearly five times greater in privately operated healthcare and social assistance establishments than in private industry overall. ​For certain segments within these industries, the rate is much higher. While workplace violence also occurs in other industries, healthcare and social assistance services have a common set of risk factors related to the unique relationship between the care provider and the patient, client, or their visitors.”

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Healthcare and social assistance industry workplace violence is a sensitive issue, OSHA acknowledges, due to nature of injuries sustained and also due to the psychiatric, behavioral or substance abuse issues experienced by patients and clients coupled with the required methods and protocols for delivery of care.
 
Stapleton will represent his business, as well as concerns of HCAOA members, in the workgroup.